Dark Chocolate Peppermint Cups {dairy free}

Anyone who knows me is aware of my love for chocolate, but I only go for dark chocolate since I don’t eat dairy (hello food allergies). Make these babies yourself and you’ll never need to buy chocolate again! Adjust the sweetness to your taste buds by adding more honey, if desired. Slippery elm tea powder is used with honey and doTERRA peppermint essential oils (I’m now a Wellness Advocate for doTERRA, e-mail me for details and I’ll tell  you why I have fallen in love with them!) to make a delicious filling that is also good for your belly.

Ingredients:

¼ # cacao butter (1/4 of 16oz package)

¼ cup cacao powder

2 T. cacao nibs

2 T. lucuma powder

1 T. raw honey (optional)

Peppermint filling:

2 T. slippery elm tea

1 T. raw honey

2-3 drops doTERRA peppermint essential oils

Method to make peppermint filling:

1. Combine slippery elm powder, raw honey, and peppermint oil. Mix well then roll on cutting board into log about ¼ inch thick.

2. Cut into 18 pieces then flatten into the size of a nickel.

3. Set aside. This will be your peppermint filling.

Method to make chocolate:

1. Melt cacao butter using a double boiler or you can boil water in a small sauce pan, then place a stainless steel or glass bowl over the sauce pan so it will melt the cacao butter. You may want to use an oven mitt to hold the bowl in place since steam will escape from between the sauce pan and the bowl. Be very careful not to get burned by the hot steam.

2. Once cacao butter is melted, add in cacao powder, cacao nibs, lucuma powder, and raw honey.

3. Whisk together all ingredients until well combined.

Method to make peppermint cups:

1. Grease mini cupcake pans (recipe makes 18 cups, so one full and one half pan will be needed) or insert mini cupcake liners.

2. Pour 1 teaspoon chocolate mixture into mini cupcake slot.

3. Place 1 peppermint filling into mini cupcake slot, then add 1 teaspoon chocolate over the peppermint filling.

4. Repeat steps using all of the chocolate and peppermint filling.

5. Place in fridge for 1 hour to set.

6. Remove chocolate carefully from mini cupcake tin using a toothpick. Store in fridge or freezer until ready to serve.

7. Enjoy!

Yield: 18 mini peppermint chocolate cups

My recipe is featured on Vitacost.com this week :).