Peanut Butter & Jam Dark Chocolate Cups

You know the feeling I’m sure: time is scarce & the craving is REAL.

Chocolate cups are one of my go-to dessert ideas for when that happens.

No fuss, ready in no time and they can even qualify as a legit healthy snack. Dark chocolate truly is so good for you.

For me.

For us all.

stacking dark chocolate cups on top of each other

So I know the only reason we ever eat chocolate is strictly for treating magnesium deficiency, right? Right. Oh and for those antioxidants and healthy fats.

Or well, because it’s chocolate.

So my initial plan was to make peanut butter choco cups.

ingredients for peanut butter dark chocolate cups
melted dark chocolate for making peanut butter filled cups

But then I remembered we got this jar of homemade sour cherry jam from my parents’ pantry the other week.

And I thought…

What the heck. Let’s give these a twist.

And let me tell you these were SO. INSANELY. GOOD.

Yep, past tense… Cause they’re all gone now. I’ll be sure to make another batch very soon!⁣

I can highly recommend you to try making them and please let me know if you do and tell me how it went. 🙂

With love,

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peanut butter jelly dark chocolate cups
a stack of dark chocolate cups filled with PB&J

Ingredients:⁣

For the cups:⁣
🌿1 cup dark chocolate (chips) – I used 80% cocoa⁣
🌿1 heaping Tbs coconut oil, melted⁣

For the filling:⁣
🌿6 tsp organic 100% peanut butter (mine was not salted, so I added roughly two pinches of pink Himalayan salt for a bit of flavor contrast 😉) ⁣
🌿6 tsp sour cherry jam ⁣

Instructions:⁣

1. Melt together dark chocolate chips and coconut oil over boiling water and let it cool for just a bit.⁣
2. Prepare 6 silicone muffin cups, and add 1 Tbs of the melted chocolate into the bottom of each cup. ⁣
3. Put in the refrigerator for about 10-15 minutes. ⁣
4. Dollup the peanut butter and then the jam in the middle of the silicone cups and finally cover them all with the rest of the melted chocolate. ⁣
5. Place back in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes or until the chocolate is firm again. ⁣
6. Remove from the cups and enjoy! 

Blueberry-lemon chia jam + a healthy snack idea

Quickest jam recipe ever.

Are you ready?

4 ingredients and 10 minutes is all you need.

Look how pretty!

blueberry and lemon chia jam with lavender

This jam recipe works with any fruit, really. But since I’ve been reading about the gazillion reasons why blueberries are so good for us, this time I made them my nutritional “weapon of choice”.

Also known as “brain berries” thanks to their ability to improve memory, cognition and overall brain health, blueberries are also a rich source of powerful polyphenols: antioxidants that help you get rid of unwanted free radicals, reduce the risk of cancer, alleviate inflammation and amp up weight loss.

blueberry-lemon-chia-jam-stock-ready

And about that snack… which is my new favorite and can totally be your “I-just-got-home-from-work-I-am-famished-and-immediately-want-food-in-my-face” kind of dinner as well: toast + butter or ghee + this blueberry-lemon chia jam + arugula. Perfection.

healthy snack idea toast with blueberry lemon chia jam with butter and arugula

Fun fact: fat makes polyphenols more bioavailable to your body, which means it helps them be absorbed more easily, so you want to consume polyphenol-containing food with a type of healthy fat to reap their benefits fully. Which is why I’ve been munching on the above mentioned combination.

Oh, and a side note: yes, butter is a healthy fat. Not all butter is created equal, though. Opt for organic grass-fed, if you can, as it contains fat-soluble vitamins and supports brain health as well.

And I haven’t even mentioned the chia seeds that are “hiding” in here too! Can you believe these tiny little seeds hold so much goodness in them? Fiber, essential fatty acid omega-3, protein, minerals and vitamins… and they’re actually one of the best dietary sources of calcium.

I’ll be honest, I’m not a huge fan of chia seed pudding. I was up for the hype and *tried* to like it, but we never did get too friendly… I don’t hate it, but I’d much rather have the seeds raw just on top of my morning oatmeal or smoothie bowl.

THIS jam, though…

yummy blueberry lemon chia jam

It’s a different story.

It’s absolutely amazing! It blew my mind how simple it is to make, yet it’s so yummy and nutritious at the same time.

I chose agave for sweetening, because I brought the jam to a quick boil while making it, and – unlike honey – agave syrup won’t get damaged when exposed to high heat. It is, however, also possible to just mix the ingredients in a blender without any heating, in which case it is perfectly okay to use honey.

Blending will obviously result in a more puree-like consistency, I personally like the texture of whole blueberries, so I went with the first method.

blueberries for making blueberry lemon chia jam

You should absolutely, definitely, undoubtedly try this recipe, it is a 100% natural and sugar free, made with wholesome ingredients. You’ll be puffing out your chest, boasting about your own homemade jam that you whipped up in literally 10 minutes!

And you should be puffing out your chest with confidence anyway, every day, because hey! You’re amazing!

Please remember that and have a lovely day! 🙂

Don’t forget to say hello on Instagram. #allwithzest

With love,

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blueberry lemon chia jam
Blueberry-lemon chia jam

Yield: 2 cups
Prepare: 2 minutes
Cooking: 8 minutes
Total: 10 minutes


Ingredients:

  • 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
  • 2 or 3 Tbs agave syrup, depending on the sweetness you prefer (or honey)
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 2 Tbs chia seeds

Instructions:

  1. If using frozen berries, let them thaw for a little while in the pot you’re going to use.
  2. Add agave syrup and turn on the heat to medium, gently mash the fruit with the back of a wooden spoon and bring it to a boil.
  3. Turn off heat and add lemon juice and chia seeds too.
  4. Stir well and wait until it’s completely cooled down. The jam will thicken, don’t worry!
  5. If you opt for the no-heat-involved method, simply add all ingredients in a blender and blend until you reach the desired consistency. The more you blend, the more jelly-like your jam is going to be.
  6. Transfer to a glass container and keep in the fridge for about a week. Or less. 😉