Minty Chocolate Coconut Butter Cups
It must be your lucky day because this recipe is just in time for St. Patrick's Day! It's the perfect color (naturally) and the perfect minty chocolate flavor, too. Mint chocolate is such a popular flavor and one of my all time favorite flavors period. I long for the holiday peppermint mocha that takes over my kitchen in November and December. It combines the refreshing taste of mint with the rich, creamy flavor of chocolate and for me, the darker the chocolate the better! The coolness of mint and the sweetness of chocolate really go hand in hand if I do say so myself.
This recipe uses coconut butter from Artisana Organics. Coconut butter is a creamy spread made from the flesh of the coconut. It's similar to other nut butters like peanut or almond butter but is derived from coconuts instead. Coconut butter is rich in flavor and has a slightly sweet taste. Coconut butter is made by blending dried coconut flakes or shredded coconut until they break down into a smooth, creamy consistency. It's great as a spread or a dip, goes great in a smoothie or even coffee, too. Obviously it's delicious in these Minty Chocolate Coconut Butter Cups and in my opinion, even if you aren't a coconutty kind of person you will still like these as they don't scream "coconut!" if you know what I mean.
Crafted from whole coconut flesh, not merely the extracted oil, Artisana Organics' coconut butter is freshly made and blended into a luxuriously thick spread. Their coconut butter is RAW and has the Clean Food Certification, ensuring it remains minimally processed while retaining essential micronutrients. Unlike many alternatives out there on the shelf, their coconut butter contains no added oils, sugars, or salt. It's pure coconut goodness, naturally sweetened and utterly delicious. Artisana Organics' coconut butter is Paleo and Keto friendly, as well as vegan and gluten-free.
Check out their Coconut Butter, here as well as the rest of their incredible line of products. Use code KrystensKitchen at checkout.
INGREDIENTS
2 cups chocolate chips, melted
3/4 cup Artisana Market's coconut butter, melted
1 - 2 teaspoons peppermint extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla powder (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
Natural green coloring
Crunchy salt
Directions:
Place the jar of Artisana Market's Organic Coconut Butter in a bowl (cereal bowl) of hot water so that it has time to melt. In the meantime, melt chocolate chips over a double boiler on medium - low heat. Pour about 1/2 Tablespoon of chocolate into lined mini muffin tin cups and pop in the fridge for 15-20 minutes (or freezer for about 5 minutes) until it has hardened.
Mix together the coconut butter with peppermint extract (do 1-2 teaspoons depending on how minty you like it), add the vanilla powder or extract and green food coloring (I use Color Kitchen Foods natural green coloring) and stir. Add about 1/2 Tablespoon to each cup over the chocolate. Pop back in the fridge or freezer until it has hardened.
Remove and pour the rest of the melted chocolate on top of the green coconut butter (once it has hardened) and top with crunchy salt. Place back in the fridge or freezer one last time for 10 minutes or until it has hardened.
Store in the fridge and enjoy.
For more delicious recipes check out my cookbook Eat Real Food. It has 75+ recipes featured and everything is gluten free and dairy free. Most recipes are paleo and Whole 30 compliant. It also has a delicious dessert section, too! Order here.
