Here’s my new go-to party pleaser when I want to make a special sweet treat. I recently made these for my friend’s baby shower (this video was made in my mom’s kitchen the day of :)) and they were a huge hit. You can think of them as a combination of snickers and peanut butter cups without the extra refined sugar, additives, trans-fats, high fructose corn syrup or preservatives. Not bad, right?
I still consider them a special occasion type of thing, meant to be savored and enjoyed thoroughly. The beauty of hand-crafting our food is that we can enjoy the sweetness of the process as well as the final product. Enjoy!
Video:
What You’ll Need:
For the nougat:
1/2 cup almond butter (creamy or crunchy)
2 Tablespoons pure maple syrup (from Vermont if possible)
1 Tablespoon coconut flour
For the “caramel:”
12 soft Medjool dates, pitted
1/3 cup water
scant 1/4 tsp high quality sea salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 Tablespoon coconut oil, melted
For the chocolate coating:
1/4 cup chopped peanuts (unsalted) or other raw nuts
1 cup dark chocolate chips (I used these)
1 teaspoon coconut oil
Supplies:
12 mini cupcake liners
1 mini cupcake tin
Instructions:
1. Mix together the almond butter, maple syrup and coconut flour. Set aside.
2. Put dates, water, sea salt, vanilla extract, and melted coconut oil in a high speed blender or food processor and blend on high until smooth. Set aside.
3. Line a mini cupcake pan with the 12 liners.
4. Melt the chocolate with a teaspoon of coconut oil (try to avoid the microwave if possible by tempering it on the stove).
5. Spoon enough chocolate into the cups to cover the bottom with about 1/8 inch of chocolate.
6. Roll a heaping teaspoon of the almond butter mixture into a ball, make a thumbprint in it and press it gently into one of the cups.
7. Repeat with all 12 cups.
8. Take about 1/4 teaspoon of the date “caramel” and spread it over each cup.
9. Chop peanuts and sprinkle onto caramel.
10. Pour remaining chocolate over the tops of the cups.
11. Top with a little sprinkling of high quality sea salt.
12. Place in the freezer for about 15-30 minutes before serving.
- For the nougat:
- ½ cup almond butter (creamy or crunchy)
- 2 Tablespoons pure maple syrup (from Vermont if possible)
- 1 Tablespoon coconut flour
- For the "caramel":
- 12 soft Medjool dates, pitted
- ⅓ cup water
- scant ¼ tsp high quality sea salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 Tablespoon coconut oil, melted
- For the chocolate coating:
- ¼ cup chopped peanuts (unsalted if possible)
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil
- Supplies:
- 12 mini cupcake liners
- Mix together the almond butter, maple syrup and coconut flour.
- Set aside.
- Put dates, water, sea salt, vanilla extract, and melted coconut oil in a high speed blender or food processor and blend on high until smooth. Set aside.
- Set aside.
- Line a mini cupcake pan with the 12 liners.
- Melt the chocolate with a teaspoon of coconut oil (try to avoid the microwave if possible by tempering it on the stove).
- Spoon enough chocolate into the cups to cover the bottom with about ⅛ inch of chocolate.
- Roll a heaping teaspoon of the almond butter mixture into a ball, make a thumbprint in it and press it gently into one of the cups.
- Repeat with all 12 cups.
- Take about ¼ teaspoon of the date "caramel" and spread it over each cup.
- Chop peanuts and sprinkle onto caramel.
- Pour remaining chocolate over the tops of the cups.
- Top with a little sprinkling of high quality sea salt.
- Place in the freezer for about 15-30 minutes before serving.
These look/sound delicious!!! Thank you for sharing, I look forward to making them!
Hey Erica!
So glad you liked the recipe- let me know how it goes! Also feel free to improvise by switching up the type of nuts you use. I’ve made them with pecans and hazelnuts and they were awesome! Xoxo Krissy
Krissy,
I loved the video. It was so fun! It made it feel like I could actually make these 🙂
Keep rocking it!
Cat xx
Hey Cat! You can totally make these!! 🙂 I’ve gone completely renegade on these before when I was in a pinch and just put the almond butter thumbprints on a piece of parchment to give them a quick freeze, then topped with caramel and nuts and drizzled the chocolate on top. They were a big hit! You can’t go wrong. Let me know how it goes! Xoxo Krissy
Totally made this for a dinner party tonight. I hope there are enough left for guests! They’re awesome! And I feel really good knowing they’ve got to be better for me than some big name candy bar. Thank you so much, Krissy!
Awesome Becky! I hope they are a big hit. xo Krissy
You are the best! When I am too tired to cook.. I will just watch you… so visually stimulating and relaxing!
!!!