Vegan Peanut Butter Cups

These vegan peanut butter cups are a tasty treat, just like the one you buy in the store, but healthier. This recipe is dairy-free and relatively low in sugar but still amazing and addicting!

If you love vegan candy, be sure to try these Vegan 3 Muskateers and these Vegan Almond Joy Bites.

A stack of several vegan peanut butter cups, the top one with a bite taken out.

I have a passion for sweets. That’s why I make things like vegan chocolate chip cookies and vegan kit kat bars. And it’s why these homemade vegan peanut butter cups are rocking my world right now. They’re like a Resse’s peanut butter cup, but better, because they’re made without dairy. It’s a perfect snack for my sweet tooth and yours, too!

Why is This the Best Recipe?

  • Melting dark chocolate with coconut oil makes it easy to spread, quick to firm up, and absolutely delicious to eat
  • The amount of peanut butter filling is up to you — if you like a thick or thin filling, you get to decide when you make your own
  • Using sugar-free powdered sugar and chocolate chips can transform this guilty pleasure into a reasonable treat any day of the week

Key Ingredients

You can find the full printable recipe, including ingredient quantities, below. But first, here are some explanations of ingredients and steps to help you make this recipe perfect every time.

Here are the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe, including substitution ideas:

  • Peanut butter — I use creamy peanut butter, but you can substitute chunky if that’s your preference.
  • Powdered Sugar — You can use regular powdered sugar, or you can substitute a zero-calorie powdered sugar such as Swerve. See nutritional information below for a comparison between the two.
  • Dairy-free Chocolate Chips — You can use regular dairy-free chocolate chips or substitute sugar-free chocolate chips (such as Lily’s or other brands that are both dairy-free and sweetened with stevia).
  • Coconut oil — Use refined coconut oil for a more neutral flavor or virgin coconut oil for a stronger coconut flavor.
A small, white bowl holds creamy peanut butter inside.

What Peanut Butter is Best for Peanut Butter Cups?

There are three basic types of peanut butter: 1) Natural (the kind that has to be stirred, 2) Creamy, and 3) Crunchy. Some types of peanut butter work better for different recipes. Most of the time I prefer using natural peanut butter because it doesn’t have added hydrogenated oils or sugar. For this recipe, you can use whatever kind of peanut butter you like best.

How to Make Vegan Peanut Butter Cups

  1. Make the peanut butter filling by combing peanut butter and powdered sugar in a bowl.
    Powdered sugar and peanut butter are side by side in a bowl together.
  2. Heat in a microwave for 20 to 30 seconds, until soft and stirrable. Stir together until smooth.
     hand holds an orange spatula stirring peanut butter in a bowl.
  3. Combe chocolate chips and coconut oi.
    Chocolate chips and coconut oil are combined in a bowl.
  4. Heat chocolate chips and coconut oil in a microwave in 30-second increments until melted.
    A hand holds a spoon stirring melting chocolate chips in a bowl.
  5. Stir until smooth.
    A hand holds a spoon stirring melted chocolate in a bowl.
  6. Spoon melted chocolate to the bottom of 24 candy cup molds situated on a cookie sheet. Tip the molds back and forth to allow the chocolate coating to go up the sides of each cup.
    A hand holds a spoon spreading melted chocolate in a candy mold.
  7. Set the chocolate by placing the cookie sheet holding the molds in the fridge for 15 to 20 minutes.
  8. Spoon the peanut butter filling over the set chocolate.
    A hand holds a spoon pressing peanut butter over set chocolate in candy molds.
  9. Smooth out the peanut butter and flatten it using dampened fingers or the back of a spoon. Return the tray to the fridge for 5 to 10 minutes. 
  10. Drizzle melted chocolate on top of each mold until all the peanut butter is covered. Use a spoon to spread the chocolate across each cup.
    A hand holds a spoon, spreading meted chocolate over candy molds.
  11. Set the candies by returning the tray to the fridge until the chocolate is firm.

Marly’s Tips

A tray of a mini muffin pan holds chocolate candies being made into peanut butter cups.

If you don’t have candy papers or the mini candy mold, add strips of waxed paper to candy pan compartments. This helps remove the candy when it’s set, but you won’t get the crinkly lines in the set chocolate.

Storage Tips

Store peanut butter cups in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 10 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. If left out at room temperature, the chocolate will get soft.

Can vegans eat Reese's peanut butter cups?

Unfortunately, Reese’s peanut butter cups are not vegan. Even the dark chocolate Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are made with dairy. I hope vegan Reese’s cups are in the future, but for now, stick with specific vegan brands or make homemade vegan peanut butter cups.

