My favorite Halloween candy was always Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. Every year after trick-or-treating, my siblings and I would spread out pillowcases full of treats on the family room floor to make our bargains and trades. I would have given up all the candy in the world for just their peanut butter cups in return.

And now, here’s my secret, revealed: I have not eaten dairy products in nearly a decade; however, every year on Halloween I make an exception for a single Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup. It is my annual indulgence.

Unfortunately I was disappointed with my ritual last year. I found my taste buds had evolved and the Peanut Butter Cup just didn’t taste very good anymore. Major disappointment! It was not even worth the cheating.

So this year, at the insistence of a certain sweet-toothed friend (and yoga instructor) I decided to make my own milk-free version of my beloved holiday treat. I know Halloween has passed - but kids across the US will be eating candy for days, so why shouldn’t you have some too?!

No-Cheat Peanut Butter Cups

makes 24 peanut butter cups

implements:

  • 24 mini baking cups
  • mini muffin baking pan
  • saucepan
  • stove
  • wooden spoon
  • 2 teaspoons

ingredients:

  • 9 oz semisweet chocolate (chopped, or 1 bag chips)
  • 2 T agave nectar (or 4 T maple syrup)
  • 1/2 c almond milk (soy will also do; rice milk will turn out grainy)
  • unsweetened peanut butter at room temperature

procedure:

  1. Heat the almond/soy milk in a saucepan on the stove until it reaches a gentle boil. Remove from heat.
  2. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the chocolate and syrup/agave. Continue stirring until fully mixed. Set aside to cool to room temp.
  3. Set out your baking cups in your mini muffin pan.
  4. Using a teaspoon, carefully coat the bottom of each cup with a layer of the melted chocolate. Only use 1/3 of the chocolate for this step.
  5. Put the pan of chocolate-bottomed-cups in the fridge for 30 minutes to set.
  6. Remove from the fridge and place a daub of peanut butter in the center of each cup (again, a teaspoon works well for this).
  7. Cover each peanut butter daub with the remaining chocolate, filling around the sides and over the top. (If your house is chilly, and your chocolate no longer pours, warm it up a little very gently on the stove again).
  8. Chill the pan of treats in the fridge again for at least 30 minutes, or until you are ready to enjoy!