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They look like peanut butter cups…..but their not. They’re better!
You guys!
I made like, a healthy nut butter. And then I turned it into a healthy “chocolate chip cookie dough”. And then I covered the “cookie dough” in chocolate to make the cutest, most delicious little chocolate cookie dough cups.
These were meant to be a gift, but I am not sure they will make it one more day around here, let alone find their way out of the house. Which is actually kind of a bummer because I have been meaning to get an edible gift sent out since Christmas. I know, Christmas has been over for a while now. Like a long while.
Ugh. Life. It happens…so fast.
Anyway, after all the Beignets that were inhaled on Friday you would think we might be a little desserted out. Yeah, right. Like that could ever happen. I mean around here we do not take a chocolate break. No, that would be laughable.
So I made a sweat treat on the healthier side. Although I am not sure if consuming like five…in a row, defeats the whole healthy thing!
See my “cookie dough” is actually homemade cashew butter dressed up with a shot of vanilla, just a little itty bitty bit of sugar, and some mini chocolate chips! It’s pretty genius.
These cookie dough cups are super easy and require no baking or use of the stove! Score! But if your feeling lazy you can totally swap in creamy peanut butter, almond butter or cashew butter for the homemade cashew butter! I am pretty sure that peanut butter would be pretty darn amazing too!
Oh and for some reason, people seem to be pretty impressed with these. I think it’s the cuteness factor, I mean they really do look like Reese’s. Which umm, I am pretty sure everybody loves, and then they take a bite and realize it is actually cookie dough inside. Then they really go crazy!
Healthy? Yes. Addicting? For sure!
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cups
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups dark chocolate chips or milk chocolate chips
- 2 cups roasted, salted cashews
- 1/2 cup raw unsalted pecans
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons sucanat or brown sugar
- 1/2 tablespoons butter, softened
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Place cashews and pecans into a food processor and process until the mixture resembles a smooth nut butter, stopping to scrape down the side of the bowl if necessary. This can take 5 to 10 minutes of processing, so be patient.
- Process in the sugars, butter and vanilla. The sweeteners will at first thicken the nut butter quite a bit, but keep processing and the heat will eventually melt the sugar and smooth out the nut butter. Once again, if it still looks too thick, keep processing!
- Now here is the hard part – when your nut butter is finished processing, you need to pop it into the fridge to chill. If you don’t chill it, the chocolate chips will melt right into the nut butter and turn everything brown (yes, this happened!). Once it’s chilled, about 25 minutes, stir in the mini chocolate chips. This creates about about 1 1/2 cups of nut butter, more than you will need to fill all 24 of the chocolate cups. Remaining nut butter can be stored in fridge for 2-3 weeks, use on crackers ort toast.
- While the "cookie dough" is cooling off, line a mini muffin pan with with 24 liners. Melt 1 1/4 cups of chocolate chips (I do mine in the microwave, heating on full power for 20 seconds, stir, 30 seconds again, and stir until melted). Drop 1/2-1 teaspoon of chocolate into each liner, then use a pastry brush to brush chocolate up the sides of the liner. Place in the freezer for 20 minutes. By this point the "cookie dough" should be cool.
- Remove muffin tin and cookie dough, then place 1 teaspoon of cookie dough into the chocolate cups. Place back in the freezer while you melt the remaining chocolate. Melt the remaining chocolate chips, then cover each cookie dough top with chocolate, smoothing with a spoon. Freeze again for 15-20 minutes. These are fine if left out at room temperature for a few hours (they may soften a bit) but I like them best stored in the fridge.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
So maybe I’ll get those gifts out next week?
oh my, I’m getting fat just looking at the pics. Great and simply explained recipe…even my husband could do these and soooo impressive.
Cashew butter wrapped in chocolate – amazing! Pinned. And stumbled. Thanks so much for linking on Busy Monday!
Ummm… I’m completely loving these! Beautiful photo’s too. Pinned 🙂 I’d love to have you come and share at my Super Saturday Show & Tell! http://www.whatscookingwithruthie.com xoxo~Ruthie
Thanks for pinning!
These look so good and making them healthy will make me feel less guilty making them for my grandkids. Thanks for the idea and recipe.
Downright AMAZING! Oh how I wish I had a few of these this very minute. WOWZERS!
You had me at cookie dough! If only I could jump into the computer and eat those! Thanks for sharing! Visiting from Mom on Timeout.
Featuring YOU today!
Ginger @ GingerSnapCrafts.com
http://www.gingersnapcrafts.com/2013/01/take-look-at-you-my-favorites_24.html
Love these! I am featuring them on this post: http://www.somewhatsimple.com/candy-treats/ Thanks for linking up to my link party! 🙂
Thanks for featuring me! Your party is great!
Genius idea! This looks super amazing and I can only imagine how good this would taste. Thanks for sharing!
After seeing these delicious looking morsels on several link parties, I thought I better check them out! They really look great! I love decadent, but healthy treats and these definitely fit the bill!
Thanks for checking them out!!!
These look great 🙂 I will have to try them.
These look amazing.
Debi and Charly
OMG these look SO good. I am going to make them very very soon for my kiddos- I will be their favorite! Thanks for posting these!!
I gave some to my very picky younger brothers and they went crazy for them!
They look so good and like a good alternative for myself and others with a peanut allergy.
KC
These look amazing! Thanks for sharing at Cornerstone Confessions…Pinned it!!
Thanks for pinning!