Easy vegan chocolate caramel peanut butter cups. Made with 4 ingredients in under 30 minutes. These are the perfect vegan alternative to the beloved peanut butter cups.

Are you looking for a simple vegan alternative to peanut butter cups? These caramel peanut butter cups are as easy as it gets.

Peanut butter, maple and coconut oil are blended together to make a simple peanut butter caramel. You’ll get the delicious peanut butter flavor you love with a hint of caramel from the maple. Mixing these basic ingredients also results in an amazing thick caramel-looking filling.

How to Make Vegan Caramel

This is the EASIEST vegan peanut butter caramel. Here’s how you make it:

• Add your peanut butter, maple syrup, melted coconut oil and salt in a small bowl.
• Whisk together until smooth. It will be the texture of a thick caramel sauce.
• Done.

There’s no heat needed (except for melting the coconut oil). To melt the coconut oil, just add it to a mug and heat it in the microwave for about 1 minute (check it halfway through). It’s that easy.

If you’d like a firmer caramel, you can also add the ingredients to a small blender or food processor without melting the coconut oil. Use a softened coconut oil instead, which is the same texture as butter at room temperature. Blend for a few seconds and you’re done.

Finally, if you don’t like a light coconut flavor, make sure to use refined coconut oil. Otherwise you will get a hint of coconut in the caramel.

Want to make a date caramel instead? You can try this recipe.

How to Make Vegan Peanut Butter Cups

It’s done in just a few steps.

• Prepare your caramel.
• Pour melted chocolate at the bottom of every cup.
• Chill in the fridge for 5 minutes or until the chocolate hardens.
• Place a tablespoon of caramel in each cup.
• Top each cup with more chocolate.
• Top every cup with a little sprinkle of coarse sea salt if you’d like.
• Chill in the fridge again for 10 minutes or until the chocolate hardens.

Keep these cups in the fridge or freezer for a delicious vegan chocolate treat. These cups are perfect for a Halloween, Christmas, Valentine’s Day or Easter vegan treat! Is there really a bad time for chocolate peanut butter cups? I don’t think so.

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Vegan Chocolate Caramel Peanut Butter Cups

Easy vegan chocolate caramel peanut butter cups. Made with 4 ingredients in under 30 minutes. These are the perfect vegan alternative to the beloved peanut butter cups.

Course Dessert

Cuisine vegan

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Chill Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 9

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cup dark chocolate chips, vegan
• 1/2 cup peanut butter, natural smooth
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted (see notes)
• Pinch of salt

Instructions

• Line a muffin tin with 9 paper liners or use a silicone muffin tin. Set aside.
• Start by making the vegan caramel. Melt the coconut oil in the microwave until liquid, for about 1 minute. In a small bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, maple syrup, melted coconut oil and pinch of salt. It should become a smooth thick caramel-like sauce. Set aside.
• Melt a 3/4 cup of the chocolate. You can use the microwave or a double boiler on the stovetop. I added the chocolate to the same cup that I used to melt the coconut oil and melted it in the microwave for 2 minutes. It's best to stop and stir every 30 seconds to ensure it melts evenly and doesn't burn.
• Pour the chocolate evenly at the bottom of each cup. Using a spoon, push some of the melted chocolate to the sides of the paper liners, about halfway to the top of each cup. This will make the sides of the cups and will ensure that the caramel doesn't pour to the sides. Place in the fridge on a flat surface and let chill for 5 minutes or until the chocolate firms up.
• Meanwhile, melt the remaining 1 cup of chocolate using the same method.
• Remove the chocolate cups from the fridge and place a heaping tablespoon of caramel in each cup. Top every cup with more melted chocolate evenly. Sprinkle the cups with a little bit of coarse or flaky sea salt. Place in the fridge and let it chill for 10 minutes or until firm.
• Keep the cups in the fridge or freezer.

Notes

If you don’t want a light coconut flavor in the peanut butter caramel, make sure to use refined coconut oil.

You can choose to melt the coconut oil for a smooth caramel or you can use softened coconut oil (the texture of room temperature butter) and add the caramel ingredients to a small blender or food processor. Blend for a few seconds and you’ll get a firmer caramel. Both are great!

I used the dark vegan chocolate from Enjoy Life brand. You can use your favorite chocolate.

If you make these caramel peanut butter cups, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! I love to hear from you guys. And of course, if you try this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram!