Chocolate Coconut Butter Cups
These yummy vegan desserts are filled with just cocoa and coconut and sweetened with a hint of natural maple syrup and coconut sugar. They are a great quick treat, as they can be ready in about 20-30 minutes!
And there's good news for you, chocolate lovers. Cocoa is a great source of flavonoids, a type of antioxidant that helps with aging and prevents disease, including cardiovascular disease. And for you coconut lovers, the good news doesn't stop there. Coconut is also considered a superfood, containing antioxidants that fight oxidative stress (aka the free radicals that damage cells and make you sick).
Ingredients (makes 3-4 cups)
- 4 tablespoons pure cocoa
- 4 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon pure Grade B maple syrup
- 1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
- 1/2 tablespoon coconut sugar
- Muffin tin
- Cupcake liners
1. Mix melted coconut oil with cocoa and maple syrup.
2. Place cupcake in liner tin, and pour half of the chocolate mixture into the tin. Place in the freezer for at least 5 minutes or until hardened.
3. To make coconut butter filling: blend coconut and coconut sugar in a blender or food processor until creamy and mealy. This could take 5-10 minutes depending on your blender. If you need to soften coconut, add a little bit of coconut oil to make smoother. If it doesn't get completely creamy and it's mostly mealy, that's okay. You can form the butter inside the cup.
4. Remove muffin tin from freezer. Place coconut butter in the middle of each chocolate base, flattening and forming around the chocolate. Cover with remainder of chocolate mixture.
5. Place in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes or until hard (you can also place in the freezer for faster formation).
6. Top with coconut flakes as desired. Keep refrigerated.