The idea to make these addictive little cups came about on Saturday night, when I started craving a chocolate-y dessert but wanted to refrain from a sugar-laden indulgence. These guilt-free bites were the perfect solution—and because they're so simple to make, I had the perfect mini treat in under an hour.
The best way to describe these is like a lightened-up chocolate-oatmeal-peanut-butter bar. If you're from Cincinnati, I'm talking about the ones from the Bon Bonnerie—you know, those bars with the delicious oat and peanut butter base and thick chocolate topping. I may or may not be drooling just thinking about it.
Anyways, these are the healthy (but just as insanely delicious) version of that treat. The base is a mixture of oat flour, nut butter, coconut oil, maple syrup, cinnamon, vanilla, and sea salt. That's it! Chances are those ingredients are already sitting in your pantry. The topping is a simple combo of coconut oil, maple syrup, and cocoa powder. Which is brilliant, because you don't need chocolate chips sitting around to get your chocolate fix. Oh, and if you don't have maple syrup, feel free to substitute agave nectar. I'm sure honey would work well too!
The dough comes together in minutes, and is then pressed down into a mini muffin tin. The chocolate mixture is spooned over top, and the whole thing is sprinkled with a garnish of your choice. I did a few with slivered almonds, a few with coconut flakes, and a few with flaky sea salt. But it's entirely up to you!
These are seriously the best little treat to pop out of the freezer when late-night chocolate cravings hit. Enjoy!
Guilt-Free Chocolate Almond Butter Cups
Makes 12 mini cups
Ingredients:
For the base:
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 2 tablespoons nut butter (I used almond butter, but peanut butter or sunflower seed butter would be fabulous as well)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons coconut oil, warmed if necessary
- 1 1/2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- pinch of sea salt, to taste
For the topping:
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil, warmed if necessary
- 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- pinch of sea salt, to taste
Optional (garnish):
- slivered almonds
- unsweetened coconut flakes
- flaky sea salt (such as Maldon)
Instructions:
For the base: Place oats into a high-speed blender or food processor and blend until a flour forms. Pour into a large bowl.
Add the nut butter, coconut oil, maple syrup, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt to the bowl. Mix everything together until combined.
Line a mini muffin tin with paper liners or spray the tin generously with cooking spray. Divide the dough amongst the cups, pressing down until smooth. Set aside.
For the topping: In a small bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, maple syrup, cocoa powder, and salt until smooth. Spoon the sauce over the top of each of the cups until distributed evenly. If desired, garnish the cups with slivered almonds, unsweetened coconut flakes, or flaky sea salt.
Place the tin on a flat area in the freezer and freeze for 35-45 minutes, or until firm. Pop them out and enjoy! They are best when eaten straight from the freezer.
Recipe adapted from Oh She Glows