Peanut Butter Chocolate Rice Crisp Cups

Yield: 6 rice crisp cups

Ingredients

1/2 cup natural creamy peanut butter (or other nut/seed butter) - this should be with no added sugar

1/4 cup maple syrup 

1/2 tablespoon coconut oil*

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 

Pinch of salt, if needed 

1 1/2 cups cocoa rice crisps cereal 

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Procedure

Line a muffin tin with parchment paper - to do this, I cut out pieces of parchment to lay inside the tin (this does not have to be perfect, the parchment paper is there to get the crisps out easier and becomes like a wrapping for each crisp). This recipe makes 6 cups, so if you’re using a tin with more than that, only line 6 of the muffin cups.

Add peanut butter, maple syrup, coconut oil, and vanilla extract to a small saucepan. Combine ingredients together over medium-low heat, stirring to help melt it all together. This should only take a minute or two, then turn off the heat. Stir in a pinch of salt, if desired (I add salt if the peanut butter is unsalted).

Fill each muffin tin to the top with rice crisp mixture. Flatten down into the tin with the back of your spoon so that it takes on the mold of the muffin tin.

Melt the chocolate chip on the stovetop or in the microwave:

-stovetop: heat chocolate chips over medium-low heat in a small saucepan, stirring frequently to prevent burning. Turn off the heat as soon as the chocolate is mostly melted; it will continue to melt through as you stir. (No need to go through the trouble of a double boiler).

-microwave: add chocolate chips to a microwave safe bowl (I prefer to use glass). Heat in increments of 30 seconds, stirring well in between; this method should only take 1 minute to totally melt.

Top each rice crisp with 1 tablespoon of melted chocolate and spread it over the top with the back of spoon.

Place muffin tin in fridge until chocolate has hardened, about 30 minutes. Remove cups from the tin, remove parchment paper, & enjoy!

*Note: You can use refined or unrefined coconut oil. Refined means the oil has a neutral flavor, whereas unrefined coconut oil will provide a bit of a coconut flavor. Your preference!