These Healthy Dark Chocolate Cups are filled with a salted banana caramel filling that will satisfy your sweet tooth without making you feel guilty about it. Made with only 5 simple ingredients and no-bake, these very easy to make homemade chocolate cups are gluten-free, paleo, egg-free, nut-free, and can be made vegan & dairy-free by using the right coating chocolate.
Its been a while since I’ve done anything else than either protein snack or meal prep recipes, and I thought it was time for you guys to just forget about the protein for just one recipe and satisfy that sweet tooth of yours.
I’ve been contemplating the idea of making some healthy chocolate cups for a while now, and at the start I wanted to make something with nut butter as the filling.
But I mean come on… Every blogger and their mother-in-law has done it, right? So… I am NOT going to jump on that bandwagon. There are enough homemade peanut butter cup recipes out there to keep us busy for a long, long time.
Plus if you reaaaaally want to make a nut butter filled chocolate cup, you’ll just have to replace my somewhat weird, but insanely delicious salted banana caramel filling with… you know… your favorite nut butter.
How to Make Healthy Dark Chocolate Cups
- Start by melting dark chocolate along with coconut oil in a small saucepan over low heat.
- Line a mini muffin pan with 12 paper liners.
- Pour 1 tablespoon liquid dark chocolate in each muffin cup. Optional: Carefully coat the muffin cups with the chocolate using a spoon. (You may need to add a little more chocolate.)
- Transfer the pan to the freezer for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, melt more coconut oil in the microwave. While it is melting, mash the banana.
- Pour the melted coconut oil, mashed banana, coconut sugar and salt in a food processor or high-velocity blender (like the Vitamix). Blend until very smooth.
- Pull the muffin pan out of the freezer and fill with the banana caramel filling.
- Pour an additional tablespoon dark chocolate on top of the caramel filling.
- Return to the freezer for an additional 10 minutes.
- Either store in the fridge or freezer.
Melt Dark Chocolate 
Coat Muffin Cups Make the Caramel 
Fill the Cups 
Top the Cups with Remaining Chocolate
Chef’s Tips for the Perfect Chocolate Cups
- Consistency. You want your chocolate to be liquid enough to coat the sides. If it is too thick, it might be because there is not enough coconut oil, or because it is not hot enough. (It should have the consistency of a chocolate fondue)
- Coating. To coat the sides, simply push and spread the liquid chocolate on the sides all the way up to the top.
- Caramel. The caramel will become thicker as it cools, as the coconut oil it contains will get back to its original solid form. Don’t make it in advance, use it straight away before it cools down.
- Vitamix. If using a Vitamix to make the caramel, remember that it will cook your food if you blend it for too long. Your coconut oil is already hot when going in, so turn it off as soon as the mixture is smooth, don’t overdo it.
- Storage. May be stored in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for up to 3 months in an airtight container.
More No-Bake Recipes:
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Healthy Dark Chocolate Cups with Banana Caramel Filling
These homemade dark chocolate cups are filled with a delicious and healthy salted caramel made with mashed banana, coconut sugar, salt, and coconut oil.
Salted Banana Caramel
- 2/3 cup coconut oil
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar
- 1/2 cup mashed banana
- 1/3 tsp sea salt
Coating Chocolate
- 1 1/2 cup dark chocolate (70% or more (Use vegan chocolate for vegan version))
- 1/2 cup coconut oil
Line a mini-muffin pan with 12 paper liners.
Melted Chocolate. Melt 1 1/2 cup dark chocolate and 1/2 cup coconut oil together in a small saucepan over low heat.
Making the Chocolate Shells. Pour 1 tbsp liquid chocolate in each paper liner. Optional: Carefully coat the paper liner sides all the way up to the top using a spoon. (If you don't do this step, the caramel will be visible. Purely Aesthetic.)
Freeze 10 minutes.
Making the Caramel. Meanwhile, melt 2/3 cup coconut oil in the microwave. About 60 seconds. Roughly mash 1/2 cup banana (just to be able to measure it) then pour it in a blender or food processor. When the coconut oil is liquid, pour it in the blender along with 1/2 cup coconut sugar and 1/3 tsp salt. Blend until very smooth. I used my vitamix and 45 seconds was enough.
(Blender-Free Alternative: If you don't want to use a blender, simply melt coconut oil in a small saucepan, remove from heat, then mash the banana vigorously, trying to make it as liquid as possible, then stir it by hand with the rest of the caramel ingredients in the saucepan)
Finishing the Cups. Pour 1 tbsp caramel into each chocolate cup then top with an additional tbsp liquid chocolate.
Freeze 10 more minutes.
Storing. Store in the refrigerator for up to a week or in the freezer for up to 3 months in a sealed container.
- If chocolate is too thick, it may be because it is not hot enough, or because you need to add more coconut oil. Do it one tbsp at a time.
- Caramel will become thicker as it cools.
- If using a Vitamix to make the caramel, stop the unit as soon as the caramel is smooth. It will cook the caramel if left on the ON position for too long.
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