Hazelnut Caramel Cups
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
These hazelnut caramel cups are just enough to satisfy your sweet tooth without ruining your diet. Toasted hazelnuts and juicy dates form the perfect caramel nut butter for a chocolate treat!
Author: Mary Ross Fowler | Daily Dose of Greens
Recipe type: Dessert
Serves: 16 cups
Ingredients
- 2 cups raw hazelnuts, plus extra for decorating the cups
- ¼ tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. vanilla powder or extract
- ~6 large medjool dates
- 1 cup vegan dark chocolate chips*
- Flaked sea salt for sprinkling
Instructions
- Spread the hazelnuts out on a baking sheet and toast at 375 degrees F about 5 min, until golden. Watch closely so they don't burn! Rub them with a towel to remove any loose skins.
- Allow nuts to cool enough to handle, then grind them in a food processor a few minutes until they release their oils and turn into a nut butter. This may take some patience!
- Add the salt, vanilla, and pitted dates and continue to pulse until a dough forms. You may need to add an extra date depending on the size and dryness of your dates.
- Melt your chocolate in the microwave using 30-15 second intervals until completely smooth. In a lined mini muffin pan, spoon about 1 teaspoon of chocolate into the bottom of each muffin paper, using the tip of the spoon to slightly spread the chocolate up the sides of the paper to prevent gapping.
- While the chocolate bottoms are setting, roll your dough into 16 marble-sized balls, flattening them slightly.
- Once the chocolate bottoms are set, place a dough ball in each cup and carefully spread more chocolate over each ball, making sure the chocolate runs down the side of each ball. Top each one with a hazelnut and a sprinkle of sea salt, and allow to set.
- Remove hardened cups from their papers and enjoy!
Notes
*1 cup of chocolate allows you to make about 16 hazelnut caramel cups with a lot of dough left over. Use 2+ cups chocolate to double the recipe.
To save the extra dough, keep it in a jar in the fridge. It is crumbly when cool, so to roll into more balls, you will have to wait until it returns to room temperature or warm it up in your hands.
Be sure to use good chocolate for these! Lily's dark chocolate chips are a good low-sugar option.
Store these up to 1 week in the fridge, or 3-4 days on the counter.
To save the extra dough, keep it in a jar in the fridge. It is crumbly when cool, so to roll into more balls, you will have to wait until it returns to room temperature or warm it up in your hands.
Be sure to use good chocolate for these! Lily's dark chocolate chips are a good low-sugar option.
Store these up to 1 week in the fridge, or 3-4 days on the counter.
Recipe by Daily Dose of Greens at https://dailydoseofgreens.com/2018/06/07/hazelnut-caramel-cups/