A healthier take on a peanut butter cup, these homemade dark chocolate walnut butter cups are quick, easy, delicious, and full of toasted walnuts, extra virgin olive oil, a touch of maple syrup, and sea salt!
Today’s post is sponsored by the California Walnut Board.
Today, I’m taking the classic combo we all love and adore and making it a little more modern, a little better for you, and if I may say so myself, even a little more delicious.
Move over peanut butter chocolate and make way for walnut butter dark chocolate.
Homemade walnut butter stuffed into creamy dark chocolate?
It’s rich, it’s roasty, it’s tasty.
Let’s stop all the chit chat and make some dark chocolate walnut butter cups, shall we? 🙂
I’m not gonna lie, I’m a peanut butter cup SNOB and would you believe me that I’ve never made my own?
I NEVER make my own, because let’s be real, I TRY making healthy snacks more often than not, and homemade peanut butter cups don’t exactly scream health food. 😉
That’s why I’m making these dark chocolate walnut butter cups with homemade walnut butter.
Let me break it down for you.
Let’s start with the homemade walnut butter.
- Roast California Walnuts in your oven for 10 minutes. This brings out the rich, nutty flavor and starts to break down the nuts, which makes them easier to blend.
- Let them cool slightly then throw them into your food processor.
- Add a pinch of salt and pulse them together until the walnuts resemble a fine crumb.
- Scrape down the sides.
- Then, with the food processor running, slowly drizzle in extra virgin olive oil, a touch of maple syrup, and a little vanilla extract. You really do need that maple syrup for a touch of sweetness or it’s too bitter/savory.
That’s it! That’s homemade walnut butter.
Now, let’s back it up for a second, and talk about why this walnut butter is a healthy choice.
We’re definitely #teamgoodfat here at Show Me the Yummy and we believe that good fats are a part of a healthy diet.
Well. This homemade walnut butter is absolutely FULL of them.
- The walnuts: amazing source of omega-3s
- The extra virgin olive oil: loaded with monounsaturated fat
Oh and I should also mention that this nut butter actually TASTES amazing too. 🙂 The walnuts and oil give this nut butter such a rich, earthy flavor.
Now that we have the walnut butter covered, let’s add some chocolate. Because #YOLO and I also believe chocolate can be a great addition to a healthy diet. 🙂
Dark chocolate chunks – I used a dairy free, 62% cacao to keep these vegan – melted with a little more extra virgin olive oil. Remember, we’re on #teamgoodfat.
You’ll spoon a teaspoon of melted chocolate into a mini muffin tin that’s been lined with mini paper liners. Then use the back of your teaspoon to “paint” up the sides of the liner.
Repeat with the remaining slots. You’ll make 16 total dark chocolate walnut butter cups.
Place that in the fridge for 10 minutes to firm up.
Then, place a tablespoon of the homemade walnut butter into each slot, gently press down, then drizzle with another teaspoon of melted chocolate. That should be enough to fully cover the walnut butter. Then top each cup with a sprinkle of maldon sea salt (yespleaseandthankyou).
Place into the fridge until all the chocolate has hardened, about two hours or so, then store them in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to eat!
And that, my friends, is how we do homemade dark chocolate walnut butter cups.
Full of healthy fats, protein, and less sugar.
Plus, I’m telling you, they taste so delicious.
Rich, cozy, a little savory, and the perfect combination of sweet and salty.
Dark chocolate walnut butter cups for the healthy and delicious win!
– Jennifer
Dark Chocolate Walnut Butter Cups
Equipment for this recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups California Walnuts
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup more or less to taste
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 (10 oz) package vegan dark chocolate chips I used a 62% cacao
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- maldon sea salt for garnish
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
- Spread out the California Walnuts in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 10 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let cool slightly.
- Place walnuts into a food processor with the salt and pulse together until they resemble fine crumbs.
- Scrape down the sides.
- With the food processor running, slowly pour in 2 tablespoons oil, maple syrup, and vanilla extract.
- Process until the mixture is very smooth. You may need to occasionally stop and scrape down the sides. Set walnut butter aside.
- Line a mini muffin tin with mini paper liners (you’ll need 16 slots). Set aside.
- Melt the dark chocolate chips and 1 tablespoon oil together in the microwave until smooth.
- Spoon 1 teaspoon melted chocolate into one liner.
- Use the back of the teaspoon to “paint” up the sides of the liner. The inside of the liner should be completely covered in a thin layer of chocolate.
- Repeat with remaining slots.
- Place muffin tin in the fridge for 10 minutes, or until the chocolate has hardened.
- Take 1 tablespoon walnut butter and place it into the center of one of the chocolate slots.
- Lightly flatten with fingers.
- Top with 1 teaspoon melted chocolate. This should completely cover the walnut butter.
- Repeat with remaining slots.
- Top with maldon sea salt.
- Place in fridge until firm, about 2 hours.
- Serve, then store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Take 5 seconds to rate this recipe below. We greatly appreciate it!
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Nutrition Information
*Note: Nutrition information is estimated and varies based on products used.
Thanks again to our friends at the California Walnut Board for sponsoring today’s post!
Mmm
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