Almond Joy Cups
By Lee Funke
6/13/2024
These Almond Joy Cups are a great alternative to a peanut butter cup. They are chocolatey, delicious, and made with coconut butter. Throw a batch of these coconut cups in the freezer for a healthy, allergen-free meal-prep treat for the week!
These Almond Joy Cups are actually made with coconut butter or “coconut manna” rather than nut butter! We wanted to try and make a no-bake dessert that was made from something a little different than nut butter and coconut butter just seemed like the right fit!
Not only are these Almond Joy Cups made with coconut butter, but they taste EXACTLY like Almond Joy candy bars!
What You Need to Make Almond Joy Cups
- Coconut Butter (a.k.a. coconut manna ): This superstar ingredient forms the base of your cups. It’s the creamy, solid part of coconut milk and adds a rich, coconutty taste.
- Maple Syrup (or Stevia): These natural sweeteners add a touch of sweetness to balance the richness of the coconut butter. You can also use liquid stevia to make these cups keto!
- Coconut Oil : Melted coconut oil helps create a smooth, spreadable chocolate layer. It also adds healthy fats and a touch of coconut flavor.
- Cocoa Powder : This unsweetened powder is the heart of the chocolate layer. It gives the cups their dark chocolatey richness and classic taste.
- Raw Almonds : These crunchy nuts add a nice little crunch to the smooth coconut and chocolate layers.
- Shredded Coconut : This familiar ingredient adds a final touch of coconut flavor and texture, just like an Almond Joy candy bar.
What is Coconut Butter?
If you’ve never heard of coconut butter or “coconut manna,” we can fill you in! Coconut butter, coconut manna, and raw pressed coconut are one and the same –> raw, dried coconut meat. And it’s allergen-free, keto-friendly, and vegan. That’s all it is!
I have to warn you, we tested this almond joy cup more than any of our other cups because coconut butter is great but can be a bit finicky and hard to work with sometimes. After testing this recipe with multiple brands of coconut butter, we prefer to use Nature’s Way raw coconut.
Is Coconut Butter Hard to Work with?
When mixed with sugars such as honey or maple syrup or with ingredients at different temperatures, the coconut butter can seize up.
before you get started…
- In order to make these Almond Joy Cups, you have to slowly melt the coconut butter. Like chocolate, you can quickly go from smooth coconut butter to burnt coconut butter. We tried to keep our coconut butter smooth at all times. However, we discovered that even if the coconut butter seized up a little bit when we mixed it with the maple syrup, it still worked! You can not tell the difference after you make your cups. The good news is that these Almond Joy Cups work either way.
- Use warmed maple syrup with the coconut butter. This is because cold liquids can make the coconut butter solidify and become clumpy. Warming the syrup helps it blend smoothly.
How to Make Homemade Almond Joy Cups
- Prep: Line a muffin tin and melt coconut butter in a microwave-safe bowl in 15-second increments (watch it closely!). Mix with warmed maple syrup. Scoop half tablespoons of the mixture into the muffin tin and freeze for 10 minutes.
- Make chocolate layer: Combine melted coconut oil, cocoa powder, and maple syrup.
- Assemble: Take the tin out of the freezer, top the coconut layer with the melted chocolate, almonds, coconut, and a pinch of salt. Freeze for 15 minutes or until solid.
Can I warm up the coconut butter on the stove?
Absolutely! If you don’t want to use a microwave, feel free to use the double boiler method. This method involves placing a pot of water (filled with 1-2 inches of water) on the stovetop. Then, place a heat-proof bowl that’s big enough to rest in the pot without falling in it. Bring the water to a boil, allowing the steam to heat up the bottom of the bowl. Then, add your coconut butter and gently stir until it liquifies. This should only take a couple of minutes.
Can I use a mini muffin tin instead?
Of course! If you prefer more bite-sized cups, using a mini muffin tin is the way to go!
Almond Joy Fat Bomb Customizations
- Peanut butter: Add a little runny peanut butter to your chocolate layer for a fun peanut butter-chocolate combo!
- Nuts: Play around with different types of nuts. Although these are called “Almond Joy” cups, you can use pistachios, peanuts, cashews , or any other type of nut for a different flavor.