Are Justin's dark chocolate peanut butter cups vegan?

You can buy Justin’s Mini Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups because they appear to be dairy-free. The package indicates it’s dairy-free, but it is processed in the same plant as milk products.

Nutritional Information

You can make these peanut butter cups using traditional powdered sugar and dairy-free dark chocolate and here are the nutritional estimates for that:

Calories: 141 Carbs: 11g Protein: 4g Fat: 10g Fiber: 1g Net Carbs: 10g

For reduced sugar and/or keto-friendly peanut butter cups use Swerve Powdered Sugar and Lilly’s Dark Chocolate Chips. Here are the nutritional estimates based on these ingredients:

Calories: 90 Carbs: 5g Protein: 3g Fat: 8g Fiber: 2g Net Carbs: 3g

More Chocolate Candies

If you love these vegan peanut butter cups and you want more vegan chocolate candy recipes, you’ll want to try these:

A hand holds a chocolate peanut butter cup with a bite taken out over a stack of other candies.

That’s it for these vegan chocolate peanut butter cups!

A hand holds a peanut butter cup with a bite taken out of it. It's held over a stack of more candies.

Vegan Peanut Butter Cups

Making these tasty vegan peanut butter cups is easy and they're delicious. It's great to have fun treats in a versatile vegan diet!
5 from 8 votes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 27
Calories: 101kcal

Ingredients

Peanut Butter Filling

  • ¾ cup peanut butter
  • ½ cup powdered sugar (substitute sugar-free powdered sugar)

Chocolate Coating

Instructions

  • Place peanut butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat for 20 to 30 seconds, until peanut butter is soft and stirrable. Add powdered sugar. Stir to combine. Refrigerate.
  • Place 24 candy cup molds on a cookie sheet.
  • Add 1 cup chocolate chips and 1 tablespoon coconut oil in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat for 30 seconds, then stir. Repeat until the chocolate is melted. Use a teaspoon and add a generous teaspoon of melted chocolate to the bottom of each candy cup mold. Set aside the dish with any remaining chocolate to be used below.
  • Tip each candy cup mold back and forth to allow the chocolate coating to go up the sides of each cup.
  • Place the cookie sheet holding all 24 cups in the fridge for 15 to 20 minutes to let the chocolate harden.
  • Once the chocolate is firm, portion out a generous teaspoon of the peanut butter mixture and drop it in each of the 24 cups lined with chocolate. Wet the back of a spoon and use this to smooth out the peanut butter and flatten it. Return the tray to the fridge for 5 to 10 minutes.
  • Add remaining chocolate chips (½ cup) to the chocolate bowl used in the step above. Add remaining (½ tablespoon) coconut oil. Heat in the microwave in 20-second increments, stirring in between until the chocolate is melted.
  • Drizzle melted chocolate to each cup until all the peanut butter is covered. Use the back of a spoon to spread melted chocolate evenly across each cup. Once all the cups are topped with chocolate, return the tray to the fridge to allow the chocolate to harden.
  • Store vegan chocolate peanut butter cups in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 10 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. If left out at room temperature, the chocolate will get soft.

Recommended Equipment

(The products above contain sponsored links to products we use and recommend)

Notes

Use regular powdered sugar or sugar-free Swerve powdered sugar for reduced sugar and carbs.
Use dairy-free chocolate chips or Lilly’s Stevia Sweetened Dark Chocolate Chips for reduced sugar and carbs (see nutritional analysis in the post).
Calories: 101kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 40mg | Potassium: 93mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 1mg

The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator and should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

This post was originally published in 2019 and was updated to include new photos, new text, and an updated recipe in 2021.

19 Responses to Vegan Peanut Butter Cups

  1. Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyGaurav Sharma Reply

    It is looking so tasty. Yummy

    • Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyMarly

      Thanks!

  2. Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyMia Reply

    Holy, Seems seriously delicious and mouth watering, I can’t wait to give it a try.
    Thanks for sharing Marly

  3. Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyBraden Reply

    Beautiful post Marly! I can’t wait to try this peanut butter cup recipe. Thanks for sharing!

    • Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyMarly

      Thanks, Braden! So glad you like it. I love pb cups so much and so many of the store-bought ones are not vegan, so this recipe just HAD to happen! 🙂 I was surprised at how much I enjoyed making them too!

  4. Avatar thumbnail image for MarlySantosh Kumar Reply

    5 stars
    Hey Marly…this looks was stunning comes with healthy for our health, i will try to making this peanut butter cups in upcoming weekend…and sound delicious..Thanks for sharing…!

  5. Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyImwaytoobusy Reply

    Those peanut butter cups look so decadent! I love it 🙂

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