• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Eat Love Eat
  • Recipes
  • About Us
  • Work with Me
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Easter Recipes
  • Spring Inspiration
  • Recipes
  • About Us
  • Work with Me
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Easter Recipes
    • Spring Inspiration
    • Recipes
    • About Us
    • Work with Me
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Eat Love Eat » Desserts

    Dark Chocolate Cashew Butter Cups

    Published: May 7, 2020, Last Modified: September 3, 2021, By Sasha Hooper · This post may contain affiliate links.

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Flipboard
    • Yummly
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    These Dark Chocolate Cashew Butter Cups are the perfect dessert you can keep on hand in your fridge or freezer for whenever you fancy something sweet. They're super easy and fun to make, too! Only 5 ingredients needed!

    a stack of cashew butter cups with a jar of cashew butter in the background

    Meet my new favourite thing. Dark Chocolate Cashew Butter Cups are bringing me so much joy right now! Often, it really is the simplest of things that bring great happiness and honestly, stepping into my kitchen at the end of a long day to stir melted chocolate and swirl cashew butter and sprinkle flaky sea salt has been really relaxing for me during this crazy pandemic/lockdown situation. Yes, this is a super simple recipe but sometimes it's these simplest of ideas that we need at times like these, so I'm sharing it with you here in the hopes that it might bring you some joy too. You can also learn How to Make Cashew Butter in this post too.

    a close up of cashew butter cups with a cashew butter swirl and flaked sea salt on top

    What ingredients do I need to make homemade nut butter cups?

    You only need a few ingredients to make the most insanely delicious dark chocolate cashew butter cups. In fact, you need just five simple ingredients!

    • Dark chocolate
    • Cashew butter
    • Maple syrup
    • Vanilla extract
    • Flaky sea salt

    And that's it! Technically you could omit the vanilla and sea salt if you really wanted to... but why would you want to?! You could also get creative and flavour the cashew butter dough differently - just make sure you keep the base ingredients - cashew butter and maple syrup - the same! You could add cinnamon or cardamom, you could stir in some mini chocolate chips or cacao nibs, or some chopped up cashews or other nuts... and that's just what I can think of off the top of my head! Go crazy!

    dark chocolate cashew butter cups on a grey surface, with some white paper muffin liners on the side

    How do you make dark chocolate cashew butter cups?

    It couldn't be simpler! All you need is a muffin tin, some paper or silicone muffin liners and a couple of bowls. They don't take long to put together and it's really fun and satisfying to do.

    • Start by placing paper muffin liners into a muffin tin.
    • Next, melt some chocolate. I don't own a microwave so I always do this by placing the chocolate in a heatproof bowl and setting it over a pan of gently simmering water. Make sure the water doesn't touch the bowl and stir occasionally until melted. If you'd prefer to use a microwave, place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl and microwave for 30 second intervals, stirring between each one, until melted. Go carefully, as if you overheat the chocolate it might seize.
    • Spoon a little of the chocolate into each of the muffin liners and use the back of a spoon or a small spatula to gently press the chocolate up the sides of the muffin liner. Place in the freezer whilst you prepare the filling.
    • In a small bowl, place the cashew butter. Add the maple syrup, vanilla and salt and stir. As you stir, the mixture will thicken into a dough which you'll be able to roll into balls.
    • Flatten these balls into little patties just slightly smaller than the base of your muffin liners. Place onto the hardened chocolate and spoon some more chocolate over the top.
    • To create the swirl on top, mix a tablespoon of cashew butter with a little neutral flavoured oil until you can drizzle it. Spoon a couple of drops on top of the melted chocolate and use a cocktail stick/toothpick to gently swirl it into the chocolate.
    • Finish with a sprinkle of sea salt and place back into the freezer to harden. Once the cups are set, peel away the muffin liners and keep in the fridge or freezer in an airtight container or freezer bag.
    a muffin tin with paper liners filled with chocolate and cashew butter patties

    Can I use a different type of nut butter?

