Move over, Reese… there’s a new kid in town. And he’s a LOT healthier than you. So there.

It must be said that Mr. Reese (especially in the form of peanut butter cups) were a key player in my chocolate-filled days of the past; indeed, Reese Peanut Butter Cups were my favourite chocolate bar. Ever.

I had to do something about this. I just couldn’t feel settled with the fact that there are so many people out there who give in to this tempting treat simply because there seems to be no healthier option.

My friends, now there is.

Enter Salted Almond Butter Cups. AKA, your new best friend.

Why do I say this? Well, for one, it’s heck-of-a-good delicious, and it easily replaces the other guy without making you want to crawl back to the old mister. (And I can say this with confidence, since I used to be victim to said mister.)

I tested this recipe on my Lifewatchers class this past weekend (if you’re not in on Lifewatchers, get in right here). They swore up and down that they loved it and didn’t feel there were any changes to be made. Having said that, the power of your food choices is in YOUR hands, so feel free to adjust ingredients to suit your taste buds. (They do have SOME say, after all.)

The other reason for this “new bestie” status lies in its ingredients. Obviously, as a nutritionist, the goodness of these goes hand in hand with a good taste.

Raw honey is our only sweetener, and this provides enzymes, vitamins, and minerals – in fact, the very vitamins and minerals required for its metabolism. Hm… perhaps nature is smarter than we give her credit for. And even though, yes, honey will still give us a rise in blood sugar, this is balanced out with the fat-heavy goodness of almond butter and coconut oil. Almond butter also provides a small hit of protein. And, cacao powder is an excellent source of minerals like magnesium. And we need it. Further, believe it or not, cacao is REAL chocolate… the healthy stuff before it becomes unhealthy by the addition of refined sugar and other additives. Oh… I could go on.

But I won’t. Instead, I will wrap up with this: these littles cups of delight will give you the satisfaction of something sweet (balanced out with a bit of salty on top), and they won’t wreak havoc on your blood sugar level, thereby preventing cravings for more. More. MORE!

What they will do is provide delicious satisfaction with a balanced blood sugar to match.

Can I get a “Heck yes!“?

Salted Almond Butter Cups

1/2 cup almond butter
1/2 cup coconut oil
2 Tbsp raw honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp cacao powder
Coarse sea salt (to sprinkle on top)

Stir almond butter, coconut oil, honey, and vanilla in a small pot over low heat until combined and a thinner consistency is reached (but still about room temperature to the touch) – about 3-5 minutes. Fill mini muffin trays with 18 liners. Using a spoon, fill each liner about a third full (just under 1 Tbsp each). Put trays in freezer for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, add cacao powder to remaining mixture and stir to combine. Once you remove the trays from the freezer, use the spoon to pour the mixture into each liner, stopping about half a centimetre from the top of each. Put in fridge for about 5 minutes (just enough so the salt won’t sink when you sprinkle it on). Sprinkle a tiny amount of the salt on top of each (use sparingly since it will add a very salty flavour if too much is used!). Push it down ever so slightly so it will stick. Put back in the freezer for 15 minutes, and voilà!

Store in the fridge. And enjoy. 🙂