Peanut Butter–Oat Energy Cups

These Peanut Butter–Oat Energy Cups are the perfect midafternoon pick-me-up—and a healthier take on a traditional chocolate peanut butter cup. Protein-rich crunchy peanut butter is the base for this no-bake snack and helps hold everything together. Earthy oats and chia seeds add fiber, while honey brings a touch of sweetness. No peanut butter cup is complete without chocolate, and these are no exception—a layer of melted dark chocolate and a pinch of flaky sea salt sit atop each cup. Keep reading for our expert tips, including why we add coconut oil to the chocolate. 

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Tips from the EatingWell Test Kitchen

These are the key tips we learned while developing and testing this recipe in our Test Kitchen to make sure it works, tastes great and is good for you too! 

• Adding coconut oil to the chocolate mixture helps prevent it from blooming, which is the formation of white spots on the surface of chocolate. It also ensures a satisfying snap when you bite into these.
• If you have a cocktail muddler, it’s an excellent tool for pressing the oat mixture into the mini muffin cups. To prevent the mixture from sticking to the muddler, lightly coat it with cooking spray.
• Using the bottom of a teaspoon allows for a quick and easy spoon-and-spread method when adding the melted chocolate.
• Feel free to substitute smooth peanut butter for the crunchy, and white chia seeds for the black ones.

Nutrition Notes

• Peanut butter is made from protein-rich, heart-healthy peanuts. And that’s really all you need for peanut butter, except maybe a pinch of salt. For the most nutrition benefits, try to avoid peanut butter with sugar and other additives. 
• Oats add fiber to these cups and will help slow down how quickly they’re digested. This is great for keeping your blood sugar stable and keeping you full and satisfied. 
• Almond milk is made by blending almonds with water and then straining out the solids. On its own, almond milk lacks the nutrients that cow’s milk has, but most brands fortify their almond milk with calcium and vitamin D, making it great for your bone health. With that said, unless it’s fortified with protein, almond milk contains very little of the muscle-building nutrient.