These delicious Vegan Inside Out Peanut Butter Cups are for the peanut butter lover and are incredibly easy to make and are only five simple ingredients!
Who doesn't love peanut butter cups? Honestly, I think if I ever met someone who said that they didn't, I'd have to just walk away. How can you trust someone like that?! Kidding. Kind of...because peanut butter and chocolate is kind of the best combination on Earth. By kind of, I mean totally is.
For the Peanut Butter Lover
I don't do chocolate often, but when I do, it's usually with peanut butter. Because really, is there a better combo out there?
Once you have your Homemade Peanut Butter (or your favorite store bought creamy peanut butter), then it's just another 4 ingredients! That's right, just four!
- Dates - Whole and pitted! We love medjool dates for this recipe!
- Confectioner's Sugar - This sugar will melt with your peanut butter better than a regular granulated sugar.
- Unrefined Coconut Oil - You could also use refined as it will have less of a coconut flavor. Or if you're not a coconut fan at all, sub it for another oil like olive oil or almond oil.
- Cocoa Powder - Unsweetened is what we usually use, but you could totally use sweetened to make the filing a bit sweeter. We've also made this with the super food cacao, too!
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Melt the coconut oil with the peanut butter and then add the confectioner's sugar to sweeten it up.
Note: You can adjust this based on your peanut butter / tastes. Since I added a little extra honey in this batch of peanut butter, so I used a tad less sugar. Another reason why cooking from scratch is so great - there's so much control in the flavors of what you're eating! You can make subtle changes to fit your mood.
Step 2: Once melted, I then added just a thin layer of it into the wrapper filled muffin tray.
Tip: How much to add? Well, just think of how thick do you want the bottom layer of your peanut butter cup to be. If you want a nice thick layer and then the chocolate, add more. If you want a really thin layer of PB and lots of chocolate, add less. Did I mention how great making things from scratch is because of the control?
Step 3: Put the muffin tray in the freezer so the peanut butter can set.
Step 4: While the peanut butter sets, put the dates and cocoa powder in to the food processor and blended. An incredibly simple, healthy, and delicious chocolately filling.
No food processor? You could also chop it all up by hand by giving the dates a really good chop on a cutting board, until mostly all broken up and then add to a bowl and mix with cocoa powder, mashing it all together with a fork.
Step 5: Once the fist layer of peanut butter has hardened in the freezer, then you can "fill" the center of the cups, with your date mixture by rolling out small balls of the date/chocolate mixture and then added them to the center of the frozen first layer of peanut butter.
Note: It's sticky, but as long as you wash your hands between a few ball rolls, you'll be fine.
Once filled, then you can squish them down into a nice circle.
Again, the beauty of this is you can totally control exactly how much of a chocolate center you want, just keep in mind the bigger the layer of chocolate, the more PB it'll take to cover it to create a nice even layer without chocolate coming out the top.
Step 6: Add the final layer of peanut butter on top and pop 'em back in the freezer for them to harden for about 30 minutes.
And done! Inside Out Peanut Butter Cups - Vegan for the Peanut Butter lover!
I ended up cutting these Vegan Inside Out Peanut Butter Cups up into halves and quarters for portion control and then popped 'em back in the freezer as the perfect snack! 'Cause you know, for some reason eating tiny little pieces of peanut butter cups seems like you're totally behaving, even when you end up eating like 4... ok 8... of them. 😉
More Homemade Candy
Copycat Butterfinger Candy Bites
Enjoy! As always, if you make this recipe or any of my others, I love to hear what you think! Leave a comment below, email me, or you can find me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest!
Inside Out Peanut Butter Cups
Ingredients
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/2 cup unrefined coconut oil
- 3-5 tablespoons confectioner's sugar
- 10-14 dates pitted
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
Instructions
- Line a standard muffin tin with 12 muffin liners.
