No-Bake Chocolate Oat Cupcakes

These little no-bake chocolate oat cupcakes are the kind of treat I love having tucked away in the fridge. They’re sweet, chewy, chocolatey, and made with simple ingredients like oats, dates, peanut butter, and a little melted chocolate on top.

They feel like a dessert, but they’re made with enough real, filling ingredients that they also make the perfect afternoon snack. Especially with a coffee.

The base is naturally sweetened with Medjool dates and a touch of maple syrup, then mixed with oats and puffed rice cereal for a chewy-crispy texture. The chocolate topping makes them feel a little extra special, and the flaky sea salt or crushed walnuts on top finish them beautifully.

Ingredients

For the oat cups

1 cup old-fashioned oats, pulsed a few times to break them down slightly
½ cup Medjool dates, soaked and drained
½ cup peanut butter
1 tbsp maple syrup
Splash of vanilla
Sprinkle of salt
⅓ cup puffed rice cereal

For the chocolate topping

⅓ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
½ tsp ghee or butter
Flaky sea salt and/or crushed walnuts, for topping

Instructions

Start by soaking the Medjool dates in warm water until they soften. Drain them well, then add them to a food processor.

Blend the dates until they begin to break down and form a sticky paste. Add the peanut butter, maple syrup, vanilla, and salt. Blend again until the mixture is very smooth and starts to come together into a ball.

Add the date and peanut butter mixture to a bowl with the pulsed oats and puffed rice cereal. Use your hands to mix everything together really well. The mixture should be sticky and hold together when pressed.

Press the mixture firmly into a mini muffin tin. This recipe makes about 12 mini oat cupcakes.

Place the muffin tin in the fridge while you prepare the chocolate topping.

To make the topping, melt the chocolate chips with the ghee or butter using a double boiler. Stir until smooth and glossy.

Spoon a little melted chocolate over each oat cup and spread it gently over the top.

Finish with crushed walnuts, flaky sea salt, or both.

Place the oat cups back in the fridge until the chocolate is set.

Notes

These are best stored in the fridge so they stay firm and chewy. You can also keep them in the freezer for a colder, firmer treat.

For a nut-free version, you could try using sunflower seed butter instead of peanut butter.

Yield

Makes 12 mini no-bake oat cupcakes.