Fork and Beans

Making food fun for the family

Raw Peanut Butter Cups

by

Yesterday I indulged myself to a trip to one of those fun Halloween stores. You know, those pop up stores that appear in empty warehouses or stores come September, full of costumes, decorations and other fun hauntings?…

Raw Peanut Butter Cups - Fork & Beans

I’m not gonna lie–I felt like I was at Disneyland for those 30 minutes. Well, *my* version of Disneyland, if Walt created a world full of ghosts, goblins and ghouls; stocked with some really freaky life-like and full-sized creatures that actually move when you touch their button.

Raw Peanut Butter Cups - Fork & Beans

I screamed with sheer delight the entire time I was there (no literally, I did. I screamed a lot). I pushed every button that I could find in the place and watched with freakish delight as each scary creature came to life. Some were so frightening to me that I even took a picture of it, like this one:

She actually swings back and forth and in a little girl’s voice, giggles and sings in the most creepy way imaginable. 

Okay really though? That is some serious spookiness and I couldn’t get enough of it! But you know what I really can’t get enough of (and neither will you)? These raw candy bars that taste like actual Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. Talk about spooky similarities, these scary treats will send shivers up and down your spine….

Raw Peanut Butter Cups - Fork & Beans

You like what I did there? Excellent transition eh? Taking a bow.

***In order for this recipe to be considered raw, you must use peanut butter made from raw peanuts. There is a reason peanuts are roasted however–the chance of salmonella is increased if not cooked, therefore finding raw peanuts is a difficult task. If you are not concerned with being 100% raw, simply use regular ol’ peanut butter or you can always substitute almond butter (or even The Vegan Chickpea’s amazing Raw Pecan Butter–how awesome is that?) I am Cara, and I approve this message.***

Raw Peanut Butter Cups Recipe

{Raw vegan} Gluten, egg, dairy, and refined sugar-free

Makes approx 12 medium-sized Peanut Butter Cups

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1/2 c. raw peanut butter (I have a store near me that actually sells raw peanut butter but feel free to use almond or regular peanut butter–that is, if you aren’t aiming for 100% raw)
  • 4 Tb coconut oil, melted
  • 4 Tb agave or maple syrup
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • Recipe for Raw Chocolate (in melted form)
  • Peanut Butter Cups candy mold (medium-sized)

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Combine nut butter, coconut oil, agave, and vanilla together until well mixed.
  2. Pour into mold. Freeze for 20 minutes.
  3. Remove from mold gently and dip each nut butter cup into the raw chocolate until fully coated.
  4. Allow to set either on the counter or if you are impatient like I am, freeze them again.

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Comments

  2. Made these the other day without molds (improvised with a non stick muffin tin). They’re tasty but I find them too unstable if they warm up even a little bit from the fridge and even from the fridge the peanut butter mix is very creamy. Maybe my natural organic peanut butter was too oily? Maybe it called for too much liquid sugar?

  3. So.. I have a public speaking class at my college I go to, and we have a “demonstration speech” coming up in a week… These little devils (ha!) are ABSOLUTELY being made in front of my class. So easy! And of course, I will mention your wonderful blog I JUST stumbled upon this week?!?!?! Excuse me while I go make all of these Halloween candies BY Halloween so I can put them all in a pillow case and pretend I trick or treated for them and then eat them all on my couch! 😛 Love your stuff!!! xxxx

  5. Is there something I could use instead of coconut oil. I made these yesterday and loved them buy my husband hates the taste of coconut so he refused to eat them. Please help!

    • There shouldn’t be any coconut flavor in your oil, actually. It’s coconut butter that tastes just like coconut but the oil acts just like that–a rather odorless, tasteless oil. So your husband should be a-okay with these 🙂

  6. Where do you get raw peanut butter–all the peanut butters sold use roasted peanuts; I believe even machines that allow you to make your own used roasted peanuts.

    • You can make it – I buy the peanuts in the bulk section and then run them either in a food processor/blender or a juicer (my juicer can make PB) and stir in some peanut oil to make it creamy. I hope this helps!

  9. Oh my goodness, that girl on the swing is super creepy! It would have sent me running and screaming as a child! I was such a wimp ahah

    These look amazing Cara. You sure know how to make a girl want to overdo it on chocolate!

