Walnut Pumpkin Spice Butter Cups
[Vegan, Raw, Grain-Free]

To Make the Chocolate Shell:

1. Use a 12-cup silicone muffin tray for this recipe, which allows the treats to easily pop out of their molds. (If you don’t have this equipment, prepare a regular metal 12-cup muffin tray with paper liners). Set aside.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the raw cacao powder, melted coconut oil, maple syrup, and sea salt. Mix until completely smooth. The chocolate will be a thin consistency, so if you desire your candy sweeter, add more maple syrup.
3. Separate the chocolate sauce into two containers. You will use the second-half for the tops of the walnut pumpkin spice cups.
4. Scoop 1 teaspoon into the bottom of each muffin mold/paper. Cover the tray and place in the freezer for 10-15 minutes, or until the chocolate is solid.

To Make Make the Filling:

1. Using a high-speed blender, blend the walnut pieces until they become a smooth nut butter (or are finely ground). Add the remaining ingredients and process until smooth and creamy.

To Make the Candied Nuts:

1. You can do this two ways: the fast/easy approach is not raw, but is still vegan. The second takes longer and requires you to plan a day in advance.
2. To make the candied nuts either way, combine all ingredients in a medium-sized bowl until all walnuts are covered with the sugar and spices.
3. To make the candied nuts quickly, heat the oven to 350°F and cover a pan with parchment paper. Bake the candied nut mixture for 8-10 minutes, or slightly longer if needed.
4. To make the candied nuts the raw/vegan way, use maple syrup instead of raw cane sugar and spread the mixture on a sheet, then dehydrate for 8-12 hours until crispy.

To Assemble:

1. Pull the muffin tray out of the freezer.
2. Next, evenly distribute the walnut-pumpkin filling on top of the chocolate shells (approximately 1 1/2 – 2 tablespoons each).
3. Finally, scoop the remaining chocolate sauce on top of the filling, using a similar ratio to the bottom shell. Place the tray back into the freezer for 2 hours.
4. When the walnut-pumpkin spice butter cups are complete, pull them from the freezer, remove them from the molds (or the papers), and let thaw for 10 minutes. Before serving, garnish each with some candied nuts and a sprinkle of raw cacao powder.