Homemade Healthy Vegan Pumpkin Seed Chocolate Cups taste like caramel and are super easy to make. They taste similar to traditional dark chocolate peanut butter cups but are free of the dairy, nuts and palm oil. Suitable for nut-free, vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, coconut-free.

As these cups are made from pumpkin seeds they are relatively inexpensive. Good quality pumpkin seed butter isn’t available everywhere and is usually quite expensive so this recipe uses whole pumpkin seeds.

I consider these Healthy Vegan Pumpkin Seed Chocolate Cups a healthy treat as they are loaded with nutrition, protein, fiber, and minerals. They do contain some sugar but this is slowly absorbed into the body thanks to all the natural healthy fats. Best if you use dark chocolate of course, but if you like your chocolate sweeter, sure make the recipe with sweeter chocolate

It’s easy to eat way too many nuts and get an uncomfortable stomach so I love nut-free vegan healthy treats like these pumpkin seed caramel cups for a change.

The seeds are roasted to give the pumpkin seed cups a similar taste to a peanut butter cup. Roasting also makes the pumpkin seeds blend smoother as the oils are easily released.

It is difficult to get a smooth homemade pumpkin seed butter without adding additional oil but the chunky crunchy texture of the pumpkin seeds works well with the smooth dark chocolate.

You can also use sunflower seeds instead of the pumpkin seeds, both work well!

Sunflower seeds are just as healthy as pumpkin seeds.

Sunflower seeds have lots of health benefits including reducing inflammation, preventing cardiovascular disease, reducing cholesterol and helps to calm your nerves. This is due to them containing magnesium, selenium and vitamin E.

Makes 5-7 large cups

Ingredients:

8.8oz / 250g Dark chocolate

2 cups / 300g pumpkin seeds

4 tablespoons of Maple syrup, Date syrup or similar sweetener

1 teaspoon of Vanilla extract

a pinch of Salt

Method:

1. Spread the sunflower seeds on a pan and roast for 10-12 mins at 190C / 375F. Take out of the oven as soon as a few seeds turn golden. Watch like a hawk as they can burn quickly. Leave to cool for 10 mins.

2. Place the warm seeds along with everything else apart from the chocolate into a blender and pulse blend to make pumpkin seed caramel paste. Depending on your blender you may need to scrape down the sides and blend for several minutes until it combines.

3. Melt 3/4 of the chocolate in a double boiler then add melt the last 1/4 off the heat for easy tempering. Pour half of the chocolate into the cases and then chill in the freezer for a few mins to set.

4. Press the pumpkin seed caramel into the cases then cover with the remaining chocolate. Sprinkle with more pumpkin seeds and chill to set.

Enjoy within a week and store in the fridge.

NOTES: If you want a smooth seed butter then blend the seeds first on their own, but you will need a powerful blender and some patience. I find a food processor is best at making the seed paste, but a liquidizer or a jug blender (in batches) also works well but requires more scraping of the sides and blending.

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