- Melt the coconut oil over low heat and stir in the peanut butter until fully combined. Whisk in the powdered coconut sugar until smooth. Taste and whisk in more if desired.
- Pour about a tablespoon of peanut butter in the bottom of eat wrapper. Place muffin tin in the freezer for about 10-20 minutes until hardened.
- While in the freezer add the dates and the cocoa powder to a food processor. Blend until it forms a large ball.
- Remove the cups from the freezer. About a tablespoon + (based on preference) at a time, roll date and cocoa mixture into a small ball. Add to the center of the bottom of the muffin wrappers and then flatten so that there's still an edge around the peanut butter layer.
- Top with 1 tablespoon or so of the melted peanut butter mixture to cover the chocolate. Settle and even out the peanut butter by gently tapping the muffin tin on the counter.
- Place in the freezer for about 30 minutes for the peanut butter to fully harden.
- Store in fridge or freezer in an airtight container.
Notes
Adapted from Edible Perspectives
Oooo! Dates and cocoa powder for the filling?! I'm SO all over that combination. I'm going to try this with sunbutter to make it allergy friendly for my family.
Oh these are AMAZING! I'm a total sucker for peanut butter cups and the peanut butter is my favorite part. So these are like a dream. 🙂
OMG, I'm so with you about cutting things into smaller pieces but then eating them all! I would definitely have a problem if a batch of these yummy things was in my house. Thanks for the clever idea and the wonderful step by step. I'm going to wait to make these until I head out to a party so I can leave them there!! LOL.
Hahaha great plan, Debra!!
In my head, I've always assumed that to make homemade peanut butter cups, you would need a fancy pan that was sized and shaped for them. Just being able to use the cupcake wrappers is a stroke of brilliance! I always have the ingredients for these around the house, and this is be the PERFECT treat for my daughter's lunchbox. There is no turning back now, these are a family staple! Thanks for the recipe!
You're going to be the favorite mom at school! 😉
I made these and they were so good. I love Reeses cups and I don't normally purchase candy. Well, once I saw this recipe I knew I had to make them. I let my pickiest grandson sample one and he wanted more. That is a great taste test.
That's great to hear, Marisa!
I absolutely love the combination of dates and cocoa powder together. This recipe couldn't be easier too! How great is it that we can eat a creamy, yummy dessert like this and it vegan?! So cool...thanks for the recipe! 🙂
It's surprising, isn't it?! Enjoy!
I love all things peanut butter and chocolate - it's such a perfect combination of flavours. I love the simplicity of the ingredients, and the twist on the classic combination that you've put together here. The chocolate/date combination for the center is an especially cool idea, and I could see that working in all kinds of desserts. Cheers!
Thanks, Sean!
It's sad people who don't like peanut butter cups! (Though the rest of us are happier since we get more. 🙂 ) And I love your twist on the classic making them inside out with a yummy chocolate filling. They are so easy and tasty looking that I can't wait to make them!
Haha, so true Annemarie!
Oh, wow. Well, trust me, you'll never hear me say I don't love chocolate and peanut butter cups. In fact, I sort of live for them. I'm flipping for this recipe, and I love that the peanut butter is on the outside. And vegan? Are you kidding??? I literally can hardly wait to make these gems. Thanks for the awesome recipe!!
Thank you, Kris!
NEEEED. I can't get over how EASY these are! Looking at these perfect cups, I'd never think they were this easy, but here we are. And as someone who is a total sucker for PB, I'm loving the fact that these are inside out and giving PB some serious love. The only downfall is… I fear I am going to make these all the time now 😐
They're perfect to make for a party - keep just a few for yourself and then share!
Reverse peanut butter cups--What a fun idea! These look amazing! I think I would eat the whole batch in one sitting.
It took a lot of self control not to!
Love the twist on the classic. I know they would be just as addictive as the original. Homemade is always best, and these look like a fun little treat to make...and EAT!!
