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Coconut Golden Milk Cups (vegan & paleo)

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These Coconut Golden Milk Cups are a delicious, no-bake treat that are delightfully bright and refreshing yet comforting! Little frozen cups with a luscious coconutty exterior and a creamy Golden Milk-inspired filling. These are so easy to make and sure to brighten up your day! They are vegan, paleo, and easily made keto, nut free, or sugar free! 

What Do These Coconut Golden Milk Cups Taste Like?

These frosty babes taste like little cups of golden sunshine. The exterior is made of coconut oil, coconut cream, and coconut milk powder to create a delicious creamy and luscious, almost ice cream-like, exterior. The inside is a chewy but creamy filling spiked with all the warming spices you’d expect from a good Golden Milk latte, a healthy dose of turmeric complemented by cinnamon, ginger, and a dash of black pepper. The coconut exterior is incredibly refreshing, like a classic vanilla ice cream but coconutty, while the Golden Milk center is wonderfully cozy making these the perfect frozen treat for any time of year!

What Ingredients Are Used to Make These Coconut Golden Milk Cups?

This is the kind of recipe that really checks all the boxes. Made with only good-for-you ingredients and naturally sweetened with maple syrup! You need only 11 total ingredients to including the spices to prepare these cups! It’s super adaptable and fits almost any diet, the recipe, as written below, is vegan, paleo-friendly (gluten/grain/dairy free), and refined sugar free! But it can easily be made nut free, sugar free, and keto! Here’s an overview of the ingredients used as well as some variations and substitutions.

  • Coconut Oil – The base of the coconut cups and what helps them firm up.
  • Coconut Cream – Gives the exterior the perfect creaminess.
  • Maple Syrup – The sweetener in both the exterior and the filling. Agave, honey, or coconut syrup are fine substitutes, or use your favorite sugar-free sweetener.
  • Vanilla – For flavor!
  • Coconut Milk Powder – This is such a great dairy free replacement for milk powder, which is used to make white chocolate. I used this one by Edward and Sons which I bought at my local health food store. Another good option is this one by Anthony’s, available on Amazon.
  • Cashew Butter – For a thick and creamy filling. Use any thick nut/seed you like that contains only one ingredient (no added sugars or oils).
  • Spices – All the spices needed to get that delicious Golden Milk flavor: turmeric, cinnamon, ginger, and a dash of black pepper.
  • Almond Flour – This helps thicken the filling. To make these nut-free, use half the amount of coconut flour.

How To Make These Coconut Golden Milk Cups

These delightful cups are super easy to make! The hardest part will be waiting for them to firm up before you can enjoy them! Here’s a look at the steps:

  1. Make the coconut exterior. Just melt a few ingredients together, then stir in the coconut milk powder.
  2. Make the bottom of the cups by pouring half the coconut mixture into the bottom of 8 mini cups with liners. Place in freezer to set.
  3. Make the filling by mixing all the ingredients together. Place the mixture in the fridge while the bottom cup layer firms. This helps make the filling less sticky and easier to fill into the cups.
  4. Fill the cups once the bottom layer is solid. This can be done in two ways:
    1. Easy Way: Distribute the filling into the cups and squash it down into an even layer.
    2. Aesthetic Way: Divide the filling into 9 even portions, roll into balls, and flatten down slightly to create short, squat discs. See pictures below.
  5. Close the cups by pouring remaining coconut mixture over the top of the filling. Place back in the freezer to set completely.
  6. Enjoy! Once the cups are firm and frozen, about 2-4 hours.

Store in the freezer until ready to enjoy!

These Coconut Golden Milk Cups are so bright and refreshing but packed with comforting warming spices to make them deliciously cozy. They so easy to make, healthier than your average frozen dessert, and just the perfect frosty treat. They are so good, in fact, I have a feeling I’ll always be stocking these in my freezer.

paleo friendly (gluten/grain/dairy free), naturally sweetened, vegan.
easily made: keto, sugar-free, or nut-free

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Coconut Golden Milk Cups

Frozen cups with a creamy, almost ice cream like coconut exterior and a Golden Milk inspired chewy center. These are so easy to make, secretly healthy, and taste like little drops of sunshine. Plus, super adaptable to suit most diets.

vegan, paleo, refined sugar free

Ingredients

Coconut Layer

  • 1/3 cup coconut oil (66 grams)
  • 1/4 cup coconut cream (60 grams) solids from top of coconut milk can
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup (30 grams)*
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 cup coconut milk powder (42 grams)

Golden Milk Filling

  • 2 tbsp cashew butter (30 grams)* or other thick and creamy nut/seed butter
  • 1-1 1/2 tbsp maple syrup (15-21 grams)*
  • 1 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp ground ginger
  • dash black pepper
  • 3-4 tbsp almond flour* (21-28 grams)

Instructions

  1. Prepare 7-8 mini muffin cups by filling with liners. Make sure there is room in the freezer to accommodate the muffin pan, ideally a flat surface.

