Take much loved peanut butter cups, update them to be more nutritious and a healthy treat and you get these salted date caramel cups made with only whole, nourishing ingredients.
These can be whipped up in a matter of minutes and enjoyed now or later when a treat is on your mind.
You start by making your own chocolate using cold-pressed cacao powder. Cacao powder that has been cold-pressed maintains a rich flavour and the nutritional properties of the raw cacao bean.
Cacao contains antioxidants which come from the plant polyphenols- similar to those found in green tea- which are active in raw cacao powder and have sparked an interest for their potential benefits for wellbeing. It’s important that the cacao is not heated too much otherwise these antioxidants will be destroyed so ensure you keep your coconut oil and cocoa butter as cool as possible when you’re making the chocolate.
Dates are used to make the gooey caramel which fills the centre. You will have date caramel left over so store it in an airtight container or jar in the fridge to mix through your morning muesli, spread on toast or make a second batch of these caramel cups.
Dates contain iron, vitamin A, fibre, potassium and B vitamins with a naturally sweet taste of buttery caramel- but make sure you use the gooiest dates you can find. If you can’t find soft, fresh ones, you will need to soak them in warm water for around 10 minutes and then strain them to soften them up.
Enjoy your salted date caramel cups with a cup of tea, in the middle of the afternoon or as a quick hit when you’re in need of a pick me up.