- Dark chocolate cocoa powder: We use regular cocoa powder, but feel free to use dark cocoa powder or Dutch process cocoa powder for a more intense chocolate flavor!
How do I store Almond Joy Cups?
Youc an store them in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months! When you’re ready to eat them, let the cups thaw on the counter just slightly until they’re soft enough to eat but still cold!
Ingredients1x2x3x
Coconut Layer
- ▢ 2/3 cup melted coconut manna
- ▢ 1 tablespoon maple syrup , warmed (or 1/4 teaspoon liquid stevia)
Chocolate Layer
- ▢ 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
- ▢ 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- ▢ 1 tablespoon maple syrup , or 1/4 teaspoon liquid stevia
Toppings
- ▢ 12 raw almonds
- ▢ 1/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
Instructions
- First, line a muffin tin with nonstick muffin liners. Set aside.
- Begin by melting coconut manna (coconut butter) in the microwave. Microwave for 15 seconds at a time and stir until drippy. Note that sometimes coconut butter can seize up, so be extra careful when melting. When it’s drippy, it’s ready to go and doesn’t need to be heated anymore. Measure out 2/3 cup of melted coconut manna and pour into a medium bowl.
- Add 1 tablespoon of warmed maple syrup to the melted coconut manna and mix until combined. Adding warm syrup is key because the coconut manna will seize up if you add a cold temperature to it.
- Then, using a 1/2 tablespoon scooper, scoop a heaping 1/2 tablespoon into each of the 12 muffin cups. Use your spoon to smooth out so that they are even and then place in the freezer for at least 10 minutes.
- While the first layer is freezing, make the chocolate layer. Mix together melted coconut oil, cocoa powder, and maple syrup.
- Then, remove muffin tin from freezer and scoop a teaspoon of the chocolate layer on top of the coconut.
- Place a raw almond on top of each cup and then sprinkle on shredded coconut and a pinch of sea salt.
- Place in the freezer for at least 15 minutes or until firm.
Tips & Notes
- Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Coconut manna is tricky! Make sure that you work quickly and that when mixing other things with it, they are all about the same temperature. Our favorite brand of coconut manna is Nature’s Way .
- Substitute the maple syrup with a 1/4 teaspoon of liquid stevia to make these cups keto-friendly!
Watch It
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Almond Joy Cups
Ingredients
Coconut Layer
- 2/3 cup melted coconut manna
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup warmed (or 1/4 teaspoon liquid stevia)
Chocolate Layer
- 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup or 1/4 teaspoon liquid stevia
Toppings
- 12 raw almonds
- 1/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
Instructions
- First, line a muffin tin with nonstick muffin liners. Set aside.
- Begin by melting coconut manna (coconut butter) in the microwave. Microwave for 15 seconds at a time and stir until drippy. Note that sometimes coconut butter can seize up, so be extra careful when melting. When it’s drippy, it’s ready to go and doesn’t need to be heated anymore. Measure out 2/3 cup of melted coconut manna and pour into a medium bowl.
- Add 1 tablespoon of warmed maple syrup to the melted coconut manna and mix until combined. Adding warm syrup is key because the coconut manna will seize up if you add a cold temperature to it.
- Then, using a 1/2 tablespoon scooper, scoop a heaping 1/2 tablespoon into each of the 12 muffin cups. Use your spoon to smooth out so that they are even and then place in the freezer for at least 10 minutes.
- While the first layer is freezing, make the chocolate layer. Mix together melted coconut oil, cocoa powder, and maple syrup.
- Then, remove muffin tin from freezer and scoop a teaspoon of the chocolate layer on top of the coconut.
- Place a raw almond on top of each cup and then sprinkle on shredded coconut and a pinch of sea salt.
- Place in the freezer for at least 15 minutes or until firm.
Video
Notes
- Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Coconut manna is tricky! Make sure that you work quickly and that when mixing other things with it, they are all about the same temperature. Our favorite brand of coconut manna is Nature’s Way .
- Substitute the maple syrup with a 1/4 teaspoon of liquid stevia to make these cups keto-friendly!
