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Peanut Butter and Jelly Cups

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I first made these peanut butter and jelly cups spontaneously before work one morning. Little did I know, I would end up making them three times that week… they are THAT good. Vegan, almost paleo, and made with just 3 ingredients and 15 minutes of active time, you might find these adorable PB&J cups in your rotation too!

A peanut butter and jelly cup sliced in half to show raspberry jam in the center, with other PB&J cups and sliced banana in the background.

People telling me they have dietary restrictions usually results in me considering it as a challenge. I love to show up to social events with foods that suit all attendees and that’s one of the main reasons why over the years, I’ve done all sorts of experiments with making desserts that are both vegan as well as gluten-free; paleo; no added sugar; low-carb; nut-free; and more!

One PB&J cup sliced in half, with seeded raspberry jam in the center, on a wide plate atop a wooden cutting board.

Turning limitations into exciting challenges has resulted in some of my very favorite recipes, including (but not limited to!) my maple pecan cookies, healthy vegan cookie dough, and brownie batter fudge.

Recently I wanted to treat someone, though, who is allergic to chocolate. For some reason, once I found out about this, I struggled to think of desserts that don’t include some kind of cocoa. Is there an official psychological phenomenon for this?

Close-up of the interior of a vegan peanut butter and jelly cup filled with red raspberry preserves encased in a peanut butter and coconut oil-based shell; the shell is starting to melt on the bottom.

Anyway, my brain kept going back to peanut butter cups, maybe because chocolate isn’t actually in the name. I figured it was a sign that I should at least make something cup-like!

These actually started out as peanut butter banana cups (pictured), and halfway through filling them I realized they might be a little one-note, found some raspberry jam in the fridge, and made magic happen. Note: it turns out the banana version was also delicious. I now make them both ways.

Peanut butter shell filled with a slice of ripe banana inside a mini cupcake liner, with a bowl of raspberry jelly in the background.

The base version of these PB&J cups is just three ingredients, naturally vegan and gluten-free, and easily paleo if you swap in almond butter and choose a suitable jam or jelly. But the recipe is easy to play around with! Here are some additional variations that have been successful for me.

Peanut butter and jelly cup variations

  • Add thinly sliced banana
  • Garnish with cacao nibs (pictured) or coconut flakes
  • Top with maple-candied pecans (yep, that was as ridiculous as it sounds…)
  • Substitute the peanut butter with almond butter

Peanut butter and jelly cups in cupcake liners on a white plate atop a grey napkin, with one of the PB&J cups garnished with a sprinkle of cacao nibs on the top.

Make them your own!

You’ll need to keep these pb&j cups in the refrigerator or freezer at all times after making them. As you can see from some of the photos, they start to melt pretty quickly! I think you’ll find yourself opening your refrigerator door quite frequently… if you do try these, let me know how it goes!

Peanut Butter and Jelly Cups | Yup, it's Vegan
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5 from 4 votes

Peanut Butter and Jelly Cups

Crazy easy 3-ingredient peanut butter and jelly cups. Like an inside-out Reese's but minus the chocolate, these PB&J cups are naturally vegan, gluten-free, and easily paleo; and easy to customize!
Course Dessert, sweets
Cuisine gluten-free, grain-free, paleo, refined sugar-free, soy-free, vegan
Keyword pb&j cups, peanut butter and jelly cups
Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 18 mini cups
Calories 132kcal
Author Yup, it's Vegan

Ingredients

  • 1 cup natural peanut butter (unsweetened + no added oil)
  • 1/4 cup refined coconut oil
  • 1/2 cup jelly, jam or preserves of choice (pictured is raspberry jam)

Supplies:

Instructions

  • Melt the coconut oil in a saucepan or by microwaving it for 30 seconds. Add it to a bowl with the peanut butter and whisk them together until smoothly combined.
  • Take the mini baking cups, placing them in your mini muffin pan for stability if you have one. Carefully spoon about 1 tablespoon at a time of peanut butter mixture into the bottom of the baking cups. (You can use more or less depending on the size of PB&J cups that you want). After using about half of the mixture, place the tray in the freezer for 10-15 minutes to set.
  • Remove the tray from the freezer. Add about 1/2 tablespoon of jelly to each cup. If applicable, use your spoon to gently flatten the jelly (this will make it easier to cover it with peanut butter). If your jelly or jam is fairly runny, return the tray to the freezer to set for another 5 minutes. Otherwise, proceed.
  • Spoon the rest of the peanut butter mixture, about 1 scant tablespoon at a time, over the tops of the cups to cover the jelly. If using any toppings, add them now so that they'll stick. Freeze the cups for another 45-60 minutes until set completely. After that, you can store them in either the refrigerator or the freezer in an airtight container.

Notes

You can use unrefined/virgin coconut oil if desired, but note that this will result in a prominent coconut flavor in the final product.
To keep these paleo and refined sugar-free, choose a naturally-sweetened jam that meets these criteria; and use almond butter instead of peanut butter.
Recipe may yield a varying number of cups depending on how full you fill them. Extra peanut butter shell mixture can also be mixed with maple syrup to taste, and frozen, to make a delicious peanut butter fudge!

Nutrition

Serving: 1mini cup | Calories: 132kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 50mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g

Inspired by Spoon University.

Comments

  2. Ceri says

    These were yummy, I converted the recipe to grams and they were a little too soft to take out of the moulds when kept in the fridge. So I’m not sure if I just needed to use more oil (grams ratios varied!) or if the tiny bit of oil in my peanut butter is what made them a touch too soft… either way they were still delicious!

    Reply

  4. Tilda says

    If you use a silicone mini cupcake baking mold would they be fine if you leave them in their mold in the freezer or should they be removed and placed into an airtight container?

    Reply

  5. Kim Deyo says

    5 stars
    I’ve got these started in the freezer now. I omitted the coconut oil–because….i just didn’t think it was necessary. I just melt 1/2 c peanut butter in the microwave a little less than a minute…stir it good…and pour into the cups to cover the bottoms. Easy Peasy and LESS calories!! Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply

    • Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says

      Hey Kim! Curious to hear how these turned out. Without mixing in the coconut oil to modify the texture, I imagine these might be very sticky and lack that “melt-in-your-mouth” texture that may be expected. But I’m not sure – would be curious to know if you’re happy with the end result!

      Reply

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I'm Shannon, the writer and photographer of Yup, it's Vegan! I'm a morning person based in Baltimore, USA. My mission is to create healthy plant-based recipes that anyone would enjoy, using seasonal produce with inspiration from global flavors.
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