Dark Chocolate Cherry Sunflower Butter Cups [vegan + gf]

Hello, hello from the east coast!

I flew in via a red eye this morning, and am looking forward to lots of holiday  fun in Jersey. Bring on the relaxing family time!

I have one last holiday dessert recipe to share today… and this will also be the last Foodie Loves Fitness recipe of 2016!

We all have our favorite traditional holiday dessert recipes, but sometimes I think it’s nice to switch things up and add in new ones. Truth be told, I get a little tired of seeing the same cookies all around every December… so  today’s recipe is a bit of an unconventional holiday dessert, but trust me, it’s oh so good!

These sea salt dark chocolate cherry sunflower seed butter cups are a mouthful – to both eat & say out loud! We’ve got the richness of dark chocolate, sweetness of dried cherries, and the salty contrast with the inclusion of sunflower seed butter and a touch of sea salt.

Have you guys ever tried sunflower butter? It’s the most recent nut butter that’s intrigued me. I nabbed a jar of it at TJ’s awhile back out of curiosity. I discovered that while I don’t care for sunflower seeds, sunflower seed butter is a much different story. Holy yum!

For me, it’s the same idea for peanut butter. I don’t like peanuts, but I find peanut butter to be damn near THE BEST THING EVER.

On that note, I read a graphic on social media a few months ago that read, “You can’t please everyone, you’re not peanut butter.” Now anytime someone expresses feelings of frustration with not being able to make everyone happy in whatever capacity, I just repeat that phrase & it usually makes people laugh. You’re not peanut butter, people!

I mean really, allergies aside, who doesn’t like peanut butter?? I’m sure there’s a few out there, but no one that I know of!

But I digress.

Back to another yummy nut butter, sunflower seed. After discovering it, I started thinking of ways that it would work well in recipes, and chocolate is one pairing that immediately came to mind.

These cups are what wound up being my first chocolate sunflower seed butter creation, and I’m sure there will be more coming in the future!

Sweet & salty, cute & little… these 6-ingredient cherry sunflower butter cups make for one delicious addition to your holiday cookie plates, and a great dessert any time of the year! Plus they’re vegan & gluten free to boot.

Dark Chocolate Cherry Sunflower Butter Cups [vegan + gf]

Foodie Loves Fitness

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Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 5 mins

Total Time 20 mins

Servings 12

Calories 160 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 cup dairy free dark chocolate chopped
• 1/4 cup creamy sunflower butter
• 1/4 cup dried cherries chopped
• 1/4 cup nut milk of choice almond, cashew, soy, etc.
• 2 TBSP pure maple syrup
• Sea salt

Instructions

 

• Line a mini muffin tin with 12 muffin cups, or if not using cups, grease the tin with cooking spray.
• In a small pot, melt the dark chocolate and nut milk over low heat. Stir constantly until smooth.
• Meanwhile, in another small pot, heat the maple syrup, sunflower butter, and a pinch of sea salt over low heat. Stir often until smooth. Add in 2/3 of the chopped dried cherries.
• Spoon the chocolate mixture into the muffin tins, filling about 1/2 TBSP of chocolate into each cup.
• Evenly spoon the sunflower seed butter mixture into each cup.
• Top the cups with the remaining melted chocolate, coating the sunflower seed butter completely.
• Top each cup with a pinch of sea salt and a few chunks of dried cherry.
• Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to harden before enjoying.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 160kcalCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 3gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 4gFiber: 2gSugar: 12g

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Wishing you all a wonderful Christmas & Hanukkah surrounded by loved ones!

Tell me… Do you know any peanut butter haters? Are you a fan of the sweet + salty combo?