You’ll go bananas for these sweet and salty Chunky Monkey Cups! All you need are 5 simple ingredients to make this gluten-free and vegan dessert that combines an irresistible chocolate shell with a creamy banana nut filling.
So apparently there’s some big football game happening next weekend. The Super Bowl, or something? Is that right? ?
Maybe it’s the Canadian blood in me, but I’ll just come out and admit that I’m not the biggest fan of football. And when I say “not the biggest fan,” what I really mean is that: I’ve never watched more than seven minutes of a single game, I have no idea what the rules are, and up until about five minutes ago (thank you Google), I didn’t even know who was playing this year (the Carolina Panthers and the Denver Broncos, for those not in the know).
BUT! I hear it’s a pretty big deal for a whole lot of people; and I hear there are things called “Super Bowl parties” being thrown, which my brain translates to one very simple thing — food.
I may not know much about football, but I do know food; and going by the few Stanley Cup parties I’ve been to (have I mentioned the Canadian blood?), I’m going to go ahead and say that the food is just as, if not more, important than the actual game.
Or maybe that’s just me.
But if you were to tell me that you’d be just as psyched to go to a party if you knew there wouldn’t be any food there, I might just have to whip out the classic “liar, liar, pants on fire.” Either that or I’d be accusing you of smuggling in your own snacks, movie theatre mode (<– it’s okay… we all do it).
Thankfully, most hosts don’t force us to stoop that low.
But regardless of what the food situation is or isn’t, I almost always bring some sort of dessert or snack-type thing to a party… and if I said that my efforts were 100% altruistic, then you’d be able to whip out the classic “liar, liar, pants on fire.“
See, I like dessert. More specifically, I like to eat dessert, not stare at it longingly while keeping my distance… which unfortunately ends up being the case at a lot of get-togethers thanks to me being allergic to peanuts and them or traces of them being in virtually anything sweet.
SO! to save myself the indignity of having to hang out by the fruit and veggie platter, I volunteer to bring dessert so that I’m guaranteed a sweet treat that I can actually eat (Dr. Seuss, eat your heart out).
And if I was coming to your party, Super Bowl or otherwise? I’d be bringing a big batch of these chunky monkey cups.
Not exactly sure what chunky monkey cups are? Well, they’re essentially like a Reese’s peanut butter cup minus the peanut butter (for me; you can use PB if you wish), plus some banana.
They’ve got that same delicious chocolate shell, only this time it’s filled with a sweet and salty banana nut cream that adds just the right amount of ooey, gooey, banana-y sweetness. And I think what I love most about it is that the chocolate shell stays nice and firm, while the filling stays creamy and gooey – it’s literally textural perfection. And that’s saying nothing about what they’re like after they’ve been sitting in the freezer and and allowed to thaw for a few minutes – the filling feels like an ice cream mousse ?
Oh, and do NOT skimp on the salt. Do not!! That’s what takes these guys to a whole new level and makes them a snacker’s absolute dream. I mean, you’ve got your sweet, your salty, your chocolatey, and your ooey/gooey/”I can’t believe it’s not butter” mouthgasm effect.
I’d call that a touchdown.
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Chunky Monkey Cups
- Total Time: 20 mins
- Yield: 12 mini or 6 regular 1x
Ingredients
- 1 cup (175 g) chocolate chips of choice*
- 1/2 Tbsp (7 g) coconut oil
- 1/4 cup (64 g) almond butter**
- 1/2 medium ripe banana, mashed (50 g or 1/4 cup)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- crushed pretzels, salt crystals, sprinkles, etc. for topping
Instructions
- Add the chocolate chips and coconut oil to a microwave safe bowl and microwave in 30 second increments until the chocolate is fully melted, stirring between each round. Alternatively, you can add the chocolate and coconut oil to a heat-safe bowl placed in a pot of boiling water and melt it that way.
- Line a mini muffin pan with 12 mini paper/silicone liners*** or arrange them on a large plate/pan. Fill each liner with about 1 tsp (5 ml) of melted chocolate, and use a spoon to bring some of the chocolate up the sides of the liners (almost to the top), coating them well to create a cup. Place them in the freezer for about 5 minutes to set.
