Peanut Butter Cups

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

My all-time favorite candy growing up was Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. I am so happy to have vegan versions that I love! If you make these, set some aside for me. Also, you can use vegan white or dark chocolate and/or almond butter substitutes as seen below.



Dark Chocolate and White Chocolate Almond Butter Cups



Version 1
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups
From How It All Vegan

Ingredients
1/2 cup vegan margarine¹
3/4 cup natural peanut butter²
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs³
1/4 cup vegan sugar⁴
1 cup chocolate chips⁵
1/4 cup non-dairy milk⁶
1/4 cup peanuts, chopped (optional)
12 cupcake liners⁷

Directions
In a small saucepan on medium heat, melt the vegan margarine. Once liquefied, stir in the peanut butter, graham crumbs, and sugar until well incorporated. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the peanut butter mixture into the muffin tins lined with cupcake paper liners. In a different small saucepan on medium heat, melt the chocolate and soymilk together until completely melted, stirring often. Spoon over top of the peanut butter cups. Garnish with nuts and allow to set in the fridge for 6-8 hours before serving. Makes 12 cups.


Version 2
Christine’s Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter
From Christine Dickson who teaches some vegan baking classes in the Bay Area. I couldn't find any other source material for this recipe.

Ingredients
1 & 1/2 cups powdered sugar⁸
1/4 cup vegan margarine¹
1 cup natural peanut butter²
1 & 1/2 cups rice crisp cereal⁹
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate⁵

Directions
Lightly grease a high-quality silicon mini-muffin tray or line a muffin tin with cupcake paper liners or lightly grease a metal mini muffin pan. You may want to lightly coat the liners with cooking spray. Melt margarine (melt in microware for 15 - 20 seconds). Add melted margarine to a large bowl. Cream together margarine with powdered sugar until smooth. Then cream together peanut butter with margarine/sugar mixture. Gradually mix in rice crisp cereal until completed integrated into mixture.

Scoop out 1/2 Tablespoon of mixture into mini-muffin tray and flatten with finger. While peanut butter mixture is setting in the refrigerator, melt 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate in a microwave safe bowl for 1 minute then stir completely. Melt again for 40 seconds to 1 minute then stir completely until smooth.

Apply melted chocolate to the peanut butter mixture in a swirling motion with a spoon until surface area is completely covered. Let sit in the refrigerator for 20 - 30 minutes until chocolate has hardened and peanut butter is firm. Pop out peanut butter cups very slowly and carefully from the silicon mini-muffin tray, or leave them in cupcake liners for serving.


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My preferred products and where you can find them:

1. a. Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks- Sprouts, Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, Sunflower Farmers Market
b. Earth Balance Vegan Original Natural Buttery Spread- Sprouts, Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, Sunflower Farmers Market

2. a. Kettle Brand Organic Peanut Butter- I don't know. I love it, but I can't seem to find this anymore.
b. Sprouts Brand Natural Creamy Peanut Butter- Sprouts

3. Vegan Graham Crackers can be rather hard to find, though Nabisco Original Graham Crackers are supposed to be vegan, so I often used these products instead.
a. Babara's Bakery Snackimals Vanilla- Sprouts, Whole Foods, Fry's Marketplace
b. Healthy Valley Amaranth Graham Crackers- Sprouts, Whole Foods, Fry's Marketplace
c. Barbara's Bakery Snackimals Wheat Free Oatmeal- Sprouts, Whole Foods, Fry's Marketplace

4. a. 365 Vegan Cane Sugar- Whole Foods
b. Florida Crystals Cane Sugar- Sprouts, Whole Foods, Fry's Marketplace

5. a. Sunspire Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips- Sprouts, Whole Foods
b. Whole Foods Brand Chocolate Chips- Whole Foods

6. I prefer almond milk for almost all of my baking, but soymilk works well too.
a. Blue Diamond Almond Breeze SWEETENED Almond Milk- Sprouts, Whole Foods, Fry's Marketplace
b. Silk Original Soy Milk (Plain)- Sprouts, Whole Foods, Fry's Marketplace...most mainstream groceries, even Wal-Mart carries it.

7. Beyond Gourmet Unbleached Baking Cups- Sprouts, Whole Foods

8. Wholesome Sweeteners Powdered Sugar- Sprouts, Whole Foods, Fry's Marketplace

9. Barbara's Bakery Organic Brown Rice Crisps- Sprouts, Whole Foods, Fry's Marketplace