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    Home » Recipes » Sweets

    Vegan Peanut Butter Cups (Vegan Reese's)

    Published: Dec 16, 2021 by Sherri Hall · This post may contain affiliate links.

    pin showing stack of peanut butter cups with bite taken out of the top one with text title

    These 4-ingredient vegan peanut butter cups are the perfect dairy-free alternative to Reese's cups! When dark chocolate decadence meets creamy peanut buttery goodness, it becomes the perfect treat to satisfy your sweet tooth! Enjoy as is or top with some sea salt for a sweet and salty combination. They're naturally gluten-free too!

    Jump to Recipe
    stack of peanut butter cups with bite taken out of the one on top and one leaning up against the stack and some blurred out in the background

    Coming from someone who hoarded all the Reese's after Halloween, Easter and every candy-centric party or event, trust me when I tell you that these vegan peanut butter cups are even better than my old favorite!

    No, it's not because I made them.

    Well, maybe that's one reason, but moving on...

    They are better because they are made with all-natural ingredients...and they taste amazing too, which doesn't hurt. 😉

    They're also perfect for anyone who is vegan or avoiding dairy because they are totally dairy-free! Woo-hoo!

    Plus, they're made so you can see every layer...chocolate, peanut butter and more chocolate!

    stack of four peanut butter cups on paper on a wooden board

    I mean, there's no going wrong when you combine peanut butter and chocolate.

    Take these chocolate peanut butter overnight oats or these vegan peanut butter oatmeal chocolate chip cookies for example.

    If you're a peanut butter and chocolate kind of person, you can be my BFF you will absolutely love these peanut butter cups!

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients for vegan Reese's cups
    • How to make dairy-free peanut butter cups
    • Equipment you'll need
    • How to store vegan peanut butter cups
    • Frequently asked questions
    • Vegan Peanut Butter Cups
    five peanut butter cups turned on their side to see the layers and a bowl of salt with spoon in it

    Ingredients for vegan Reese's cups

    ingredients for peanut butter cups with text labels and arrows
    • Dairy-Free Dark Chocolate Chips (such as Enjoy Life brand)
    • Creamy Peanut Butter (be sure to use an all-natural peanut butter with no added sugar)
    • Organic Powdered Sugar (this helps sweeten the peanut butter and create a fluffy texture)
    • Coconut Oil (this is for melting the chocolate chips so that the chocolate is smooth).
    • Coarse Sea Salt (this is optional for topping the peanut butter cups)

    See recipe card for quantities.

    overhead of peanut butter cups on a marble surface with a bowl of sea salt and spoon with sea salt

    How to make dairy-free peanut butter cups

    Fill a standard size muffin/cupcake pan with 12 cupcake liners and set aside.

    Add the chocolate chips and coconut oil to a microwavable bowl.

    Heat in 30 second intervals in the microwave until melted, stirring in between.

    • chocolate chips and coconut oil in a mixing bowl
    • chocolate in mixing bowl after melting with coconut oil

    Spoon some of the chocolate mixture into the bottom of each of your 12 cupcakes liners.

    first layer of chocolate in cupcake liners in cupcake pan

    Place the cupcake pan in the freezer for about 5 minutes, until the chocolate is set.

    Add the peanut butter and powdered sugar to a mixing bowl.

    Mix together until combined into a thick paste.

    • peanut butter and powdered sugar in mixing bowl with wooden spoon before mixing
    • peanut butter combined with powdered sugar in mixing bowl with wooden spoon

    Spoon some of the peanut butter mixture on top of each chocolate layer and press it down with your fingers or the back of a small metal spoon so it completely covers the chocolate.

    peanut butter layer added on top of the first layer of chocolate in the cupcake liners

    Put the pan back in the freezer for another 5 minutes.

    Spoon the rest of the melted chocolate mixture on top of the peanut butter layer.

    Sprinkle the tops with sea salt if using.

    • adding the second layer of chocolate on top of the peanut butter layer in the cupcake liners
    • sea salt sprinkled on top of each of the peanut butter cups in the cupcake pan

    Put the pan back in the freezer for a final 15 minutes.

    Once set, peel the cupcake liners away to reveal your beautifully layered peanut butter cups.

    overhead of 12 peanut butter cups on paper on a wooden board

    Tip: If you prefer that the peanut butter layer is completely covered and none of it shows, instead of spreading the peanut butter mixture to the edge of the liner, scoop out a rounded, level tablespoon of the peanut butter mixture and use your hands to flatten so that it's just slightly smaller than the bottom layer of chocolate. Repeat this for all of the cups.

    close-up stack of vegan peanut butter cups with bite taken out of the top one

    Equipment you'll need

    For this recipe, you'll need a standard 12-count muffin/cupcake pan and standard cupcake liners.

    In addition, you can measure the chocolate chips by weight with a kitchen scale.

    If you don't have a kitchen scale, you can measure the chocolate chips using cups and tablespoons.

    How to store vegan peanut butter cups

    Once the peanut butter cups have completely set, they can be stored at room temperature.