  10. That girl thingy looks like she’s straight out of some ghastly horror film. Nothing scarier then evil spooky children in movies! Now, let talk peanut butter cups!!! I’m not buying store bought vegan ones anymore baby! So rad!

  11. Yeah you could say she is pretty creepy! Hands down peanut butter cups are Justin’s ultimate weakness – he can never get enough of them!

  12. that girl indeed looks creepy.. i am loving the mood of your pictures.. all grey and dreary.. with some deliciousness thrown in!

  14. Don’t know what’s worse before bedtime, Cara. The intense craving for these peanut butter treats or the horrific doll!!!! I need to send you a picture I have of an eyeless doll I snapped at an antique sale.

  15. Whoa. WHOA. Did you just propose the idea of pecan-butter cups? That is an amazing idea my friend.

    Your candy posts make me wish so much that it wasn’t creepy and unacceptable in this day and age to give trick or treaters homemade stuff.

    • I think if you wrap them neatly and put a tag on the homemade treats saying that there are no drugs or sharp objects inside, then it makes it okay. At least you should test it out and see if it works… 🙂

  17. I just made these with my son. They’re SO good…and easy. I dipped some pretzels in the extra chocolate. They are great right out of the frig…not raw, but salty and delicious!

    That girl/statue thing is the creepiest thing ever. I had to quickly scroll past her 🙂

    • I love how you waste no time and get crackin’ in the kitchen!!! And the thought of pretzels dipped into the chocolate is giving me some serious cravings… xo!

  18. I am so excited to find your blog!!! AND, now I don’t have to paint the inside of mini muffin liners with chocolate anymore!! Thanks for the candy mold link- going to order and cherish the saved time:)

  19. These look so good- way better than the originals because the originals had too much chocolate and not enough PB, in my opinion. It seems that you came up with the perfect ratio! I want so badly to shove one in my face right now!

    P.S. I love that you approve your own messages. It really gives me peace of mind. 😉

    • HAHA. I’m so happy that you find the validity of my approvals. That made me giggle…and because of that, I shall grant you 3 PB cups to shove into your face 🙂

  20. What an absurdly simple treat! Already I’m thinking I could switch the peanut butter for some crunchy Sunny Butter – it’s no fun if I can’t have them too! 😉
    I’m soooo looking forward to the rest of this month.
    Thanks Cara

    • I was actually thinking about you, Nina, while making these. I was thinking how you would need to make them with Sun Butter 🙂 ha! Do I know you or what?!

  21. OH. MY. GAWD. that little girl is super creeeeepy….I can’t even watch scary movies anymore (The Ring did me in).

    Love, love, love your creativity! You are a total inspiration. I think I’m gonna bust out my chocolate molds (Lego men are my personal favourite). xo

    • I’m with you Suzanne–I HATE scary movies myself (which seems a bit ironic, doesn’t it?) And thank you for such sweet words! Did you just mention lego men though? As in chocolate molds of legos? This is a MUST see…

  22. Peanut Butter scares me. There I said it. You know it gets in my chocolate and my face doesn’t fit in the jar and then it just WILL NOT come out of my hair. So my question is, do I even DARE check into your blog for the next 28 days? I mean, you know how big a woos I am and your face turned green! There must be poison here somewhere. Spooky. 🙂

    • HAHAHAHA! This just gave me the BEST visual. And you better be back soon or else… Or else I will send you a jar of peanut butter and force you to put your head into it…

  25. I had no idea raw desserts could look so good! I wish I could reach through the screen and grab one right now 🙂

  27. This looks amazing and a perfect holiday treat creation! I am a big wuss about scary stuff, so this is more my kind of celebration. 😉

  29. These look amazing and I love PB but the nut butter recall has me all scared- esp since I have a baby son who Breastfeed and tries everything I eat 🙂

    • That is a great point, RE! How about making your own nut butter–you know how they have those machines at Whole Foods? That could be a safe option! 🙂

