Boy, our foodie contributor, Joanna knows me pretty well. I can’t wait to try her recipe for a healthier version of peanut butter cups…

One of my favorite candies are Reese’s peanut butter cups. They are terrific for a quick treat and even better, served at parties! I don’t know a single person who doesn’t enjoy them. But there is always a catch. When I eat one, it leads to nonstop snacking until I realize five have been devoured. Yikes! It’s not so great for my waistline.

My solution: make a semi-healthy version. For my Almond Butter Cups, I used dark chocolate and almond butter, both healthier options than milk chocolate and super sweet peanut butter. I didn’t have coconut oil on hand, so I still used shortening. But feel free to replace the shortening with an equivalent amount of coconut oil. It’ll still taste great!

The best thing about Almond Butter Cups is it caters to adult taste buds. Not too sweet, but sweet enough. Enjoy!

Almond Butter Cups
Makes 18

Ingredients
1 (10 oz) bag dark chocolate chips
1 tbsp shortening
1/2 cup creamy almond butter
2 sheets graham crackers, crushed

Directions
Fill a mini cupcake pan with 18 paper liners.

In a microwave-safe bowl, add the dark chocolate and shortening and heat in 30-second intervals. Make sure to stir after each 30 seconds, until the chocolate is completely melted and the shortening is fully incorporated.

Use a spoon to add just enough chocolate to coat the bottom of the paper liner. Take a toothpick and swirl it along the sides of the liners, so the chocolate coats the sides slightly. Refrigerate the pan for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix together the almond butter and crushed graham crackers. Evenly distribute the almond butter mixture among the chocolate-filled liners. Top with the remaining chocolate (microwave if necessary) and refrigerate for a minimum of 30 minutes before serving.

The almond butter cups should remain refrigerated until use.