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These chocolate pumpkin cups are packed with almond butter and pumpkin and can be prepared in under 30 minutes, making them a great fall treat. These also happen to be vegan and gluten-free!
We are in prime pumpkin season right now and I'm making all things pumpkin - from pumpkin oat muffins to pumpkin lava cake to pumpkin pizza to pumpkin and sweet potato soup.
Yes I know pumpkin has been in vogue for a few years now, but there is a reason. It is delicious and can be used in a variety of ways and that's where these chocolate pumpkin cups come into play.
Everyone has had a Reese's peanut butter cup. But how many of you have made your own? And how about instead of just a standard old peanut butter cup, why not make a chocolate cup with pumpkin and almond butter on the inside?
Best thing about these, is they couldn't be easier to make and you can just stick them in the freezer and enjoy year round!
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Ingredient Notes
- Chocolate - the base of the cups. Can't make them without it.
- Coconut oil - helps the chocolate harden as it cools.
- Almond butter - I use almond butter because I think it pairs well with pumpkin but also to avoid the peanut allergy many people have.
- Pumpkin - store-bought pumpkin puree works perfectly fine for the filling.
- Maple syrup - adds just enough sweetness and complements the pumpkin.
- Pumpkin pie spice - enhances the filling, making it really taste like pumpkin.
Ingredient Swaps
Like any recipe, you can mix up some of the ingredients. Some variations include:
- While I like dark chocolate for this recipe, you can use semi-sweet, milk or even white chocolate.
- I'm a fan of almond butter for the filling, but peanut butter or a nut free butter like pumpkin seed butter works too.
- I use maple syrup for the added sweetness but light brown sugar or honey are good substitutes.
- If you don't have pumpkin pie spice, you can make your own or just use ½ teaspoon cinnamon.
Step-by-Step Photos
Melt the chocolate and coconut oil in a bowl in 30 second intervals until melted. Then line a mini muffin tin with paper liners. Spoon about 1 teaspoon of melted chocolate in each paper liner and spread so it is about ¾ of the way up. Place in the freezer for 5 minutes to set.
In a small bowl, mix the filling ingredients until combined. Then take 1 teaspoon of the pumpkin mixture and drop into each cup, leaving the edges uncovered.
Spoon about ½ tablespoon of the remaining chocolate over the top of each cup and sprinkle with some sea salt. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes.
FAQs
You can actually make your own. Just use 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, ½ teaspoon ground clove and a ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg.
If you don't like or have almond butter, you can use a nut butter of your choice or even a nut-free butter like pumpkin seed butter.
Yes as long as you use dairy-free chocolate. My go-to is Enjoy Life. They have a variety of chocolates that are all dairy-free which makes them great for vegans. They can be found at most grocery stores these days.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- You need to use good quality dark chocolate. If you don't like dark chocolate you can use semi-sweet or even milk chocolate.
- Use refined coconut oil so it has a neutral flavor.
- Make sure you spoon the chocolate up the sides of the liners so you can easily place the pumpkin filling in the middle and it will get covered by the chocolate properly.
Other Dessert Recipes
If you’ve tried these chocolate pumpkin cups or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.
Chocolate Pumpkin Cups
Ingredients
- 4 cups dark chocolate
- 3 tablespoon refined coconut oil
- ⅓ cup almond butter
- ⅓ cup pumpkin puree
- 2 teaspoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- sea salt
Instructions
- Line a mini muffin pan with paper liners and set aside.
- Place the chocolate and coconut oil in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring in between and repeat until the chocolate is melted.
- Spoon about 1 teaspoon of the melted chocolate in each muffin tin and spread it so it covers the bottom as well as ¾ of the way up of the liners, which ensures the pumpkin filling is covered properly. Put in freezer for 5 minutes to set.
- In a small bowl, mix together the almond butter, pumpkin puree, maple syrup and pumpkin pie spice until everything is combined.
- Take about 1 teaspoon of the pumpkin mixture and drop into the cup, trying to leave the edges uncovered. Repeat with each cup.
- Spoon about ½ tablespoon of the remaining chocolate over each cup. Sprinkle with sea salt and place in freezer for 30 minutes or until hardened.
Notes
- You need to use good quality dark chocolate. If you don't like dark chocolate you can use semi-sweet or even milk chocolate.
- Use refined coconut oil so it has a neutral flavor.
- If you don't like or have almond butter, you can use a nut butter of your choice.
- Make sure you spoon the chocolate up the sides of the liners so you can easily place the pumpkin filling in the middle and it will get covered by the chocolate properly.
Chris says
Yum!