Recipe: Chocolate Coconut Cups

If you know me, you know I love my chocolate. The problem is, I love my chocolate just a little too much. If I buy a chocolate bar from the store, I have no problem finishing it in a night. Even if it’s 90% dark chocolate.

To avoid doing that, I’ve started making my own chocolate. In doing so, I eat less of it. Why? Because I make sure that it fills me up.

Chocolate can be filling?

It sure can! With a solid base of coconut oil, my homemade chocolate is filled with healthy fats that satisfy both my chocolate craving and my hunger. Can I get a woop woop?

After doing this for a while, I decided to amp it up. I whipped out the muffin tray, made some coconut butter, and created my very own chocolate coconut cups. Layers of homemade chocolate, coconut butter, and more homemade chocolate, this treat is filling and satisfying. While the coconut butter and coconut oil give you your healthy fats, the raw cacao powder gives you a great deal of magnesium and antioxidants.

A little nervous about eating fat? As I’ve shared in a previous post, fat is not the enemy. Now I’m not telling you that you can go out and eat all the chips in the world, because some fats are bad – hydrogenated and trans fats have no place in our diet. But the fats found in coconut and coconut oil actually have some great benefits.

Here are a few facts about coconut oil and coconut butter:

Coconut butter & coconut oil helps to lower cholesterol by lowering LDL (the bad) and raising HDL (the good) levels.
It contains medium chain triglycerides (MCTs), which researchers believe have a number of great benefits.
- MCT’s can become a preferred source of energy and help control blood sugar by slowing sugar’s release into the blood stream.
- MCT’s may also play a role in supporting weight loss, as it’s believed that they may prevent obesity and stimulate weight loss.
- It’s believed that the MCT’s in coconut oil may also improve memory and brain health because the brain can quickly use it as energy.

Now this recipe only requires 5 ingredients. That’s it. It’s super easy to make, and these coconut cups should last you a while. I promise, with just one coconut cup, you will be completely satisfied – thank those healthy fats!

Chocolate Coconut Cups

2016-09-27 13:52:26

Yields 10

A satisfying treat perfect for days when you need a little pick-me-up. Filled with healthy fats from coconut, raw cacao and a little maple-syrup, these treats are heavenly and filling.

Save Recipe

Chocolate

3/4 cup melted coconut oil
3/4 cup raw cacao powder
2 tbsp of maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract

Coconut filling

1/2 cup coconut butter, or about 2 cups shredded coconut if you're making the coconut butter yourself
2 tbsp maple syrup

Optional

Shredded coconut to garnish your cups

Instructions

If you are making homemade coconut butter, prepare it first with the directions below.
Combine all ingredients to make the chocolate. Stir until well mixed.
Grease your muffin tray with a little bit of coconut oil.
Spoon some chocolate into each section of the muffin tray. A tablespoon or so should do - you want the chocolate to just coat the bottom of each cup.
Stick the tray in the freezer for about 5 minutes or until chocolate has mostly hardened.
In the meantime, combine coconut butter and maple syrup to make your filling.
Grab your tray from the freezer and layer in a small spoonful of coconut filling on top of the chocolate. Once again, return the pan to the freezer for about 5 minutes or until the coconut filling is mostly hardened.
Remove the tray from the freezer and top the cups with the remaining chocolate.
If you would like to add some shredded coconut to the tops of your coconut cups, stick them back in the freezer for a couple minutes until the chocolate begins to harden. Remove it when it's still a little soft and sprinkle with shredded coconut.
Return the pan to the freezer for 1 to 2 hours, or until the chocolate coconut cups easily pop out when you insert a knife down the side of each section of the tray.

To make homemade coconut butter

Use a food processor or high-speed blender, like a Vitamix. I would suggest a food processor because it can be easier to clean.
Add 2 cups of shredded coconut to the processor. For this recipe, you only need 2 cups; however, if you want to make a bit of extra coconut butter for yourself, add a few more. The more coconut, the easier it is to make.
Spend the next 15-20 minutes processing your coconut. After the first few minutes, scrape down the sides and continue processing. Be sure to stop and scrape down the sides as often as necessary to keep the coconut blending.
Once it becomes a creamy, smooth texture, it's ready.

Notes