I’m not going to tell you that candy is health food.

But when my Reese’s-addicted husband decided to clean up his eating habits, I did some research. Turns out clean dark chocolate and clean peanut butter both have pretty impressive health benefits!

Dark chocolate is actually considered a superfood. It’s loaded with fiber, iron, magnesium, and copper. It has significant oleic acid, a heart-healthy fat known for lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol and the risk of heart disease. It’s also loaded with antioxidants and has been known to improve cognitive function in adults.

Dark chocolate caveat: it must be at least 70% cocoa, and you can’t go over 30-60 grams per day per day. Also, watch the sugar content carefully!

Now, for peanut butter! It’s loaded with omega fats which lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and increase HDL (good) cholesterol. It’s also a powerhouse of fiber, protein, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. It even boosts the immune system!

Peanut butter caveat: You must use a butter made from just peanuts. No sugars, preservatives, or emulsifiers. Watch for extra salt. Also, don’t exceed 2 tablespoons per day.

Fortunately, one of these Homemade Healthier Peanut Butter Cups fits perfectly within those two daily limits, with the only sweetener coming from clean maple syrup. As a result, my husband has traded in his refined sugar and saturated fat-laden Reese’s for this homemade sweet treat loaded with health benefits he needs!

As a bonus, they are shockingly easy to make, and I kid you not, I think they taste better than Reese’s cups!

NOTE: I used a standard 2-inch cupcake tin and liners and ended up with 6 peanut butter cups. If you use smaller liners, you’ll end up with more cups.

Homemade Healthier Peanut Butter Cups
(Original recipe: Nutrition In the Kitch)

1 C dark chocolate, 70% cocoa or higher
1/2 C natural peanut butter
2-3 TBSP pure maple syrup

Line a muffin tin with 10 paper muffin liners.

In a bowl, combine the peanut butter and maple syrup. Stir until it is well combined, then set aside.

In a small double boiler, melt the dark chocolate over low heat.

Pour 1/2 TBSP of the melted dark chocolate into the bottom of each muffin liner. Swirl the chocolate around in each cup so that it creates a thin layer of chocolate along the bottom of the muffin liner.

Carefully spoon 1 TBSP of the peanut butter filling into each cup, spreading it to almost the full diameter of the muffin liner. Do this for all remaining cups.

Lastly, pour the remaining melted chocolate in each muffin cup to cover the peanut butter layer, making sure you cannot see any of the peanut butter layer.

Once all are complete, place the muffin tin in the freezer for 20 minutes or until the chocolate has completely hardened.