Oct 29, 2023

Adaptogenic Healthy Peanut Butter Cups

Yield: 12 mini peanut butter cups

Vegan, Paleo, Dairy-free, Refined Sugar-free, Grain-free, Gluten-free

Not a significant amount of Defend Vanilla-Maca Superblend per peanut butter cup

Adaptogenic Healthy Peanut Butter Cups

Why you'll love these Adaptogenic Healthy Peanut Butter Cups

Or should the question be, why wouldn't you love these Adaptogenic Healthy Peanut Butter cups?

While peanut butter cups are one of the hottest commodities for trick or treaters come the Halloween haul, those traditional ones also contain some spooky ingredients. Feel free to look it up.

These Adaptogenic copycats are not just perfect anytime of year, they also happen to contain only a handful of real food ingredients already found in your pantry:

  • Peanut Butter, because a peanut butter cup just wouldn't be the same without some smooth peanutty goodness.
  • Maple Syrup or honey for a touch of natural sweetness.
  • Coconut flour for added fiber and protein and the perfect filling texture.
  • Any JOYÀ Functional Chocolate bars for low sugar, nutrient rich and adaptogenic goodness.
  • Defend Vanilla-Maca Superblend featuring maca, ashwagandha, reishi and lion's mane mushrooms cause we love our adaptogens + 'shrooms.
  • And finally a pinch of salt, because everything is better with a pinch.

Make these in preparation for Halloween or better yet, always have a batch ready for snacking in the fridge or freezer. We do!

Ingredients to make Adaptogenic Healthy Peanut Butter Cups

  • 150 g (5 bars) JOYÀ Functional Chocolate of your choice, chopped
  • ¼ cup + 1 tbsp creamy natural peanut butter
  • small pinch of sea salt (if peanut butter isn’t salted)
  • ¾ tsp maple syrup or honey
  • 1 tsp coconut flour
  • 1 ½ tsp JOYÀ Defend Vanilla Maca Superblend (or maca powder)
  • optional: flaky sea salt for sprinkling on top

How to make Adaptogenic Healthy Peanut Butter Cups

  1. Line a mini muffin pan with 12 mini liners. 
  1. Melt the chocolate over a double boiler, stirring continuously as it begins to melt. Alternatively, melt in the microwave in a microwave-safe bowl, stirring every 10 seconds. 
  1. Spoon 1 teaspoon of melted chocolate into each muffin liner. Use the spoon to spread the chocolate part way up the sides of each liner. Holding the tray level, tap the tray lightly on a table or counter to help spread the chocolate evenly and get rid of any air bubbles.
  1. Place the muffin tray in the freezer for 5-10 minutes, until the chocolate is firm.
  1. Meanwhile, mix the peanut butter, salt (if using), maple syrup or honey, coconut flour and JOYÀ Defend Superblend (or maca) in a bowl. Let mixture sit for 3 minutes to let the coconut flour absorb moisture. If the mixture is still runny, add more coconut flour, ¼ teaspoon at a time, to firm the mixture slightly (it should be soft but thick).
  1. Remove the muffin tin from the freezer. Spoon 1 rounded teaspoon of the peanut butter mixture into the center of each chocolate shell. Tap the tray on a table or counter to help flatten the mixture.
  1. If the melted chocolate has firmed up, re-heat it until it is once again a pourable consistency. Pour 1 ½ teaspoons of melted chocolate onto each muffin cup over the peanut butter mixture and gently shake and tap the tray to smooth out the tops and help the chocolate settle. 
  1. Place the tray in the freezer until the chocolate hardens, about 15 minutes. If sprinkling the tops of the peanut butter cups with flaked sea salt, remove the tray from the freezer after 2 minutes and sprinkle each cup with a small pinch of the salt. (Tip: If you sprinkle the salt on top while the chocolate is still warm, the salt will melt and sink.) Return the tray to the freezer until the chocolate hardens, about 13 minutes. 
  1. Let the peanut butter cups come to room temperature before enjoying. 

How to store Adaptogenic Healthy Peanut Butter Cups

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month (if they last that long!).