These homemade dark chocolate almond butter cups are the perfect treat for when that chocolate craving hits. They are made with just 6 ingredients, filled with delicious almond filling, and come together in under an hour.

Chocolate almond butter cups with bite taken out of one.

What you’ll love about this recipe:

The filling is packed with almond flavor and has enough structure that it won’t spill out when you bite into it.
A quick and easy tempering method so you can enjoy these chocolatey treats without worrying about chocolate getting all over your fingers.
You can assemble these delicious treats with 3 simple steps.

Ingredients you’ll need:

Ingredients for recipe — You can find a complete list of ingredients, measurements, and instructions at the bottom of this post.

Almond Butter: you’ll want to use almond butter that only contains almonds. The ingredients on the label should read “roasted almonds”.
Almond Flour: provides structure and texture to the filling, so it doesn’t spill out when you bite into it.
Powdered Sugar: adds sweetness and structure to the filling.
Almond Extract: added for stronger almond flavor.
Kosher Salt: flavor enhancer.
Dark chocolate: this recipe was developed using 60% dark cocoa chocolate, but you can use whichever chocolate you prefer.

How to make this recipe:

Step 1: Make the filling

Combine all almond filling ingredients until it resembles a thick dough.

Evenly portion out the almond filling into 12 balls and flatten them into slightly smaller discs than the circumference of the muffin tin.

Process image of almond filling being assembled

Step 2: Melt and temper chocolate

Using a quick tempering method, melt ¾ of the chocolate in 20-second increments until it is completely melted. Then add the remaining ¼ of unmelted chocolate and stir until smooth. To learn more about this quick method and the science behind tempering chocolate, check out this great video from America’s Test Kitchen.

Step 3: Assemble

Next, spoon chocolate on the bottom of the liner until there's a thin layer of chocolate. Place the almond filling disc into the chocolate-filled liner. Then spoon the final layer of chocolate over the almond filling until it's completely covered.

Process image of almond butter cups being assembled

Repeat until all 12 cups have been assembled. Optional, but I highly recommend sprinkling with coarse sea salt before letting the cups set.

Allow almond cups to set at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Almond Butter Cups

Author: Steph Guinnane
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Yield: 12 cups 1x

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Description

Ingredients

Scale

Almond Butter Filling

½ cup (135g) Almond Butter
½ cup (56g) Powder Sugar
¼ cup (22g) Almond Flour
¼ teaspoon Kosher Salt
½ teaspoon Almond Extract

Chocolate:

16 oz (453g) Bittersweet Chocolate (60% Cocoa); divided
Coarse Sea salt (optional for topping)

Instructions

Almond Butter Filling:

Combine almond butter, powder sugar, almond flour, salt, and almond extract in a medium bowl. The mixture will become thick and have a texture similar to a dough.
Divide almond filling into 12 equal balls and then flatten into small discs. You want the discs to be slightly smaller than the circumference of the tin. It should not touch the edges of the tin, this ensures that the almond filling doesn’t seep out once assembled.

Chocolate:

In a microwave-safe bowl, add 12 oz (~2 ¼ cups) of chocolate. Set the remaining 4 oz (~¾ cup) of chocolate to the side.
On half-power, melt chocolate in 20-second bursts, stirring each time until it’s completely melted. This should take about 1 ½ - 2 minutes, depending on your microwave (see note 2).
Add the unmelted chocolate into the bowl and stir until everything is melted and smooth. With a candy thermometer, check to see if your chocolate has cooled to 88-89° F, the ideal temperature for tempering bittersweet/dark chocolate (see notes 3 & 4).

Assembling Cups:

Due to the chocolate setting relatively quickly at room temperature, I recommend assembling 1-3 cups at a time.

In a muffin tin prepared with liners, spoon a layer of chocolate to cover the bottom of the liner. Then shake and tap the sides of the muffin tin to help it evenly spread.
Add in an almond butter disc. Make sure that it doesn’t touch the sides.
Spoon another layer of chocolate into the liner to cover the almond butter discs. Again, shake and tap the sides until the chocolate smooths out. Optional: if you have air bubbles, use a toothpick for popping them.
Repeat until you’ve assembled all 12 cups. (See note 5).
Finally, move your chocolate cups to a cool area and allow them to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour or until they are dry to the touch.
Optional: Sprinkle with coarse sea salt before you set them to dry.

Notes

Almond butter: ingredients should only list “roasted almonds”.
Chocolate: you can use any chocolate you’d like, but you will have to be mindful of temperatures when tempering your chocolate (Milk and white chocolates should be between 84 - 86° F (29 - 30° C).
Microwave: this recipe uses a 1200W microwave at half power. Depending on the strength of your microwave, the melting time may vary, so pay close attention when melting to avoid accidentally burning your chocolate!
Checking chocolate temper: If you don’t have a thermometer, test your chocolate by dipping an offset spatula or knife into the melted chocolate and allowing it to cool at room temperature. Once the chocolate is in a temper, it will harden quickly, about 3-5 minutes, and have a crisp and shiny look.
Reheating chocolate: if your chocolate becomes too thick to work with, reheat your chocolate on half-power in 5-10 second bursts to bring it back up to 89°F.
Storage: In an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days, refrigerator for 1 month, or freezer for 2-3 months.

Prep Time: 20
Cook Time: 45
Category: Dessert
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Keywords: dark chocolate, almond butter, homemade almond butter cups

Dark Chocolate Almond Butter Cups

What you’ll love about this recipe:

Ingredients you’ll need: