Choconut Cashew Cups

~ Paleo, NSA & Vegan ~
If you were redirected here from my Coconut Cashew Butter post then well done! Hopefully this means you’ve succeeded in making your own nut butter and you’re ready for your next simple challenge. This delectable little snack is nothing short of pure genius & despite the lack of sugar it is such a delicious treat!

My inspiration for this recipe came from the Paleo blogger The Healthy Foodie. Check out her fab recipes including the Keto Choconut Almond Butter Cups from which this recipe was inspired. I didn’t have the patience for 3 layers so I made them with 2. That just meant there was more room for the chocolate base – clearly I was only making excellent decisions that day. The choice to make them with my coconut cashew butter was equally brilliant as the coconut really does bring in a creamy, sweetness that you might miss with a plain almond butter – if you’re one of those strange people who considers almond butter plain!

Processed with MOLDIV

I managed to make these beauties in around 25 minutes (including chill time) when I needed something last minute to take round to a friend’s house for dinner. K & J had been slow cooking lamb shanks all day so I definitely couldn’t turn up empty handed. They both prefer a high-fat, ketogenic style diet so I knew these choconut cups would be well received. And indeed they were along with the chocolate cherry dessert wine (oops, I don’t know how that snuck into my bag!)

Check out the bacon guacamole appetizers, such a fab idea! If only we hadn’t drunk several bottles of wine we would have been feeling extremely virtuous the next day. Thanks for an awesome evening guys!

Sorry, I’m sure you’re drooling at this point and thinking that it would be a damn sight quicker to jump in your car, head to the nearest gas station and buy a pack of Reese’s peanut butter cups so you don’t have to listen to me yammering on. DON’T DO IT! You will not regret learning how to make these delicious sugar-free treats.

INGREDIENTS:
Yields: 12 mini cups
Preparation: 20 minutes

Bottom Layer

• 60 grams dark chocolate – I used Pascha Organic Dark Chocolate 70% cacao (the original recipe calls for cacao paste but I couldn’t find any on island!)
• 1/4 cup coconut oil (in liquid state)
• 1 tsp vanilla powder – I used the Sunfood brand from Island Naturals retail shop in Coconut Plaza, West Bay Road.
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 2-3 drops pure almond extract

Top layer

• 1/2 cup coconut cashew butter (or any kind you made yourself!)
• 1/4 cup coconut oil (in liquid state)

METHOD:

1. In a microwaveable mixing bowl, melt your dark chocolate in the microwave 20 seconds at a time, stirring in between to ensure all lumps are removed.
2. Once melted add coconut oil, cinnamon, vanilla powder and almond extract.
3. Pour the chocolate mix in equal measures into each of the 12 mini muffin cases & then place them in the fridge to set for 5 minutes.
4. In the meantime, you can make up the top layer by adding 1/2 cup of your nut butter creation of choice to a bowl and combining with a further 1/4 cup of coconut oil.
5. Remove the chocolate cups from the fridge and pour the top layer mixture over each cup.
6. Garnish with an almond or even some shredded coconut. Return to the fridge for 1 hour if you have the time or 5 minutes as I did and you’re done!

Apparently, these will last up to a month in an air-tight container in your fridge. Seems unlikely based on the rate of consumption in the last two days…Enjoy! 🙂