These incredibly easy, sinfully delicious Double Chocolate Hazelnut Butter Cups are made with just 3 core ingredients and are ready in under 30 minutes! They’re grain free and vegan with a stricter Paleo option, and are soon to become your new favorite treat!
Let me to be the first to admit that I am not willing to give up chocolate – not now, not on January 1st (or 4th), not ever. It brings me too much joy to eat it, bake with it, create recipes with it, and even talk about it.
Don’t you feel just a little bit happier after a good conversation about chocolate? Is there ever a bad conversation about chocolate? Let’s not get too sensitive here – just agree that chocolate is happy-inducing and move on. There are good things ahead!
I’m about to share perhaps the easiest chocolate candy recipe ever, and one that’s rich, creamy, perfectly nutty (we can all relate, right?) grain free, and vegan. There’s even a stricter Paleo option for those of us who want it – I do sometimes – and regardless of the version you make – this recipe is a winner.
Literally, my sister and her husband were hoarding them on the way out of my house, and neither one of them eats gluten free, paleo, grain free, etc. You get the picture – just good, old fashioned, decadent dessert pleasure, with the benefit of healthier ingredients. How can anyone resist?
I could tell you that I got the idea for this recipe when I spotted Justin’s Chocolate Hazelnut Butter on sale at my local Shoprite. I swear I might not ever buy nut butter at all if I didn’t know where to get good sales! Anyway, I could tell you I was inspired by it, and it would be partially true.
But really, I was probably first inspired by my old love and obsession with huge candy-store made peanut butter cups. Does anyone know the ones I mean? They’re like hugely jacked up Reese’s cups, and I’d never actually buy them because I thought they’d kill me dead if I actually finished one. Okay fine I bought them, ate them, and didn’t die. But they’re just a BIT too much – know what I’m saying?
Anyway, there’s just something about biting into a big, creamy chocolate nut butter combo that’s my ultimate dessert fantasy. I simply didn’t know before how EASY it could be to make them – still rich, still creamy – but much healthier, at least to the point where you’ll no doubt physically survive eating one. Emotionally, that’s another story – I take no responsibility for your new Double Chocolate Hazelnut Butter Cup addiction! Unless you’re making a batch FOR me, in which case blame away 🙂
Double Chocolate Hazelnut Butter Cups {Grain Free & Vegan}
Double Chocolate Hazelnut Butter Cups {Grain Free & Vegan}
Ingredients
For the Outer Chocolate Shell:
- 2 9 oz bags Enjoy Life Dark Chocolate Chips or your favorite dairy free chocolate chips
- 2 tbsp organic extra virgin coconut oil
- 1/4 cup Justin's Chocolate Hazelnut Butter *
For the Creamy Filling:
- 1/2 cup Justin's Chocolate Hazelnut Butter *
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp pure maple syrup **optional
Instructions
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Line a 12 cup muffin pan with 2 cupcake liners each (an extra prevents any potential sticking to the bottom)
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In a small saucepan over very low heat, combine the chocolate shell ingredients and melt together slowly, stirring the entire time. Once smooth, remove from heat.
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Using just about half of the mixture, carefully pour a layer of chocolate into each of the 12 cupcake liners. Chill in the refrigerator while you prepare the filling.
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In a mixing bowl, stir the 1/2 cup chocolate hazelnut butter with the vanilla and maple syrup, if using, until smooth and creamy.
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Remove the chilled chocolate from the refrigerator once it's mostly solid (it can be a bit soft)
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Spoon about a half tbsp of filling in the middle of each chocolate cup. Then, carefully pour another layer of the chocolate shell mixture on top of the filling to cover, using it all up. Put the candy cups back in the refrigerator to chill until firm.
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Wasn't that easy? Store chilled or at room temp, and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
*For a paleo version, you can replace the chocolate hazelnut butter with any unsweetened nut butter (almond, cashew, etc) for the filling. Add a tbsp of melted 85% dark chocolate for the "double chocolate" effect!
**If you're in an extra sweet mood!
Nutrition
What’s your candy fantasy? (Don’t make it clean)
What was your favorite chocolate candy growing up?
Any holiday baking adventures planned this week?
The Cookie ChRUNicles says
December 22, 2015 at 6:46 amI will never ever give up chocolate either! I can’t even imagine doing so. I think m&ms and peanut butter cups were my favorite as a kid, oh and 3 muskateers too! No baking this week other than maybe building the gingerbread house should my son agree to do so on Thursday.
Michele says
December 23, 2015 at 5:53 pmWe built a huge gingerbread house a couple of years ago and I think Adam wound up eating most of it. Those things are intense! I’m taking a break from baking as well, maybe even from cooking for a night and take everyone out to eat for a change 🙂
Megan @ Skinny Fitalicious says
December 22, 2015 at 7:07 amOne of my favorite things about Paleo are the treats. Most of them are packed with my two favorite things – nut butter and chocolate. That’s enough right there to convince me to go Paleo!
