A Healthy Halloween: Raw Superfood Peanut Butter Cups

Halloween has come and gone but that doesn’t mean the sweet treats have! Halloween just isn’t Halloween without tricks and treats but I wanted to make this Halloween healthy, so for the kids I handed out mini Larabars and Amazing Grass Kidz Superfood drink mix. I got a few funny looks, but I’m sure the parents appreciated it.

But I figured, why should adults have all the fun!? I got this recipe this summer at a small gathering of Integrative Nutrition students. The hostess made them and we literally gobbled them up. I’ve been hanging onto the recipe waiting for the right occassion to make them.

Halloween night happened to be my boyfriend’s homecoming from a long trip to Brazil and I knew that the time was right for these treasures. I originally hesitated posting the recipe since the ingredients are hard to find if you don’t normally keep them on hand and it’s also a bit complicated and time-consuming. But the health factor is so high up there and my boyfriend deemed them “the best thing I’ve ever made” so I couldn’t help but share especially in honor of the Foodbuzz Festival this weekend which I’m gearing up to attend (If only I could have transported them as my foodie gift we’ve been instructed to bring for exchange – but they require freezing!)

Peanut Butter Cups
(recipe adapted from Kelly e. Keough, The Power of Raw Superfoods, The Natural Gourmet Institute)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 c extra virgin coconut oil, melted
3/4 c organic chunky peanunt butter
1 Tbsp organic vanilla extract
1/3 c coconut sugar
1 1/2 droppers liquid stevia
4 Tbsps agave nectar
2 Tsps cinnamon
3/4 c roasted carob powder
1/2 c raw cacao powder
1/2 c raw cacao nibs
1/2 c hemp seeds

Filling:
1 c organic chunky peanut butter
3 Tbsps agave
3 Tbsps coconut sugar

Directions:

Line mini cipcake tins with paper liners

Place coconut oil in saucepan and melt over low flame. When coconut oil turns to a liquid measure 1 1/2 cups of the oil and pour into medium bowl

Slowly stir in peanut butter until batter is smooth

Stir in vanilla, cinnamon, coconut sugar, stevia and agave one at a time

Add carob and cacao powder, one spoonful at a time, and stir until incorporated

Stir in cacao nibs and hemp seeds. Batter should run off the spoon easily, but not be too runny

For filling: In a separate bowl, mix peanut butter, agave and coconut sugar together until the peanut butter appears to stiffen

Spoon 1/2 tsp of the filling into the prepared cupcake trays lined with mini cupcake liners. Spoon in 1 Tbsp of the chocolate batter until the liner is 1/3 filled

Place prepared chocolates in mini cupcake traks in freezer. Chill for 15 minutes before eating. Keep the chocolates in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 30 days

Makes 36

How did you keep this Halloween healthy?