- While the chocolate is setting, prepare the filling by combining the almond butter, mashed banana, and salt in a small bowl, mixing until smooth.
- Fill each chocolate cup with about 1 tsp (5 ml) of the filling and cover it with the remaining melted chocolate, using the back of a spoon to smooth out the top. Sprinkle with crushed pretzels, salt flakes, sprinkles, or any toppings of choice (if desired), and then freeze for a minimum of 10 minutes to allow everything to set. Store in the fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer for longer periods.***
Notes
* make sure to use vegan chocolate chips if you want these to be vegan, and/or gluten-free chocolate chips if you need them to be GF. ** feel free to use any nut butter you have on hand, or replace it with a sunflower or soy nut butter to make this nut free. Just try and use a no-stir variety, as the natural oils could alter the texture of the filling. ** while this recipe was made for mini muffin liners, you could easily adapt it to fit regular ones. Just double the amount of ingredients you spoon into each cup, and/or double the recipe to make 12 regular-sized cups. ***
- Prep Time: 20 mins
Looking for more sweet & salty snack recipes? Try one of these!
No Bake Salted Caramel Pretzel Bars
No Bake Sweet and Salty Trail Mix Granola Bars
Almond Butter and Pretzel Truffles
No Bake Sweet and Salty Trail Mix Bites
No Bake Brownie Batter Truffles
These are soooooo good. Ever thought of doing a similar recipe with blueberries in the center?
And I would definitely call these a touch down! How about you join me for my friends Super bowl party. I’ll bring a peanut free dip and you can bring dessert, specifically these. 🙂
Ooey, gooey mouthgasms are right up my alley.
I swear you have made my Homemade Goodness board on Pinterest famous. These look so good and thanks for the recipe.
Thank you for sharing, Sheryl!
You are a freaking genius! PB cups are my most favorite dessert ever but I would have never thought to sweeten them with bananas. GENIUS!
I’m officially inviting you to all of my future football parties and you have to bring these, k? I’ll pay for your plane ticket too. 😉
DEAL! Deal, deal, deal. Mostly because you make some of the most AMAZING appetizers that I would never even think of. Swoon.
I NEED these in my life. Thanks for the recipe (:
Must try these! Pinned them for later! Thanks for sharing
Thanks for the pin, Marsha! Hope you like them 🙂
These look amazing! I can’t wait to try them
These look amazing. The only team I really care about is the Packers but I’m still not all THAT into football. Basically it’s a great thing for a few months bc Sundays become all mine to do with what I please since Neil is always glued to the couch haha
Haha, that first couple of paragraphs could almost have be describing me, Amanda!! Except I don’t have the excuse of being Canadian. And it’s even more pathetic because I’ve seen several games vicariously or as part of a greater football watching group…I still don’t really understand it that well. BUT! Food I do understand, as well as the fact that game day food is one of the best food groups. Besides dessert of course. ? And being allergic to so many things, I have definitely been in that position of being relegated to the fruit/veggie tables. Fruit and veggies are all right, but dessert rules every. time. And enter giant sad face when you can have none. You already know that I would love to have you coming to my party…even if you didn’t bring a tasty treat like this (which is certainly going on my must-make list!) but simply because that would be beyond awesome to meet you and hang out!! ??
I do actually really like football – and the snacks just make it that much better for me! I love that you packed so much good stuff in one bite! Much as I love Reese’s cups, I’d say you’re not missing out on much as long as you have these 😉
Good to know 🙂 These were actually the first chocolate “cups” I’ve ever tried — I can’t believe I waited so long!
I am not a football fan other than being an American makes me one by default. I wont be watching the game this year (no TV) but I love watching comedians tweet about it. That’s the best part. Oh, and I’ll watch a highlight reel of the commercials haha
My favorite snack is Chex-Mix 🙂 YUM!