  31. By the time MoFo is over, I swear the husband and I will have gained 20 pounds – because of you alone!

    That creepy girl is both amazing and…well, creepy, yeah. I kind of have a HATRED and TERROR of dolls (I think it comes from watching “Barbarella” at a too young age – if you have seen the movie, you will *know* what I mean. If you haven’t and you want to know…do a Google image search for Barbarella dolls. Don’t say I didn’t warn you). This
    swinging girl awakens that long standing terror in me. {shudder} (but also) {delighted shriek}

    • I want the before and after pics! 🙂 ha. At least with these candy bar recipes, they are actually pretty healthy for you, right? And I refuse to Google Barbarella dolls. Nope. As much as I love creepy things, I also freak out majorly and I just don’t think I can the sight…. Oh great, now I am intrigued. Okay hold on…let me go look…. Yeah, I’m out. No thanks. Dolls are so scary!!! eeeeeeek.

  32. I know what you mean about feeling like you are in Disneyland. I feel that way about some places too….not a Halloween store, but the feeling transfers! 🙂 I have had and made the cooked version of these, but now I’m thinking I need to try the raw. Thanks for another awesome recipe!

    • Oh come on Amanda, you can’t tell me that you don’t feel like a giddy school girl when you are in a Halloween store! 😉 xoxo

    • This is the most SPOOKtacular thing to hear! Thank you thank you thank you 🙂 Makes my black heart all warm and gooey…. xo!

  36. In case you don’t have the candy pan, these would also work great in a mini-muffin pan with the mini cupcake wrappers. The wrappers still give them the must have crinkly edged.

  38. That little girl ghost thing looks so terrifying. I went to a haunted house last night that was suppose to be a zombie apocalypse, but somehow that is infinitely more chilling.

    • Oooooooo Shannon! I wish you took me with you. Granted, I would have totally peed my pants out of terror but what a great story that would have been, right?! 🙂

  39. OK, so here’s you: “Eeeeheeeeheeheehee! Lookit! Isn’t this awesome?! Wowsers! Jinkies! I need to take a picture of this! Eek! Squee! Hahahahah!” Here’s me: *sitting huddled, shivering, rocking, in a corner, shoving homemade Reese’s Cups in my mouth.* You: “Oh. Em. Gee. That’s the scariest thing I’ve ever seen! I need to take a picture of that!” *click!* Me: “Neemorpeamuhbudder…nomnomnom…” Yeah. That’s about how that would go.

  40. We totally need to go to a Halloween store together. I think I embarrass my husband and annoy the other store-goers, because I have to push every button. I’m that way in the Christmas aisle too. There’s a button on an ornament or snow globe? Yeah, I need to push that. What I also need to do is eat one of those peanut butter cups. I know it would push all my buttons!

    • Reason #231 why you are my friend. I do the same thing! I even like to push everything at the same time so there is sheer chaos. Makes me giggle every time <–ridiculous.

  41. first of all, i love you.

    secondly, i love the peanut butter to chocolate ratio in these beauties! they’re a candy you can reeeeally sink your teeth into. which is the kinda candy i’ve always favored. and that girl..is beyond creepy.

    lastly, did you make your own raw peanut butter or purchase it? i’ve heard that raw peanuts are reeeeeally hard and extremely difficult to make into nut butter. but, it may just be a rumor 😉 also, the chocolate will set at room temperature or do you need to chill them.

    • First of all, I love you right back!

      I actually used regular peanut butter. There is a store by me (the greatest on earth) that has raw peanuts/butter but it was too expensive for me to even contemplate. Especially when I need to buy cacao butter that goes for $24 a bag–eek! Now that is spooky…

      The chocolate will actually set. I did a double dip, if you will, and let the first dip set on the counter and they did beautifully. However, they are still a little melty so it’s best to put them in the freezer just to fully set, says me 🙂

      • Hello

        Would you mind passing along the name of the raw peanut butter brand?

        Thank you!

        -J

  42. I know they’re not vegan, but I love Newman’s Own PB cups and these look about 100 times better. And just so you know, one of my magazines deals with the party industry and I write about Halloween/costumes about 5 months out of the year (among other things.) But I’m already writing about Halloween 2013, so if you need to know the trends, let me know 😉

    • Is this even a question? Do I want to know about next year’s trends? Um…YES!!! Send them over please 🙂 And I had NO idea that you write about Halloween, Abby. I think I just fell more in love with you (as if that was possible!) xo

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