  2. Make the coconut exterior by melting the coconut oil, coconut cream, and maple syrup together. Once fully melted, add the vanilla and whisk together until fully combined. Then, add the coconut milk powder and whisk until even and smooth.

  3. Distribute half the mixture into the liners to create the bottom of the cups, about 1 tbsp each. Place in the freezer to set, about 20 minutes.

  4. While the bottom is setting, make the filling by mixing all but the almond flour together until creamy and even. The amount of almond flour you will use depends on the amount of maple syrup and nut/seed butter you use. Start with 3 tbsp of almond flour (or half the amount of coconut flour), mix well, and add more if needed to get a thick and sticky consistency. Taste and add additional sweetener if desired. Place the mixture in the fridge until ready to use. This makes the filling less sticky and easier to fill into the cups.

  5. Once the bottom layers of the cups have set, add the filling by either:

    Easy Way: Scoop (a mini scoop is ideal) the filling into the cups and squash it down into an even layer.

    Aesthetic Way: Divide the filling into 8 even portions, roll into balls, flatten down slightly to create short, squat discs, and place in center of the cups. See post for photos.

  6. Stir the remaining coconut mixture until it's smooth again. If the mixture has firmed, reheat quickly and stir until it is evenly mixed.

  7. Finish the cups by pouring remaining coconut mixture over the top of the fillings. Place back in the freezer to set completely, about 2-4 hours.

  8. Once the tops have set, enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Storage: Keep in an airtight container in the freezer.

Helpful Kitchen Tools (affiliate links): mini scoop, mini muffin tin, eco-friendly mini muffin liners

Ingredient Subs/Variations:

Maple Syrup - Sub for honey, agave, coconut syrup or any other similar liquid sweetener. 

Cashew Butter - Use any thick and creamy nut/seed butter you like, preferably one containing only one ingredient (no added sugars or oils). Make sure to stir the jar well before measuring. Do not use the compacted paste at the bottom of the jar. 

To Make Sugar-Free/Keto - Use a few drops of stevia or other sugar-free liquid sweetener, start with a little, taste, and add until it is to your preferred sweetness. 

To Make Nut-Free - Use any seed butter you like such as sunflower seed butter. Replace the almond flour with coconut flour but reduce by half.

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PB&J Cups (vegan, paleo, sugar-free option)

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All the back to school vibes have got me craving all the PB&J flavored things! I pretty much got a PB&J (with the crusts) almost every single day of my K-12 life so that association is strong for me. And since it’s still August and very hot outside, a no-bake treat is definitely the way to go. These “PB&J” Cups are actually filled with cashew butter (instead of the usual peanut butter) and a mixed berry jam. It’s the perfect combo of creamy lusciousness meets fruity sweetness. The cup’s exterior is made of dark chocolate, which perfectly complements the PB&J-like filling. And because it’s 2020 and Chocolate is never seen without it’s best friend Flakey Sea Salt, we top it some flakey sea salt. Because who am I not to oblige?The best part of these cups is that they are made with just a few, simple ingredients and are infinitely adaptable! Here’s a little run down of the ingredients with some tips and ways to make them your own so they suit your diet, allergy, or sensitivity needs.

Dark Chocolate – Use the highest quality dark chocolate (or milk chocolate, if you prefer) you can find. Look for a brand that uses minimal ingredients. The best tasting chocolate will always be the one that uses good quality cacao and not much else to really let the chocolate shine. Here are some brands I use and love: Hu (paleo-friendly), Theo, Alter Eco, Guittard, and Enjoy Life. And if you’re looking to make these sugar-free than simply use your favorite brand of sugarless chocolate chips or chopped up bars.

Coconut Oil – When melting chocolate, for the purpose of spreading or shaping (into cups in this instance), it’s always a good idea to add a small amount of coconut oil, after the chocolate has melted, to help thin it out a bit and make it easier to work with. If you (like me) are not a huge fan of the coconut flavor, use a refined coconut oil which has a neutral flavor.

Nut/Seed Butter – For these cups I use a single-ingredient cashew butter (by Artisana) because it’s thick and super creamy which is a nice counterpart to the sweet fruity jam. The thickness of the cashew butter stands up to the weight of the jam allowing the layers to stay separated. When choosing a nut/seed butter, try to find one that is thick and contains only 1 ingredient (no added oils or sugars). However, feel free use any nut/seed butter you like or have on hand! Should you use a thinner butter, the jam will more than likely dip into the bottom layer. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with this, but the layers will be less defined. Basically, just an aesthetic thing. Use sunbutter or tahini to make these nut free!

