An easy, no-bake treat packed with protein! These Everything but the Kitchen Sink Cashew Butter Cups with dark chocolate are vegan, paleo, gluten-free and refined sugar-free. Silky nougat, hemp seeds, cashew butter, and pure plant-based magic.
Where do I start with these chocolate cups of goodness? Picture a chocolate cup that tastes like caramel and cashew butter drenched in chocolate. These cashew butter cups are gooey gems! I just wish I could come through the computer screen and hand you one. One bite is all it would take for me to turn you.
Creating these cups were really fun! During the creative development of these cups, I knew I wanted to create some kind of wonderful in the no-bake department using ingredients I could eat that were paleo and gluten-free made with pure ingredients instead of store-bought. I wanted nutrient-dense with a high nutritional value.
If you are going to indulge why not make it a healthy indulgence?
I decided to experiment with all kinds of seeds creating a dense nutritional treat. I came up with a medley of seeds and nuts and created an unreal nougat that tasted out of this world. It was nutrient-dense just as I had desired and free of yucky artificial ingredients.
WHY CASHEW BUTTER:
- Nutrient-rich: Contains iron, vitamin E, calcium, riboflavin, Vitamin K
- Loaded with essential fatty acids (healthy fat)
- High in protein
- Contains no cholesterol
- Excellent source of antioxidants
- Mild-tasting
WHY WATERMELON SEEDS:
- Great source of plant protein, iron, magnesium, zinc, potassium, and healthy fats
- Watermelon seeds unroasted are mild in flavor. These seeds taste like a flavorless nut
- When roasted and salted they are strong in flavor with a nutty taste
- And the combination of Medjool dates, watermelon seeds, and hemp seeds is a heavenly combination making the texture and taste unreal!
- Grain-free because I get requests and sometimes life feels better grain-free
WHY REFINED SUGAR-FREE SWEETENERS:
- Dates and pure maple syrup for the refined sugar-free sweetener because it's so much better for your body nutrient-wise than cane sugar which doesn't have any nutritional value
- These sweeteners are also vegan
TASTE FACTOR:
I wasn't the only one who thought these Everything But The Kitchen Sink Cashew Butter Cups were out of this world! so either. Everyone loved these chocolate cups. No one could believe how amazing they were and how healthy they were at the same time. I mean come on, who wouldn't adore these?
I made so many trials during the development stage I had to get them out of the house. It is seriously dangerous for me to have 36 Kitchen Sink Cashew Butter Cups in my apartment and that was just one batch! I gave them out to everyone I knew and everyone came back for seconds and thirds. These chocolate cashew butter cups melt in your hands good, melt in your mouth good. And these chocolate cups are SO worth it!
MORE CHOCOLATE CUP RECIPES
READY TO GATHER YOUR INGREDIENTS?
Everything But The Kitchen Sink Cashew Butter Cups
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups hemp seeds
- 1 cup roasted watermelon seeds with sea salt I use Go Raw
- ¼ tsp vanilla powder
- 2 tsp pure maple syrup
- 12 whole Medjool dates, soaked and pitted
- ½ tbsp water if needed
- 5 cups sugar-free chocolate chips
- 6 tbsp coconut oil solid, up to 6 tablespoons, you can use less
- ½ 16oz jar creamy cashew butter sugar and salt-free
Instructions
BOTTOM LAYER / CHOCOLATE
- In a double boiler melt 2 cups of chocolate chips on medium to low heat. Once partially melted add 3 tablespoons of coconut oil, and mix well.
- Prepare cupcake liners on a baking tray. Pour melted chocolate into the cupcake liners about ⅛ – ¼ – inch full.
- Place chocolate cups in the freezer for 20 minutes to harden.
NOUGAT
- Pit your dates, and soak them in warm water for 15 minutes. Strain and set aside.
- Meanwhile, In a food processor, process watermelon seeds, hemp seeds, coconut and then add dates (in this order) and blend.
- Midway through, add the maple syrup, water if needed, vanilla powder and keep processing till well blended and nougat consistency.
- Place mixture in a bowl and set aside.
- Remove chocolate cups from the freezer. Add small to medium size rounded balls of the raw mixture to each chocolate cup and flatten with your fingers. (Use water to prevent sticking)
- Place back into the freezer to cool.
CASHEW & LAST CHOCOLATE LAYER
- In the meantime, break out the double boiler again and melt the remaining 2 cups of chocolate chips and add the remaining 3 tablespoons of coconut oil.
- Once melted, keep the double boiler on low heat.
- Using a spoon take a dollop of cashew butter and place it on top of the nougat mixture.
- Then top each cup with the remaining melted chocolate and cover the cups. It’s gonna be messy and uneven. That’s the beauty of homemade, so don’t worry about what they look like.
- Freeze for at least 4 hours before serving.
- Store in the freezer at all times. Best eaten melted from my point of view.
Notes
PRODUCT TIPS:
- I get my watermelon seeds already roasted with sea salt from Go Raw. If you choose not to use this brand, make sure you add ¼ teaspoon sea salt to this recipe.
- I get all of my seeds and nuts (except watermelon seeds) and superfood powders at Nuts.com and Organic Living Superfoods . Both companies measure at 5ppm of gluten. Organic Living Superfoods is a gluten-free facility.
- I have used both Lily's Vegan Gluten-free dark chocolate, Hu Kitchen, as well as Enjoy Life. I love them all. Enjoy Life is top 8 allergen-free & sesame-free.
VERSION 2: Turn these chocolate super cups into bliss balls covered in chocolate.
Health, and joy,
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Jeanine
What a brilliant recipe I love sound of these, a huge cashew and Medjool date anything fan here and these will be going on the late night treat menu..
Megan
I've been waiting for these! Thanks so much Julie! I can't wait to make them, just need to get my hands on some of the ingredients!
Julie
Hi Megan! Yay!! So glad. Let me know if you are unable to get the ingredients sent to CANADA. Big hugs!