Chocolate and Pomegranate and Pistachios….oh my! I adore these Dark Chocolate Cups that are stuffed with peanut butter and sprinkled with pistachios and pomegranate and I know you will too. Throw a pinch of flakey sea salt on top….irresistible.
Gimme some dark chocolate that has something crunchy, like pistachios, something chewy, like pomegranate seeds on top with a sprinkle of salt and I’m one happy camper. Stuff these dark chocolate discs with peanut butter….and OMG are these the most delicious and easy chocolate dessert out there!
This is not so much of a recipe for Pomegranate and Pistachios Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups as a method for creating a free form chocolate dessert that can have as many or as few additions as you like!
These chocolate pistachio pomegranate chocolate cups are kinda like a resees peanut butter cup…but so much better
- No added sugar or heavily processed vegetable oils
- Control how big they are and what ingredients are used.
- Mini in size so everyone can have just a taste.
- Make ahead and store in the freezer…they’ll be ready when you are.
- Budget friendly: when pomegranate arils are on sale, buy them!
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Pomegranate seeds: if you can find the pomegranate arils already removed from the whole pomegranate, and they are a decent price, then buy them quickly!! Otherwise check out my jeweled rice recipe for instructions on seeding a pomegranate.
- Chocolate: use a bar or some chocolate chips. Read the labels and buy a brand that uses the least amount of wholesome ingredients and meets your dietary needs.
- Pistachios: buy raw or dry roasted…that doesn’t list oil as one of the ingredients. You can substitute with any other nut or seed you like: pecans, almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds are all good choices.
- Peanut butter: find a brand with just peanuts listed in the ingredients, that comes in glass. Substitute with almond butter, cashew butter or sunbutter.
- Flakey sea salt: totally optional, but I think it really makes a difference.
How to make them
Chop pistachios into small pieces.
Melt chocolate in a small saucepan over low heat.
Use a silicone spatula to stir constantly as the chocolate melts. Keep heat as low as possible. It will take about 30 seconds to reach this point.
When chocolate is just about completely melted, turn heat off and continue to stir until the rest of the solid chocolate turns to liquid as well.
Gather the melted chocolate, chopped pistachios, creamy peanut butter and pomegranate seeds. Line baking sheet with mini cupcake liners. Drizzle just enough chocolate to coat the bottom of the cupcake liner. Use two teaspoons to “drop” about ½ teaspoon peanut butter onto the chocolate.
Sprinkle some nuts and pomegranate seeds onto the peanut butter. Then, drizzle on more chocolate, then more pomegranate seeds and pistachios. Sprinkle a pinch of flakey seas salt on top, if desired.
Continue to layer the chocolate, peanut butter, pistachios and pomegranate seeds into the cupcake liners, working on no more than 6 at a time.
Sprinkle the tops with flakey sea salt, if desired. Pop the entire tray into the freezer or refrigerator until set. About one hour. Then transfer to freezer safe container and freeze for up to 3 months, or leave them in the fridge, they will stay good for a week.
Serve straight from the freezer or fridge. You can leave the wrappers on, or pull them off and set them on a platter.
I get about 36 mini peanut butter cups out of this recipe, keeping them small. You can put as much, or as little chocolate surrounding the other ingredients as you like.
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📖 Recipe
Pomegranate Pistachio Chocolate Cups
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips or use 2 (3.5-oz) bars
- ½ cup pomegranate seeds
- ¼ cup chopped pistachios
- ¼ cup peanut butter creamy
Instructions
Directions:
- Line rimmed baking sheet (that will fit into your fridge or freezer) with mini cupcake liners.
- Roughly chop the pistachios.
- Melt chocolate on stovetop in a double boiler (alternately melt in a glass dish in the microwave, or in a small pan stirring constantly. This will take less than a minute. You can turn off the stove just before the chocolate is completely melted and just keep stirring until the heat of the melted chocolate helps melt the rest.
- Drizzle melted chocolate into the bottom of paper liners.
- Drop ½ teaspoon creamy peanut butter onto the chocolate.
- Sprinkle a few pomegranate arils and a few pieces of pistachio into each cup.
- Drizzle melted chocolate to cover nuts and pom seeds.
- Sprinkle a bit more pistachios and pomegranate seeds. Add a pinch of flakey seas salt, if desired.
- Refrigerate or freeze until chocolate is set, at least one hour.
- Transfer to airtight container in the fridge for up to one week or into the freezer for up to 3 months.
Notes
Nutrition
Note
The nutrition calculations were done using online tools. To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in any given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients you used. You are ultimately responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information is accurate, complete and useful.
Kim Nassar
Soooo delicious! I’ve made them several times now and I’m planning to make them for Thanksgiving!
Debra Klein
Awesome….and they’re the perfect easy dessert for Thanksgiving…have a great holiday!