Eat + Drink food

Coconut Butter Cups

July 10, 2023 by CAP Crew Photography by john von pamer

We’ve been incorporating the Coconut Butter into our meals, both sweet and savory, for years now, so when we discover others who have been doing the same, we take note. And when we found out that our friend Emily Fiffer, co-founder of one of our favorite LA based restaurants, Botanica, and collaborator (hello Magic Spice!), we immediately asked for the recipe. Her bite-sized Coconut Butter Cups come together quickly (just a bit of freezer time) and balance natural sugars with fiber and healthy fats for a delicious, nutrient-dense treat. With a crust made from toasted coconut flakes, dates and pecans, these bites taste just like a candy bar. Grab a jar (or two!) of the best ever Coconut Butter and keep this nourishing treat in your fridge all summer long. Satisfy your sweet tooth with the power of plants. Life is sweet. Thank you, Emily.

For years, I’ve been DIY-ing wholesome sweets: fudge made with tahini, dates and 100% chocolate; homemade chocolate made with cacao butter and cacao powder; every-type-of-nut-butter cups; dairy- and gluten-free dark chocolate olive oil ganache tarts. The recipe below is a lovechild of two nutritious yet delicious sweets that are close to my heart. I layer a no-bake toasted nut, date and coconut crust with the ever-decadent CAP coconut butter, sprinkling in some cacao nibs for crunch. The cups take about 10 minutes to come together and keep well in the fridge or freezer for a quick and wholesome treat. I’ve added them into my rotation—I hope you'll do the same!

CAP Coconut Butter Cups

Makes 1 cup

By Emily Fiffer

Crust

1/2 cup dates, pitted

1 cup toasted pecans

3/4 cup toasted coconut (can be desiccated or chips)

2 tablespoons melted coconut oil

Pinch of Maldon

Filling

2 tablespoons CAP coconut butter

1/2 teaspoon cacao nibs

Maldon

I'm obsessed with silicone baking cups. I mostly use them for homemade nut butter cups or a riff on fudge, but you can bake muffins in them, etc. They're cheap, reusable, BPA-free and will make your life so much easier. Big thumbs up!

To make the crust, add everything to a food processor and blend until the mixture comes together. Pinch with your fingers. If it sticks, you're done. If not, continue to pulse until it does! You're looking for mostly-blended nuts with some tiny pieces still remaining.

Scoop a spoonful of crust into a silicone cup, press into the bottom and freeze for a few minutes until set. Add a tablespoon of CAP coconut butter, sprinkle over the cacao nibs and freeze until set. Add another spoonful of crust to cover the filling and freeze, then add another tablespoon of CAP coconut butter with a sprinkle of Maldon. Freeze again! Keep in the fridge for maximum enjoyment.

Note: You'll have plenty of leftover crust. This is not an accident! Use it to make more CAP butter cups or roll it into balls and keep in the fridge for a quick protein fix. The balls are also *excellent* dipped in CAP coconut butter and hardened in the freezer for a bit.