    I love using cashew butter for its deliciously creamy taste but I've also tested this recipe with almond butter, peanut butter and tahini. When you mix the cashew butter with the maple syrup, it forms into a perfectly sweetened dough which you can conveniently roll into balls, flatten and place into the muffin liners. The same happens with almond butter and peanut butter. When I tested the recipe using tahini, the maple syrup caused the tahini to thicken a little but nowhere near as much so it ended up having a runny centre. Still absolutely delicious, but not as easy to make and eat!

    It's important to bear in mind that with all of these nut/seed butters, I'm referring to the versions which contain simply nuts and possibly salt. They're normally quite runny, not set like standard peanut butter. The cashew butter I used was homemade and so I haven't tested a store-bought version, but I expect it would behave the same.

    a cashew butter cup with a bite taken out and more cashew butter cups and a jar of cashew butter in the background

    To make your own cashew butter at home, simply spread 2 cups of raw cashews out on a baking sheet. Bake in an oven preheated to 180C/350F for about 10 minutes, until lightly golden and fragrant. Allow to cool slightly before transferring to the bowl of a food processor with a pinch of salt. Process for about 10 minutes until a smooth butter has formed. You'll probably have to scrape the sides of the food processor down a few times during the process. Tip: once the cashew butter looks smooth, keep processing for another minute or two to make it extra creamy! You can also use roasted and salted cashews to save on the step of roasting your own nuts - this makes delicious cashew butter!

    a stack of cashew butter cups with one cut in half to show the inside

    I hope you'll give these dark chocolate cashew butter cups a try! I personally just can't get enough of them! If you make them, be sure to leave a comment, rate the recipe and tag me on Instagram! I love to see your creations!

    And if you're looking for more nut butter recipes, why not try one of these:

    • Maple Pecan Butter Cups
    • Cashew Butter Granola Bars
    • Maple Almond Butter Snack Mix
    • Coconut Tahini Pistachio Granola
    • Caramel Chocolate Bars
    • Dark Chocolate Almond Butter Cups
    stack of cashew butter cups with a jar of cashew butter in the background

    Dark Chocolate Cashew Butter Cups

    These dark chocolate cashew butter cups are the perfect dessert you can keep on hand in your fridge or freezer for whenever you fancy something sweet! Plus, you only need 5 ingredients to make them!
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe ⭐️ Rate Recipe
    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Cook Time: 0 minutes
    Total Time: 20 minutes
    Servings: 12 cups
    Author: Sasha Hooper

    Equipment

    • Muffin tin
    • Muffin liners

    Ingredients 

    • 14 ounces dark chocolate (50-60% cocoa solids), (400g)
    • ½ cup cashew butter, plus extra for swirling on top, optional
    • 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • flaked sea salt

    Instructions

    • Line a muffin tin with 12 paper liners.
    • Melt the chocolate by placing in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water, stirring occasionally until melted. Alternatively place the heatproof bowl in the microwave at 30 second intervals, stirring between each one, until melted.
      14 ounces dark chocolate (50-60% cocoa solids)
    • Spoon 2 teaspoons of melted chocolate into the bottom of each muffin liner. Using the back of a small spoon or spatula, carefully spread the chocolate up the sides of the liner, about 1 cm/½ inch or so. Place the muffin tray in the freezer to allow the chocolate to set.
    • Meanwhile, place the cashew butter into a small bowl. Add the maple syrup, vanilla and salt and stir with a spoon until a dough forms. Divide the dough into 12 balls (about 2 teaspoons each) and then flatten into patties just slightly smaller than the base of your muffin liners.
      ½ cup cashew butter, 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, flaked sea salt
    • Remove the muffin tin from the freezer and place the cashew butter patties into each of the muffin liners. Spoon the remaining chocolate on top of each one, starting with another 2 teaspoons and adding more if you have leftovers. Your chocolate should still be melted by this point but if it's set a little, just set it back over the pan of simmering water for a couple of minutes.
    • Gently level the tops of the cashew butter cups using the back of a spoon. If you'd like to do a cashew butter swirl on top, in a small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon of cashew butter with ½ teaspoon of a neutral flavoured oil. You should be able to drizzle it now but if not, add a touch more oil. Dot the tops of the cups with the runny cashew butter and gently swirl using a toothpick or cocktail stick. Sprinkle with sea salt and return to the freezer to set completely.
    • When set, remove the cashew butter cups from their paper liners and store in an airtight container or freezer bag in the fridge or freezer.
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Notes