Jam/Jelly – Like the other ingredients, any will do here! Feel free to mix it up and use a different jam for each cup for a fun flavor surprise when biting into them! Again, I recommend buying one with minimal ingredients and preferably organic, if possible. Or use a sugar-free one if you like. And if you want to go big, use a homemade compote or chia jam!

The options really are endless and the result will inevitably be delicious! Because simple recipes, using good quality ingredient, are usually the best loved kind.

These PB&J Cups are hands down my favorite no-bake recipe to date! They are super easy to make and infinitely adaptable. These cups are the perfect way to crush an afternoon craving or satisfy a post-dinner sweet tooth. And by picking the ingredients that best suit you, they can easily be made to suit almost any diet, allergy, or sensitivity. And, well, I definitely feel like my PB&J cravings have been satisfied with these sweet little cups.

(For now anyways.)

paleo friendly (gluten/grain/dairy free), no added sweeteners, vegan, sugar-free option

If you make this recipe, please feel free to leave a review or rating down below. And I’d LOVE to see your creation! Please tag me on Instagram @freshlydafna and use #freshlydafna.

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PB&J Cups

These super easy, but incredibly delicious, PB&J Cups are the perfect back-to-school inspired treat! These cups have only simple ingredients and no added sugar.

vegan, paleo, sugar-free option

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup chocolate chips or chopped chocolate bar
  • 1/2 tsp coconut oil
  • 2-3 tbsp cashew butter or other nut/seed butter of choice
  • 2-3 tbsp jam/jelly of choice

Instructions

  1. Melt the chocolate in a medium bowl by microwaving in short 5 second bursts until the chocolate is completely melted. Or, melt the chocolate in a small bowl over a double boiler. Add the coconut oil and stir until the chocolate is shiny and smooth.

  2. Place 6-7 muffin liners in a mini muffin tin. Pour about 1 tbsp of melted chocolate into each muffin liner and, using a small spoon, spread the chocolate up the sides of the liners. Then tilt the muffin pan gently, side-to-side to create an even base. Place the muffin tin in the fridge or freezer to set the chocolate.

  3. Once chocolate is firm, add (about) 1/2 tsp of cashew butter to each cup and gently spread it into an even layer. Butter should be roughly 1/2 way up the cup Then add a scant 1/2 tsp jam/jelly on top of the cashew butter and spread out to the sides of the cups, adding a bit more if needed to make one layer.

  4. Pour 1-2 tsp of the melted chocolate on top of the jam layer to create the top of the cup and spread into an even layer. Shake the pan gently, side-to-side, to evenly distribute the chocolate to the edges.

  5. Allow the chocolate to set by keeping at room temperature for about 20 minutes or quicker by placing the tray in the fridge or freezer. Once chocolate is firm, enjoy!

Recipe Notes

See post for diet/allergy variations. 

Store in the fridge or freezer! 

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Sugar Free Coconut Butter Cups and Sugar Sentivity (keto, paleo, vegan)

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When I eat well (for me this means low carbs, tons of veggies, moderate amounts of quality protein, and enough good fats) I feel better – I am more energetic, sleep better, deal with stress better…everything is just better. 

Most often eating well is fairly easy for me – fresh and healthfully cooked meals taste delicious. One of the things that I continually struggle with however is my sugar intake. I have always had a monstrous sweet tooth and thought this was just the kind of foods I liked to eat. It wasn’t until I was listening to a podcast a few years ago that I heard one can be “sugar sensitive”. Of course you hear about lactose and gluten sensitives all the time now but sugar sensitive was totally new to me. As they discussed the symptoms though it all sounded far too familiar.  Severe symptoms of sugar sensitivity include: an unstoppable craving for sweets, depression, irritability, extra craving for carbs, joint pain, menstrual issues. For me what rang true the most was the insatiable need for sweets. I recalled all those times I would indulge in candy and then fruit and then cereal and forgoing veggies and good fats. Eating a whole bag of raisins (I couldn’t stop!) and then immediately feeling nauseous. Those times I would buy gummy bears and tell my husband that he needed to hide them from me because inevitably I would find and demolish the entire bag should it be left unguarded. I am like a heat seeking missile when it comes to sweets.

