These Strawberry Coconut Chocolate Cups are fruity and chocolaty and so good! They’re easy to make and are the perfect Valentine’s Day treat! They’re also naturally colored and flavored.
*This post was originally published on my other website (She Likes Treats) in February but today I am re-publishing here!*
My husband and I don’t usually do much to celebrate Valentine’s Day, but our kids love all holidays so I decided to make these fun Strawberry Coconut Chocolate Cups for them to enjoy. They’re filled with a homemade coconut butter and freeze dried strawberries. They’re vegan, gluten free and so delicious!
Peanut butter cups are such a classic and delicious treat, but I wanted to make something fun and exciting for Valentine’s Day so I decided to make these Strawberry Coconut Chocolate Cups and they did not disappoint!
INGREDIENTS FOR STRAWBERRY COCONUT CHOCOLATE CUPS
- Shredded Coconut – You can either use unsweetened shredded coconut or unsweetened coconut flakes/chips. I used the chips and it worked great. If you can find coconut butter at the store you could also just use about 1/2 cup coconut butter instead of making your own.
- Dehydrated Strawberries – Dehydrated strawberries should be thinly sliced and you can find them at most grocery stores. You can also order them online if you can’t find them locally.
- Pure Maple Syrup – The maple syrup helps sweeten things up a little bit. You could also use honey (if not vegan) or agave syrup.
- Almond Milk – I used plain, unsweetened almond milk but any plant based milk would work.
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate – I used vegan semi-sweet chocolate chunks. Chocolate chips would also work or you can even cut up a chocolate bar.
- Coconut Oil – You just need a tiny bit of coconut oil to melt in with the chocolate to make it super smooth and shiny.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN COCONUT BUTTER AND COCONUT OIL
For these chocolate cups we are making a homemade version of coconut butter, not to be confused with coconut oil.
Coconut Butter – Coconut butter is made by pureeing the coconut meat until you get a consistency similar to peanut butter. It also contains the oil that is in the coconut. It is solid at room temperature but softens when heated. It has a strong coconut flavor and has a spreadable texture.
Coconut Oil – Coconut oil is made by cold pressing oil from the coconut meat and is entirely fat. It is solid when cold or room temperature and turns to a liquid when warm or hot. Unrefined coconut oil has a coconut flavor but refined coconut oil does not.
HOW TO MAKE CHOCOLATE CUPS
There are just a few easy steps to this recipe!
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- Add the coconut to a food processor or blender and blend until a creamy coconut butter has formed. This will take about 5-7 minutes and you will probably want to stop the food processor a few times and scrape the sides down. It may still be a little bit grainy but you want it to have a smooth consistency overall.
- Add the dried strawberries to a blender and blend until a powder is formed, this won’t take long at all.
- Add the strawberry powder to the coconut butter in the food processor, along with the maple syrup and almond milk. Blend until everything is equally combined. Place in the refrigerator for 5-10 minutes.
- Add the coconut oil to the chocoalte and melt everything together. You can melt it over a double boiler or in the microwave. I like to microwave for 30 seconds at a time and stir inbetween. Stop microwaving once chocolate is almost completely melted and then stir until it’s fully melted.
- Line a muffin tin with paper or silicone liners and add about 1 teaspoon of melted chocoalte into each one. Make sure it’s covering the entire bottom. Take a small handfull of the strawberry mixture and form into a little disk and place on top of the chocoalte. Cover with 1-2 teaspoons more melted chocolate and make sure the chocolate is completely covering the top and sides.
- Top each with either a pinch of sea salt or a some crushed up dehydrated strawberries. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes, or until set. Best enjoyed when they sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes.
RECIPE FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
- Can I use another fruit besides strawberries? I haven’t tried this recipe with anything other than strawberries but if you can’t eat strawberries I would recommend freeze dried raspberries. They have a similar texture and will act the same way in the recipe.
- Can I use white chocolate? If you can find vegan white chocolate you can definitely use that instead of regular chocolate.
- Can I freeze these? Yes! You can freeze in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
- Where should I store them? Once they’ve completely set in the freezer they should be able to be stored at room temperature or in the freezer or refrigerator.
- Can I use store-bought coconut butter instead of making my own? Yes! I would reccomend using about 1/2-3/4 cup.
Have more questions? Drop them in the comments below and I will answer them!
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Strawberry Coconut Chocolate Cups
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 16 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These Strawberry Coconut Chocolate Cups are fruity and chocolaty and so delicious!
Ingredients
- 1 (8 oz) package unsweetened shredded coconut or coconut chips
- 2 1/2 cups dehydrated strawberry slices, plus a few more for topping
- 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons almond milk
- 10 ounces semi sweet vegan chocolate chips or chunks
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil
- Sea salt
Instructions
- Add the coconut to a food processor or blender and blend until a creamy coconut butter has formed. This will take about 5-7 minutes and you will probably want to stop the food processor a few times and scrape the sides down. It may still be a little bit grainy but you want it to have a smooth consistency overall.
- Add the dried strawberries to a blender and blend until a powder is formed, this won’t take long at all.
- Add the strawberry powder to the coconut butter in the food processor, along with the maple syrup and almond milk. Blend until everything is equally combined. Place in the refrigerator for 5-10 minutes.
- Add the coconut oil to the chocoalte and melt everything together. You can melt it over a double boiler or in the microwave. I like to microwave for 30 seconds at a time and stir inbetween. Stop microwaving once chocolate is almost completely melted and then stir until it’s fully melted.
- Line a muffin tin with paper or silicone liners and add about 1 teaspoon of melted chocoalte into each one. Make sure it’s covering the entire bottom. Take a small handfull of the strawberry mixture and form into a little disk and place on top of the chocoalte. Cover with 1-2 teaspoons more melted chocolate and make sure the chocolate is completely covering the top and sides.
- Top each with either a pinch of sea salt or a some crushed up dehydrated strawberries. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes, or until set. Best enjoyed when they sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 5 mins
- Category: Dessert, Vegan
- Cuisine: American
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