As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

You only need two simple ingredients to make amazing chocolate Almond Butter Cups! You’ll love this easy homemade candy recipe for gifting or to satisfy your sweet tooth with a (slightly) healthier option.

3 dark chocolate almond butter cups stacked on top of each other. Top one is cut in half
Want to save this recipe?
Just enter your email and get it sent to your inbox! Plus you’ll get new recipes from us every week!
Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

The combination of peanut butter and chocolate is beloved. But if you want a peanut-free option that is also a little bit healthier, these almond butter cups are for you.

Just like our S’mores Bark and Chocolate Bark With Pretzels, these homemade almond butter cups are incredibly easy and fast to make.

ingredients

2 bars of Theos chocolate, a jar of almond butter, muffin liners, and a bowl of sea salt

For this recipe you’ll need:

  • Almond butter – creamy or chunky, you do you.
  • Chocolate – a chopped bar or chocolate chips will both work here. I personally aim for about 70% dark.

How to Make Almond Butter Cups

*I’ll walk you through it here with some photos and tips, and you’ll also find a printable recipe card at the bottom of the post with exact measurements, etc. You can also click “jump to recipe” to skip down.

Grab a medium microwave-safe mixing bowl. If you’re using a chocolate bar, go ahead and give it a rough chop with a chef’s knife.

Take about one-fourth of the chocolate and add it to your bowl. Microwave it for 30 seconds. When it’s done, wait 30 seconds, and then microwave it for another 30 seconds. Then stir the chocolate that is in the bowl until it is smooth.

Add another one-fourth of the chopped chocolate and stir it gently until it has been incorporated into the melted chocolate.

3 photos showing the process of tempering chocolate.

Place muffin liners in a mini muffin pan. You can skip the liners if you’re using a silicone muffin tray. Add a small dollop of the melted chocolate and use the back of a spoon to spread it around the liner and “brush” it up the sides.

Allow the chocolate to rest for 45 minutes at room temperature, or in the freezer for 20 minutes.

two photos showing the process of spreading chocolate in a mini muffin tray.

Next up, you’re going to repeat the chocolate melting process that was explained above. Microwave, pause, microwave, pause, stir, etc.

Add a small dollop of almond butter to the cooled chocolate layer in the tray. Pro tip: if your almond butter is runny, place it in the freezer for 15-20 minutes to make it easier to scoop.

You can spread it a bit but don’t spread it all the way to the sides. This prevents it from getting really messy once you bite into them. Unless you’re into that, then go for it.

Spoon a bit more chocolate over the top of the almond butter and spread it around. And if you’re feeling fancy and like you want to be extra, sprinkle some flaky salt on top.

two photos showing the process of making homemade almond butter cups.

All the chocolate to fully cool, and then go to town on your homemade almond butter cups.

How to Store

Store almond butter cups at room temperature in an air-tight container for up to a week. The process of tempering the chocolate makes them stable at room temperature. If you skip the tempering process, these beauties are best stored in the fridge.

Variations

This base recipe gives you so much room for creativity!

Free free to use any combination of chocolate (milk, dairy-free, semi-sweet, etc.,) and seed/nut butters (peanut butter, soynut butter, cashew butter, sunflower butter, or cookie butter, etc.). This is your world!

Instead of flaky sea salt, try topping the cups with chopped nuts, candied ginger, pepitas, etc.

frequently asked questions

what kind of almond butter should I use for this recipe?

With the almond butter, you can choose creamy or crunchy; it just comes down to personal preference. For this batch, I used a “no-stir” almond butter which typically means an additional ingredient (oil or sugar) has been included. 

If you’re using a drippy/runny almond butter, you may want to firm it up by adding a bit of powdered sugar. Add the powdered sugar (related: How to Make Powdered Sugar) 1 tsp at a time until it becomes thicker and easier to work with. 

Additionally, you can freeze the almond butter for 20 minutes to make it easier to scoop.

Do you need to temper the chocolate for almond butter cups?

Nope, but I do recommend it if you’re planning to store these candies for more than two days. Tempering helps keep the chocolate shiny and not streaky. Making them all at once for a party tonight? Don’t bother tempering the chocolate.

In this recipe I have you melt the chocolate twice. This guarantees your melted chocolate won’t harden in the bowl while you’re waiting for the bottom layer of the almond butter cup to firm up.

Can i use dairy-free or sugar-free chocolate?

Absolutely! Grab your favorite chocolate bar and follow the melting process explained in the recipe card.

Can I use chocolate chips?

You sure can! Chocolate chips are designed to not melt at high temps, so you’ll need to use a bit more patience with the melting process.

To help chocolate chips melt more easily and smoothly, I recommend adding 1-2 tbsp of coconut oil.

Pro Tips/Recipe Notes

  • Use a metal spoon to stir. Wooden utensils can harbor odors from previous recipes.
  • Do not let the chocolate come into contact with water during the melting process.
  • If you want to temper/melt your chocolate on the stove instead of the microwave, fit a double boiler over a pan filled with ~2 cups of water. Melt the chocolate slowly or medium-low heat.
almond butter cups topped with sea salt on a plate
No ratings yet

Almond Butter Cups

Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 2 minutes
Chilling Time: 45 minutes
Total: 57 minutes
3 dark chocolate almond butter cups stacked on top of each other
You only need two simple ingredients to make amazing chocolate Almond Butter Cups! You'll love this easy homemade candy recipe for gifting or to satisfy your sweet tooth with a (slightly) healthier option.

Ingredients 

Instructions 

  • Chop chocolate and place one-fourth of it in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds, and then wait 30 seconds. Repeat this process two more times.
    10 oz dark chocolate
  • Stir the chocolate until smooth.
  • Add another one-fourth of the chopped chocolate and stir it gently until all the chocolate has melted.
  • Place muffin liners in a muffin pan. Add a small dollop of the melted chocolate and use the back of a spoon to spread it around the liner and "brush" it up the sides.
  • Allow the chocolate to rest for 45 minutes at room temperature, or in the freezer for 20 minutes.
  • Repeat the tempering chocolate melting process explained in steps 1-3.
  • Add a small dollop of almond butter to the cooled chocolate layer. You can spread it a bit but don't spread it all the way to the sides.
    3/4 cup almond butter
  • Spoon a bit more chocolate over the top and spread it around. Sprinkle with sea salt (optional).
  • Allow chocolate to fully cool before serving.

Notes

  1. Makes 30 mini cups or 10 large cups.
  2. Store in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to a week.
  3. If you use chocolate chips, I recommend adding 1-2 tbsp of coconut oil during the melting process.

Nutrition

Serving: 2cupsCalories: 95kcalCarbohydrates: 6gProtein: 2gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 2mgPotassium: 114mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 4IUCalcium: 29mgIron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Tried this recipe?Mention @sustainablecooks or tag #sustainablecooks!

Shop This Post

About Sarah

Helping you serve up budget-friendly sustainable recipes with a side of balanced living.
Come for the food. Stay for the snark.

You May Also Like:

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.