You heard that right. Vegan peanut butter cups. You might as well just get a shopping list together now, because trust me, you want to make these.
This was actually one of the first recipes I made, and have made them a few times since. While they are vegan, they still have sugar and butter in them, but y'know, it's a sweet treat, so it's cool. Plus, they're very rich, so you feel satisfied after 1. I think I tried to eat a second one once and had to find a happy place afterwards. Let me tell you though.. if you're trying out this vegan thing, these will get you through a crisis moment when you're trying to eat your feelings and freaking lentils just won't do it. They've saved me a couple times, and reminded me that not eating animals does not equal not eating delicious sweetness.
This recipe comes from the lovely Alicia (or Ci-ci, if you will, and I will.) and her The Kind Diet book.
Peanut Butter Cups
1/2 cup Earth Balance butter
3/4 cup crunchy (or smooth) peanut butter (preferably unsweetened and unsalted)
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs (look for a naturally sweetened kind and low in sugar)
1/4 cup sugar (I use raw sugar, and this works well)
1 cup non-dairy chocolate chips or carob chips (the non-dairy variety taste more milk chocolatey, and the carob is more of a dark chocolate taste)
1/4 cup soy, rice, or nut milk (I like to use almond milk)
Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners and set aside.
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in PB, graham cracker crumbs, and sugar, and mix well. Remove from heat, and evenly distribute to your 12 cups - about 2 T./cup.
Combine chocolate and milk in a saucepan over low heat or in a pyrex (my preferred method) and melt that up in the microwave. Evenly distribute this delicious choclately mixture over your cups.
Chill in the fridge for at least an hour or until set. If you can't wait that long, then they'll just be a bit gooey in your hands, but hey, who cares?
Enjoy!
