Maple Crunch Cup

I’ve been experimenting with granola bars, trying to create a version that’s healthier but still feels like a treat—crunchy, satisfying, and rich in nourishing fats. But instead of shaping them into bars, I press them into a muffin tin…which turns them into something even better: Maple Crunch Cups.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
• 2 Tbsp maple syrup
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1 cup cashews OR about 3/4 to 1 cup premade cashew butter
• 2 tsp avocado oil (only needed if making cashew butter)
• 3/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1 to 1 1/2 cups carob chips OR chocolate chips

Directions

Step One

Coarsely chop your pecans and walnuts in a bowl. Add your sunflower seeds. Mix. Add your maple syrup. Mix again. Set aside.

Step Two

Melt the carob chips or chocolate chips with the 2 Tbsp butter. Use a double boiler (a larger sauce pan with water and a smaller pan placed inside with the chips and butter – see video!). Bring the water to a simmer or boil, allow the mixture to melt, then remove from the stove. Set aside as well.

Step Three

Make your cashew butter. You can use a spice/nut grinder and/or a food processor. I actually use both. Or simply buy cashew butter. My recipe for cashew butter is 2 cup cashews with 2 tsp of avocado oil added AFTER the cashews are ground. In the video you’ll see that I ground the cashews first, and then moved them to my mini food processor to combine with the avocado oil. Set aside. It should be around 3/4 to 1 cup of cashew butter when it is done; however, this can vary based on the grind.

Step Four

Preheat your oven to 250 degrees. Lightly grease a muffin tin. Next, distribute your seed/nut mix evenly between the twelve cups in the tin. Place in the oven for 10–15 minutes.

Step Five

Pull the tin out of the oven, no need to let it cool. Add a little over 1 tsp of your melted carob or chocolate to each cup in the tin. Next, evenly distribute your cashew butter. There are 16 Tbsp in 1 cup of cashew butter, so if you put 1 Tbsp in each you should have a bit left to make sure everything is covered evenly with the cashew butter.

Step Six

Chop up your 3/4 cup of dried cranberries. I recommend chopping them slightly because they did not stick well when I did it with whole dried cranberries. Sprinkle the cranberries over the first carob or chocolate layer. Now add your second layer of carob or chocolate.

If you used about 1 tsp per cup for your first layer, you should have quite a bit left to cover the tops of your Maple Crunch Cups with the final carob or chocolate/butter mix. I just pour a bit in each cup until it’s evenly spread.

Step Seven

Refrigerate. No need to cover. I left mine overnight in the fridge, but 3 to 4 hours should be sufficient. When they are solid, simply pop them out using a knife and enjoy! I keep mine in the refrigerator because our house is pretty warm; however, they might be fine left out in a cooler environment. Enjoy your Maple Crunch Cup!