Dare I say even MORE since the PB is always my favorite part! 😉
What a great and creative idea! I always make the classic version with the chocolate coating, but this looks and sounds absolutely delicious and I simply have to try your recipe!
Thanks Natalie! Peanut butter has always been my favorite part of the cup so these are perfect for me! 😉
Oh these look so good! I love peanut butter and chocolate. Scrumptious!
I have seen a few peanut butter cup recipes and I have never eaten one but these do sound delicious and my have to pop my peanut butter cup cherry 🙂
Ahhh you don't know what you're missing!! ?
So clever! I love your portion control 'tip' - I bet it's hard to control yourself around those! I'd have to have someone hide them in the freezer 🙂
Haha we tried that- it didn't quite work! ?
Oh man...it just doesn't get any better than peanut butter and chocolate! Great recipe!!
Agreed! Thank you!
These look amazing, can't wait to try them.
Yummy! Peanut buter and chocolate is the perfect combination! I need try these for the grand babies!
I've been lost just in the picture! Yum - I sure could use some of these right now.
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My mom would absolutely LOVE these! I'll definitely be making them for her visit in Septemter. Pinned!
Yay!! I hope she loves them as much as we do! 😀
This is ridiculous, in s good way! Never knew it was so easy to make these. I think I'll make this and eat the entire batch
Thanks, Matt! Oh my gosh they didn't last long in our house at all!
Such a delightful idea! they are super cute 🙂
I'll be honest, I was pulled in by the name - I wanted to see what an inside out PB Cup would look like. But the addition of coconut oil and dates sounds fantastic. They look and sound delicious.
Thanks Jane, I'll take it! So happy you followed your curiosity 🙂
What a clever, clever idea! I love that you've made them a bit healthier, too!
Thanks, Helen! A total accident on the healthy- and certainly no sacrifice on the taste!
I need this right now! Now I'll be craving it until I make it (or you send me some! lol).
Haha oh I'd totally send you some, Olivia, but they didn't last long at ALL in this house! 😉 Guess I'll have to make more, darn!
Peanut butter cups are my absolute FAVORITE candy (used to be peppermint patties but now I'm a convert!). Made with homemade peanut butter- with honey!- and a healthy chocolate filling- LOVE it! Fabulous!!
Oooh a convert- yay! Although Peppermint Patties are on my list of to-make! Thank you! 😀
I agree with you, I don't know how you could trust anyone who doesn't like peanut butter and chocolate. I think I was weened on it. These PB cups are so perfect they look like they came out of a bakery! Gorgeous Tracy!
Aw thank you so much, Julie!!
If it has peanut butter in it then I am a fan and these look amazing! And vegan too....bonus!
Ahhhhhhhh, I love chocolate and peanut butter together! Love the idea of inside out pb cups! Looks so delicious!
Oh, you are too much!! My husband would die for these. He LOVES Reese's peanut butter cups and every time he eats one he always has to say How do you eat a Reese's? And then munch noisily 😀 Next time after I make these, I should answer Inside Out!
LOVE Angie! Sounds like your husband will need to have his Reese's world turned Inside Out! 😉
Oh My! They look delicious!
Love these peanut butter cups, I can't wait to make them!
What a wonderful idea! I'm going to make these!
Tracy! You genius!! 😀 This is awesome! I love peanut butter cups too and I still remember my very first one too... it was a moment of pure joy! I will definitely be sharing this with my sister who can no longer have peanut butter cups because of the dairy in it... she will be thrilled!
Looks so good!
Aww, thank you Dini! You are too sweet! What a great memory to have. And I hope your sister (and you!) enjoy these! You don't miss the dairy at all!
These look wonderful! I little twist on a classic. Love it!
Thanks, Ethel! 🙂
Peanut butter is totally my weakness. I could put that stuff on everything!
It's a great "weakness" to have! 😀
In love
Omg, those are some yummy butter cups. Loved the pictures too.
Thank you! They are soooo delicious and fast! Thanks so much for stopping by!