These 4 ingredients Peanut Butter Banana Cups are a lighter alternative to more traditional versions and are literally melt in your mouth delicious. Eat from the freezer for an ice-creamy, fudgy type filling, or leave to defrost for a few minutes and they will become super creamy, smooth and oozy!
Peanut butter cups have got to be one of the most delicious foods out there. The peanut butter chocolate combo is just incredible and when a craving for them hit a few weekends ago I knew I had to make some. I melted some chocolate then went to the fridge to retrieve the peanut butter. When I opened the jar it was nearly empty. Don’t you just hate it when that happens?
With the chocolate already melted I had to improvise. I hadn’t been grocery shopping for a while and had one overripe banana left that I was saving to make Chester’s Peanut Butter & Banana Dog Cookies.
Poor Chester. I had to steal his banana.
Don’t feel too bad for him though as he’s got to be the most spoilt dog ever. He ended up having Sweet Potato Cookies baked for him instead.
So I ended up adding the stolen banana to the peanut butter to make it go further and when I tasted the mixture straight from the food processor bowl I couldn’t believe how delicious it was. I used it to fill my cups and then put them in the freezer to set.
Then came the fun part. Taste testing!
I was surprised to find that they were edible straight from the freezer. They were hard but not too hard to bite and the filling was almost like a cross between ice-cream and fudge. So good!
I left a couple to defrost for a while and after about three minutes they started to become beautifully soft, creamy and oozy.
At all stages these Peanut Butter Banana Cups are amazingly delicious. The addition of banana is lovely and it not only gives them a little flavour twist, it also makes them cheaper to make because let’s face it, good quality peanut butter does tend to be expensive, it lowers the fat content, lowers the calorie content, and adds some healthy fruit.
I can’t decide whether I prefer these Peanut Butter Banana Cups straight from the freezer, or defrosted, soft and oozy. My way around this dilemma is to eat two. One straight away and one a few minutes later. I suggest you do too, at least the first time, then you’ll know which you prefer. If you still can’t decide you will just have to eat two every-time like me.
The struggle is real……
If peanut butter isn’t your thing, these Peanut Butter Banana Cups would also be great made with almond butter.
As always I would love to see your creations! You can share them with me on Instagram by tagging me #avirtualvegan. Leave your comments below too if you can. It’s so helpful for me to get your feedback and it helps other readers when choosing what recipes to try.
If you want more peanut butter deliciousness then check out this recipe collection I put together for Parade’s Community Table!
Peanut Butter Banana Cups
Ingredients
- 190g | 1 cup dairy-free chocolate chips
- 4 tablespoons | 1/4 cup natural peanut butter , ( you can sub this for almond butter if you prefer)
- 1 medium ripe banana
- 1 tablespoon sugar (I used coconut sugar)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (optional but really works with the flavour)
Instructions
- Have a peanut butter cup mold ready (see recipe notes).
- Start by melting the chocolate very gently. You can do this in a microwave or in a small bowl placed over a pan of simmering water.
- Drop a dollop of chocolate into each case.
- Spread out with a spoon and work up the sides with the back of the spoon, making sure it goes into all the nooks and crannies.
- Put into the freezer just for a few minutes while you make the filling.
- Blend until smooth.
- Remove the molds from the freezer and fill with the peanut butter mixture, leaving enough room to add a top layer of chocolate. Flatten out the peanut butter mixture with a knife or spatula as best you can.
- If you want your peanut butter cups to look really good, pop them back into the freezer now so that the peanut butter mixture sets up a bit. It won't take long. 10 - 15 minutes max. If you aren't in this for the looks then you can skip this step.
- Remove from the freezer if you put them in there and add a layer of chocolate to the top. Smooth with the back of a knife or a spatula and return to the freezer until completely set. They really don't take too long.
Long time vegan, creator of A Virtual Vegan & author of the book 