Protein Almond Butter Cups (Paleo)

These protein almond butter cups are made with dark chocolate, almond butter and protein powder. They're a satisfying treat that's packed with protein, no-bake and paleo friendly.

I've always loved peanut butter cups, but the ingredients can often be questionable and even cleaner brands tend to use a lot of sugar. But these healthier almond butter cups are the perfect substitute.

These protein almond butter cups have a creamy filling that's made with almond butter, protein powder and lightly sweetened with maple syrup (although you can leave that out if you want). They're encased in rich, dark chocolate and topped with flaked salt for a little extra flavor.

I used almond butter to keep this recipe paleo, but peanut butter or sunflower seed butter would work too! In addition to being paleo friendly, these dark chocolate almond butter cups are dairy free, protein packed and easily made vegan.

Ingredients

The full recipe for these protein almond butter cups can be found in the recipe card below, but here's an overview of what you'll need:

• Dark chocolate - I used 85% dark chocolate
• Coconut oil - to thin the chocolate, making it easier to work with
• Almond butter - for the almond butter filling. I recommend a drippy, unsweetened almond butter.
• Protein powder - I used a Prime Protein, which is a beef isolate powder (dairy free and paleo), but you could also use collagen, bone broth protein powder or hemp protein. If you aren't dairy free, then a whey protein powder would work too.
• Maple syrup - optional for sweetening the filling. The maple syrup can be swapped for honey or any other liquid sweetener.
• Flaked salt - optional topping for the almond butter cups

How to Make Protein Almond Butter Cups

There are a couple options for making these almond butter cups. I chose to make mine in a mini muffin tin, lined with paper liners. However, you can just use a mini silicone muffin pan and skip the liners, or even use a regular sized muffin tin with paper or silicone liners.

Here's what you need to do:

1. First, line a mini muffin pan with 15 paper liners.
2. Melt the dark chocolate and coconut oil.
3. Place about 1 teaspoon of melted chocolate into each lined slot. Use a mini spoon or spatula to push the chocolate up the edges of the paper liner.
4. Place the chocolate cups in the freezer to set.
5. Next, grab a small bowl and combine all of the filling ingredients for the almond butter cups. Mix with a spatula until well combined.
6. Grab the chocolate cups from the freezer and scoop about 1 teaspoon of the filling into each slot. Use a mini spoon or spatula to press down the filling so that it rests just below the rim of the chocolate.

7. Pour the remaining melted chocolate over the almond butter filling.
8. Set the almond butter cups in the fridge or freezer to firm.
9. Once the chocolate has solidified, you can top each cup with a pinch of flaked salt.

Storage

These high protein almond butter cups are best kept in an airtight container in the fridge. For longer storage, keep them in the freezer. They do get pretty hard in the freezer, so you'll want to defrost them a bit before eating.

FAQ

More No Bake Paleo Desserts

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

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