Michele says
December 23, 2015 at 5:51 pmThat is exactly my kids’ point of view – they’re all for paleo when pancakes, cookies, nut butter and chocolate are involved!
SuzLyfe says
December 22, 2015 at 8:17 amThis is the third dark chocolate filled cups recipes I’ve seen in the past 24 hours. I HATE YOU ALL
Michele says
December 23, 2015 at 5:50 pmNo, you need to make them all and LOVE THEM! lol 🙂
cottercrunch says
December 22, 2015 at 8:46 amdont you love it when you can make a non paleo/gluten free family member CRAVE your food and hoard it? haha yes!
Michele says
December 23, 2015 at 5:50 pmDefinitely a good feeling!!
Strength and Sunshine says
December 22, 2015 at 9:39 amI don’t know why anyone would ever forgo chocolate….like…what!? Doesn’t even make sense.
My candy fantasy would just be a big swimming pool of dark rich chocolate with maybe some sprinkles thrown in to make it a little prettier 😉
Michele says
December 23, 2015 at 5:49 pmRainbow sprinkles, much prettier and happier! Agree, chocolate isn’t unhealthy at all on its own so it’s a keeper 🙂
Tasty Trials and Travels says
December 22, 2015 at 9:54 amI feel the exact same way you do about chocolate! I just can’t give it up!!! Your pictures are amazing…. those look soo good!! Dark chcolate is my favorite… I probably have a little bit most days!!
Michele says
December 23, 2015 at 5:48 pmThank you! Chocolate is way too good to let go of, and no need!
AmandaM says
December 22, 2015 at 10:35 amMy favorite chocolate candy was a Skors bar – it’s like a Heath bar and I don’t know the ingredient difference but it does taste slightly different. I would get one after ice skating practice. And the challenge would be to bite into just the chocolate layer without biting into the toffee portion. I wasn’t (I’m not) strange at all 🙂
Michele says
December 23, 2015 at 5:48 pmMy kids do things like that too, especially Emily. Food is all about fun and eating things in a specific order 🙂
renaissancerunnergirl says
December 22, 2015 at 12:10 pmThese look scrummy! I must say those peanut butter cups nearly did me in a time or two growing up….but making these homemade with natural PB is going to be a holiday challenge for me 🙂
Michele says
December 23, 2015 at 5:47 pmOh you’ll love them! They taste just as good, but healthier, or so I’d like to think 🙂
fionajarrett says
December 22, 2015 at 1:42 pmI love hazelnuts and they really do go so well with chocolate as a flavour combo. Yum!
Michele says
December 23, 2015 at 5:46 pmAgree it’s absolutely delicious!
thisrunnersrecipes says
December 22, 2015 at 2:13 pmI once gave up chocolate for Lent and that lasted all of one day. I love the chocolate hazelnut combo – when I studied abroad all of us girls would hoard the good European Nutella and just eat it with a spoon. These look so delicious – I really need to get some coconut butter!
Michele says
December 23, 2015 at 5:46 pmOne day, lol 🙂 Chocolate hazelnut is SOOO good, and surprised my reese’s loving kids couldn’t get enough either!
margaretmolteni says
December 22, 2015 at 2:37 pmI still haven’t made little cups or chocolate candy, but I just can’t believe how easy it looks and also really fun! I love hazelnut everything!
Michele says
December 23, 2015 at 5:44 pmYou have to try it, but, you might get hooked. Too good!
suzysuzyheather says
December 22, 2015 at 10:49 pmWth are you trying to do to me here? I can’t move, and the only thing I can swallow are T3s and laxatives. But I swear, as soon as my back is fine and I’m running again, I’ll do a swan dive into a pool of chocolate.
Michele says
December 23, 2015 at 5:43 pmOh no – I think I need to catch up on your blog! Feel better! And eat some chocolate asap 🙂
Meghan@CleanEatsFastFeets says
December 23, 2015 at 1:00 pmReese peanut butter cups were and probably still are my absolute favorite.
Today we’re making White Chocolate Cranberry Scones to share with our neighbors. It’s an annual tradition.
Michele says
December 23, 2015 at 5:29 pmOh that sounds heavenly 🙂
Alexa [fooduzzi.com] says
December 26, 2015 at 11:14 am“How can anyone resist?” You literally CAN’T. This is incredible!! Need to give these a try ASAP!
Michele says
December 28, 2015 at 9:24 amHope you do – they’re easy and definitely worth it!
Leah M @ love me, feed me says
December 27, 2015 at 5:37 pmchocolate <3 <3 I swear I eat it everyday #noshame. These are seriously beautiful! So much deliciousness
Michele says
December 28, 2015 at 9:26 amThank you so much! And gotta have my chocolate 🙂
Laura // Chronicles of Passion says
December 28, 2015 at 10:03 pmOh my golly! How tasty do these look. I am craving chocolate now, thanks to this haha:)
Michele says
December 29, 2015 at 6:09 pmNo bad side to craving chocolate when you can make it a treat like this 🙂