The commercials are my favourite part as well. And the halftime show 🙂
Love this idea Amanda! In fact, I’m planning on making a “cups” recipe too, for my Valentine’s Day treats! I’ve got a few ideas swirling in my head [yes chocolate and lime is one of them – though I dont know if itll fly for Love Day 😉 ] but I totally wouldn’t of thought about doing a banana version! Sounds super yummy 🙂
And I totally wouldn’t have thought of doing a lime version! Looking forward to seeing yours 🙂
Okay, I totally thought we still had a month to go before the Super Bowl! Whoops, that’s what I get for being somewhat ignorant of football. Haha, it just aint my thing. 😉 These monkey cups, however, are definitely my thing!
That was -totally- me! I actually didn’t even know that football was still going on – someone had to tell me that it was coming up 😆
I’m hesitant to make the ONLY because I don’t think I could stop at 1…they look too good!
The struggle is real! But they’re also surprisingly satisfying.
These sound delicious and I so want to eat some, but I can’t have almond butter. Is there something I could replace it with? Thanks!
You could use a soy nut butter, Kai! It’s 100% nut free but tastes and feels remarkably similar. I like the Wowbutter brand — http://wowbutter.com
These are interesting and they look so good. Reeses cups were one of my favorite chocolates in grade school!
I hear they’re a popular one 😉 I’ve never had the pleasure, and if I’m being honest, these are actually the first chocolate “cup” I’ve ever eaten 😯
Oh man. I need these now!
I wonder if they’d hold up if I expedited them…
We Canadians would think football is soccer! Not only do we not give a rip about the superbowl, but we’re thinking of an entirely different sport. Ha ha! The last time I went to a football game (CFL) some guy spilled beer all over my coat and I haven’t been back since. That was 20 years ago.
Ha! Way to hold a grudge 😉 I’ve never even been to a CFL game. I was going to go to see the Eskimos just for shits-n-giggles, but when I saw the price of the tickets I was like yeaaaaa, no.
I definitely know about bringing my own snacks to parties. People think I’m so nice–nope, just hungry. : P These look super-yummy–I bet they’d be amazing frozen!
I feel like almost everything is amazing frozen. But yup! The filling gets -crazy- creamy when they’ve been sitting in the freezer for a while.
haha i’m texan and still not into football. BUT CHOCOLATE and ALMOND BUTTER –> yes. Can i call yo uthe chunky monkey goddess?
Only if I can call you the bite queen, or – OHHH! – the gluten-free goddess 😉
Bananas, (peanut or sunflower) butter, and dark chocolate all in one magical shell…I’m sold. And as an aside, I’m American and I still don’t get football after three years of cheering for it in high school. But I end up side-glancing every year, because on this one day a year, all the other non-fans suddenly become rabidly attentive and force it upon me 🙂
Haha! It’s hard not to get sucked in to the excitement. And it’s always nice to have a day that feels a little more special, even if it is -just- football 😉
And I am most definitely going bananas for these. Making ASAP!
Woohoo! Hope you like them, Angela!
I love football AND my team is playing in the superbowl! So you can just pull for the Panthers for me? Just look out for #88 and that will make up your mind 😉
Your pictures look SO beautiful and I have not doubt that these are heavenly!
Ooo! I’ll send good luck vibes to the Panthers, in that case. Googling #88 asap.
I love football, but honestly not in love with the two teams playing. I’m probably into more for the food and commercials than anything though.
That’d be me as well. Oh! And the halftime show.
Not that I’d ever cared for football before – I can play the not-from-the-US card, too, right? – but I’d do even less if these were around. I’m on dessert duty 99 % of the times I attend get-togethers, too, and thankfully so. If I was asked to bring a salad I’d be lost … or ask Google ;).
Honestly? If I was asked to bring a salad, I’d probably cheat and go with a fruit salad with some kind of chocolate “dressing” 😆
Yes with more chunky monkey recipes! My favorite sweet and salty combo has to be banana, pb, chocolate and pretzels, AKA the best!
I hear that! SUCH a dangerous combo… especially in something like trail mix. Eep.
I am drooling right now as I type this!! Pinned!!
Haha! Thanks, Heather!
Amanda these look SO good! You know I’m a fan of any sort of “cup” and this one needs to be mine ASAP!
Thanks, Michele! You definitely can never go wrong with chocolate cups.