    • Feel free to use almond or peanut butter instead. 
    • I like to use dark (semisweet) chocolate of around 50-60% cocoa solids, but you what you prefer. 
    • You can also make these in mini size! With the quantities listed, you could make around 48 mini cashew butter cups.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 265kcal | Carbohydrates: 22.7g | Protein: 3.9g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 8.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6.9g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 199.2mg | Potassium: 254.9mg | Fiber: 2.9g | Sugar: 14.3g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Calcium: 28.8mg | Iron: 2.6mg
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Did you make this recipe?Leave a comment below with how you got on and don't forget to give the recipe a rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. You can also tag @eatloveeats on Instagram - we love to see your creations!
    « Cherry Sourdough Muffins
    Banana Pecan Bread with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting »
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Flipboard
    • Yummly

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Kate says

      September 20, 2021 at 3:56 pm

      5 stars
      These were so nice and silky smooth. Plus they were not overly sweet, but hit a very nice balance.

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    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.

    Primary Sidebar

    sasha-profile

    Hi there, I’m Sasha and I’m excited that you’re here! At Eat Love Eat, I work with my husband Jacob to create modern and approachable recipes that highlight the magic in simplicity; it’s our passion.

    More about us →

    follow us

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest

    trending right now

    • Creamy Chicken Sausage Skillet Recipe in a skillet with a spoon and a napkin around the handle.
      Healthy Creamy Chicken Sausage Skillet
    • Sausage ragu with pappardelle in bowls with a fork and herbs in a bowl nearby.
      Easy Italian Sausage Ragu with Pappardelle
    • Sticky spicy baked chicken wings on a metal tray with lime wedges with a creamy dipping sauce in a small bowl.
      Sticky Spicy Baked Chicken Wings (Easy and Super Crispy!)
    • Two bowls of butternut squash and red pepper soup one on a board with bread and a spoon.
      Roasted Butternut Squash and Red Pepper Soup
    • Raspberry Dark Chocolate Truffles on a plate, one on top with a bite showing the vivid raspberry centre.
      Raspberry Dark Chocolate Truffles
    • Strawberry truffles on a plate, one with a bite taken out showing the inside.
      Strawberry Truffles
    • A close up of caramelized brussels sprouts with maple bacon on a platter with a spoon.
      Caramelized Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Maple Syrup
    • Fudgy biscoff brownies in a stack on top of a dish with a bite out of the top one showing the insides.
      Biscoff Brownies
    • Three bowls of creamy coconut curry chicken soup with a gold spoon, naan and cilantro.
      Creamy Coconut Curry Chicken Soup
    • Tiramisu cake with ombre mascarpone frosting on a plater dusted with cocoa powder.
      Tiramisu Cake with Mascarpone Frosting

    essential

    breakfast recipes

    • blackberry strawberry banana smoothie served in a glass on a marble coaster with fruit and nuts on top.
      Blackberry Strawberry Banana Smoothie
    • Mango pineapple smoothie in three glasses with mango, lime and tajin on top.
      Mango Pineapple Smoothie
    • Two glasses of banana spinach smoothie with oats around and glass straws.
      Banana Spinach Smoothie
    • Cherry breakfast parfait in a jar with a spoon.
      Cherry Bakewell Quinoa Breakfast Parfaits
    • Apple baked oatmeal in a baking dish being served up with a spoon on a wooden board.
      Apple Baked Oatmeal with Chocolate and Ginger
    • Maple brown sugar oatmeal served in a bowl with a spoon topped with nuts and fruit.
      Maple Brown Sugar Oatmeal with Maple Pecans
    • A sourdough blueberry muffin with it's case peeled back and a bite taken out.
      Blueberry Sourdough Muffins
    • Vegan muffins on a grey background with blueberries.
      Vegan Blueberry Muffins

    as seen in

    Featured in banner with list of brand logos.

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About Me
    • Work With Me

    Disclaimers

    • Privacy Policy
    • Cookie Policy
    • Accessibility Policy
    • Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information

    Contact

    • Contact Us

    Copyright © 2021 Eat Love Eat