I rarely eat desserts simply because the amount of sugar in them is way too strong for me. I also don’t make desserts that often, because doing so is way out of my comfort zone. However, after repeatedly seeing the method for making these raw chocolate cups on several other blogs, I decided I’d try to make them myself but scale back the sweetness to create a rich and semi-savory dessert instead. And instead of filling these with peanut butter, I decided to fill these instead with a mixture of raw tahini for richness, ground raw cashews for texture and a touch of raw mellow miso for a hint of saltiness. The end result was a unique-tasting and adorable dessert that was also easy to make in less than 20 minutes.
RAW TAHINI BUTTER CHOCOLATE CUPS
Yield 4 pieces
Ingredients
for the filling
- 1/4 cup of raw cashews
- 3 TB raw tahini
- 1/8 cup water
- 1-2 tsp of mellow or chickpea miso
for the chocolate
- 2/3 cup virgin coconut oil, melted
- 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa (I used Ghirardelli brand)
- 1-4 TB of raw agave syrup, to taste
Instructions
- Place the raw cashews into a small food processor and grind into a fine powder. Add in the tahini and water and blend until well-combined. Then add in the miso and blend again. The mixture should be firm like peanut butter and easy to mold into a small disc in your hands.
- In a small measuring cup, melt the coconut oil in the microwave. Whisk in the chocolate and agave. Pour a thin layer of the chocolate into the bottom of 4 cupcake liners. Place in the freezer to set for a few minutes.
- Take about a teaspoon of the filling and roll it into a ball. Flatten it out into a disc. Repeat until 4 discs are formed. Remove the cupcake liners from the freezer, place the disc on top, making sure a thin ring of chocolate is still exposed at the bottom of the cupcake liner, then pour more of the raw chocolate on top, until the disc is completely covered and the top is smooth. Then place in the freezer for 8-10 more minutes to set. (You may have some of the extra filling left over.)
- Miso is perishable, so keep the cups in the refrigerator unless you are serving them immediately.
Caitlin says
October 23, 2012 at 10:45 ami'm the same way. i don't enjoy sweets and am very much a savory person.
i love how original the filling is, using tahini. they look fantastic and so totally you. i'm glad to see you had positive results with the raw chocolate making. i've been seeing it pop up alot, too, and it just didn't make sense to me that it would work. i should give it a try now since you tested the waters for me 😉
erinwyso says
October 23, 2012 at 11:12 amThanks Caitlin! These are fun and easy to make, although it took me a few (undocumented) tries to get it right! I can't imagine putting 4-5 TB of agave in here, but that seems to be the standard. They are savory and melty, and perfect for someone who doesn't like intensely sweet desserts!
VeggieAmanda says
October 23, 2012 at 12:58 pmThese look delicious! I like that you dialed back on the sweetness. I often think desserts are too sweet as well- even though I eat them! 🙂
Penni says
October 23, 2012 at 1:21 pmI was confused by the amount of agave – is it one TB or 4-5 TB? I plan to make these & want to make sure I get that right. Thanks so much for posting, these look amazing!!
erinwyso says
October 23, 2012 at 1:47 pmPenni — I used 1/2 TB of agave, which I thought was perfect, but most recipes call for 4-5 TB — I would just add the agave in by TBs and taste as you go along to create chocolate that has a sweetness level you like! Good luck with the recipe and I hope you enjoy them!
Ellen (Gluten Free Diva) says
October 23, 2012 at 1:54 pmLove this – can't wait to try and share with my blog readers at http://www.glutenfreediva.com. Thanks so much for sharing!
LittleMonsterx14 says
October 23, 2012 at 6:05 pmmmm these look so good!
Julia | JuliasAlbum.com says
October 23, 2012 at 8:15 pmYour chocolate creations are beautiful! Found your blog through Food Gawker.
Maggie Muggins says
October 23, 2012 at 10:36 pmWhat an interesting flavor combination, I would never have thought to mix tahini with chocolate but now that I think about it sounds like it would be a nice combo.
erinwyso says
October 25, 2012 at 10:31 pmThanks Maggie! This experiment has now caused all sorts of crazy filling combos enter my brain. I think I'll be posting about these regularly now!
Angry Asian says
October 24, 2012 at 1:49 pmi'm a fan of dessert, i like making it and i like ordering it when out. since going dairy free i have missed the combination of nut butter + chocolate. the filling sounds very interesting.
Amey says
October 25, 2012 at 7:19 amwell, I have no problem with crazy sweeties, but I have to say – these sound really interesting and delicious!
also, are you going to be at Vida Vegan Con??? We must meet one another!!!!
erinwyso says
October 25, 2012 at 10:02 amThanks Amey! Yes, I am going to be at VVC next year, I can't wait … Would love to meet you there!
Esther at A,B,C,Vegan says
October 25, 2012 at 11:46 amI keep being scared (for some unknown reason) by PB-cup-type-items, but this makes it look so easy (and original). Maybe I'll finally make it happen. Thanks!!
晓鸿 says
November 1, 2012 at 2:57 pmAre you using choco bar or powder? Thanks 🙂
erinwyso says
November 1, 2012 at 6:04 pmI used powder for this recipe – hope you enjoy!
christine says
November 12, 2012 at 7:29 pmwow, stunning, these have Christmas treats written all over them:)