Of course we all know that sugar is bad for you and it’s best to avoid it, but it can become confusing which types are “good” and which “bad” with the influx of new natural and seemingly better for you sugars such as coconut sugar, coconut syrup, maple syrup, agave, etc. The biggest thing I have learned from this is that for me, the more sugar I have the more sugar I want and crave. This is true with sugars from these natural sources or even fruits that are high in fructose. And while I say to myself, “just this one little piece of dark chocolate won’t hurt”, on the one hand I know this is true. Chocolate is good for you (in moderation) and the amount of sugar in a small piece is very little (even less than a piece of fruit). But inevitably, this one piece that one time becomes 2-3 pieces every day, and then 5 every day, and then two weeks later I am eating a whole bar of dark chocolate before breakfast. And that is no exaggeration. I actually did that last week. AND had dessert later on in the evening. And by no stretch of the imagination is that healthy.

I like to think of sugar sensitivity like any other addiction. It’s not something that I should have ever or I will feel like I need it and will stop at nothing until I get some. It sounds drastic sure, but having this mindset helps me keep this urge in check.  Will I, at some point, share a couple gummy bears with my friends even though they are absolutely not good for you – sure! But I know the next day I must go back to this attitude to ensure the sugar beast within doesn’t try to take over as it has several times before. On a regular basis though I avoid sugar completely and opt for homemade sugar free desserts so I can still enjoy a sweet treat!

This recipe is one delicious sugar free option that I make during my meal prep so I can enjoy during a mid-afternoon snack or after-dinner treat during the week. My current favorite natural, no sugar, no carb sweetener I use in baking or sweet dishes is Just Like Sugar , it’s made from chicory root  fiber and looks and behaves, as it’s named – just like sugar. It, of course, does not taste like sugar, but it’s the best tasting sugar replacement I have ever tasted and you can use it in any recipe like you would regular white sugar. I love Just Like Sugar because, like other natural sugar replacements it does not have any weird aftertaste, has no carbs or calories, has zero glycemic index, not made with fructose, and doesn’t effect insulin levels at all like maple, agave, honey and others do. It does not cause any gastric distress because it is not fermented. And most importantly, I can implement it in a dessert and not feel like I need to eat the whole tray and use all my self control not to.

So (finally) here’s the recipe for my Sugar Free Coconut Butter Cups. These are super quick and easy to make and the coconut butter adds some good quality fats. I spiked these cups with some collagen, it does not add any taste, but makes it extra nutritious. This can easily be excluded, and will not change the texture of the filling, if you want to keep these vegan. I use and love Further Food collagen (use code SUNNYSIDEGREENS10 for 10% off!) in this recipe because it is great for gut health and reduces inflammation (sugar basically does the opposite of both those things). If you want to use a different kind of sugar or sugar substitute do it! You can sub, in equal amounts, for almost any other kind of sweetener that suits your fancy.

keto, paleo, vegan, gluten free, grain free, dairy free

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Sugar Free Coconut Butter Cups

keto, paleo, vegan, gluten free, grain free, dairy free, soy free

These coconut butter cups are sugar free and sweetened with chicory root. The coconut butter filling is spiked with collagen for extra health benefits but this can be omitted if you want to keep it vegan. Either way this is a delicious AND good for you dessert with the health benefits of chocolate and good fats from the coconut butter but with absolutely no sugar. If you want to use a different natural sugar, you can sub out the Just Like Sugar for almost anything else, my next best suggestion would be coconut sugar. 

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Ingredients

Chocolate Coating

  • 4 tbsp coconut oil
  • 4 tbsp cacao powder raw
  • 1/2 tbsp Just Like Sugar*
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Coconut Butter Filling

  • 3 tbsp coconut butter
  • 1 tsp Just Like Sugar*
  • 1 tsp Brain Octane or MCT Oil (optional)
  • 1 tbsp collagen (optional)
  • dash sea salt

Instructions

  1. Line a muffin tin with 4 cup liners

  2. In a small bowl mix together all the ingredients for chocolate coating. 

  3. Pour in enough chocolate into each of the 4 cups to just fill the bottom of the cup. Place muffin tin in freezer for 10 minutes to allow chocolate to firm

  4. In the meantime make the coconut butter filling by mixing all the ingredients together until it is well incorporated

  5. Remove the cups from the freezer and distribute the filling evenly into the 4 cups. Pour the remainder of the chocolate mixture onto the coconut butter filing and return to the freezer. 

  6. Once it is all firm (about another 10 more minutes) you can eat and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

*Just Like Sugar is the brand of chicory root fiber I use. It's my current favorite and best (based on lots of research and kitchen trials). It acts like traditional table sugar so you can feel free to sub out any other type of sugar that suits you. 

I like to keep these in the freezer and let temper a few minutes before eating. Will also keep well in the fridge. 

If you make this recipe I'd love to see your creation! Please either post a comment or picture on this page or if you're posting on Instagram please tag @freshlydafna and use #freshlydafna. 

If you make this recipe I’d love to see your creation! Please either post a comment or picture on this page or if you’re posting on Instagram please tag @freshlydafna and use #freshlydafna.