    You can refrigerate them if you prefer, but I suggest leaving them out for a few minutes before eating as the chocolate will get hard.

    You can also freeze some for later if you'd like. Allow to defrost at room temperature before eating.

    peanut butter cup turned on its side to see the layers with some more around it and some peanut butter in a bowl

    Frequently asked questions

    Are Reese's peanut butter cups vegan?

    Reese's brand peanut butter cups are not vegan as they are made with milk chocolate and contain dairy. But this recipe is made with dairy-free dark chocolate and is vegan-friendly.

    Are Justin's peanut butter cups vegan?

    Justin's does have milk chocolate and white chocolate peanut butter cups which are not vegan. However, the brand's dark chocolate peanut butter cups are made without dairy and are vegan-friendly. I definitely recommend this brand as a store-bought option.

    stack of peanut butter cups with with bite taken out of top one and one leaning on the stack to the left and some more in the background
    Print Recipe Save RecipeSaved!
    5 from 3 votes

    Vegan Peanut Butter Cups

    These 4-ingredient vegan peanut butter cups are the perfect dairy-free alternative to Reese's cups! When dark chocolate decadence meets creamy peanut buttery goodness, it becomes the perfect treat to satisfy your sweet tooth! Enjoy as is or top with some sea salt for a sweet and salty combination.
    Course Dessert, Snack
    Cuisine American, Gluten-Free, Vegan, vegetarian
    Keyword candy, chocolate, peanut butter
    Prep Time 30 minutes
    Total Time 30 minutes
    Servings 12
    Calories 278kcal
    Author Sherri Hall

    Ingredients

    • 12.7 oz. dairy-free dark chocolate chips (360 grams or 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons if you don't have a kitchen scale)
    • 3 tablespoon refined coconut oil
    • ⅔ cup unsweetened, creamy peanut butter
    • ⅓ cup organic powdered sugar
    • coarse sea salt for topping – optional

    Instructions

    • Fill a standard size muffin/cupcake pan with 12 cupcake liners.
    • Add the chocolate chips and coconut oil to a microwavable bowl. Heat in 30 second intervals in the microwave until melted, stirring in between.
    • Spoon 1 tablespoon of the chocolate mixture into the bottom of each of the 12 cupcakes liners.
    • Place the cupcake pan in the freezer for about 5 minutes, until the chocolate is set.
    • In a mixing bowl, mix together the peanut butter and powdered sugar until combined into a thick paste.
    • Spoon approx. 1 tablespoon of the peanut butter mixture on top of each chocolate layer and press it down with your fingers or the back of a small metal spoon so it completely covers the chocolate.
    • Put the pan back in the freezer for another 5 minutes.
    • Spoon the rest of the melted chocolate mixture on top of the peanut butter layer, about 1 tablespoon in each cup. *Make sure it’s completely spread out to the edges of the cupcake liner.
    • Sprinkle the tops with the coarse sea salt, if using.
    • Put the pan back in the freezer for a final 15 minutes.
    • Once set, peel the cupcake liners away to reveal your beautifully layered peanut butter cups. They can be stored at room temperature.

    (Please refer to the post above for instructional photographs and other helpful information for this recipe)

    Suggested Equipment/Tools

    12-Count Muffin Pan
    Cupcake Liners
    Kitchen Scale

    Notes

    *If you prefer that the peanut butter layer is completely covered and none of it shows, instead of spreading the peanut butter mixture to the edge of the liner, scoop out a rounded, level tablespoon of the peanut butter mixture and use your hands to flatten so that it's just slightly smaller than the bottom layer of chocolate. Repeat this for all of the cups.
    The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. Accuracy is not guaranteed. Information shown should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 278kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Fiber: 3g

    ©Watch Learn Eat. All content and images are copyright protected. Recipes and photos are not to be used or republished without prior permission. If you adapt this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, and link back to this post for the original recipe.

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    1. Bree P.

      February 16, 2023 at 5:20 pm

      5 stars
      I have made these using your specific recipe about 100x ..These are sooooo Freaking good...I swear you they are better then Reese's.....they are sinfully delicious but a fantastic "treat" (aka small meal lol)when craving something chocolatey and peanut buttery... I've used both the mini and regular size muffin tins and both work great..I've also used homemade Raw cashew butter which is a really good twist as well as homemade raw Peanut butter since the store kind can get pricey....My non vegan friends can't tell the difference they are that good..

      Reply
      • Sherri Hall

        February 16, 2023 at 5:31 pm

        Thank you so much, Bree! I am sooooo happy you love these so much! I can't say I haven't nearly eaten the whole batch by myself lol. 😉 I really appreciate you taking the time to share your experience, and I will have to try them with the cashew butter...sounds amazing! Thanks again and have an awesome day! 🙂

        Reply

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    About Sherri

    Founder, Author, Recipe Developer, & Photographer

    With a lifelong passion for cooking, I specialize in creating easy meatless meals that are omnivore-approved!

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