Copycat Reese’s Pumpkins (healthy & real food)

These healthy copycat Reese’s pumpkins will be your family’s new favorite fall Halloween treat! With only 6 real food ingredients, you’ll feel good about giving these to your kids.

Why Make Healthy Reese’s Pumpkins?

Who doesn’t love a Reese’s pumpkin this time of year? You can’t go wrong with peanut butter and chocolate, especially if it’s in a pumpkin shape! 🎃

My kids and husband absolutely love peanut butter cups and can devour a whole bag pretty quickly. Okay, admittedly, I sneak one every now and then, too. But I was inspired to make a healthier version, and these did not disappoint!

This is also a really fun recipe to make with your kids when you want something extra special for a Halloween movie night.

The problem with classic Reese’s pumpkins is that they contain around 20 ingredients and several of these are questionable (like PGPR, artificial flavor, and TBHQ). You can read the full ingredient list here. In contrast, these healthy Reese’s pumpkins have only 6 real food ingredients. Plus, these taste every bit as good as a Reese’s (maybe even better)!

Copycat Reese’s Pumpkin Ingredients

• Natural peanut butter – Ideally, look for one with minimal ingredients. I prefer using a thicker natural peanut butter for this recipe, because it gives the filling a better consistency. I like Jif Natural. If you use a more runny PB, you may need to add a bit more almond flour to get the right consistency. And, creamy peanut butter is better than crunchy for this recipe.
• Maple syrup – Good-for-you sweetener tastes perfect in these pumpkins.
• Almond flour – Blanched almond flour helps create a dough-like consistency for the filling.
• Vanilla extract – Optional, but I like adding a little bit.
• Dark chocolate chips – For that authentic decadent coating, use your favorite chocolate chips.
• Coconut oil – Melts together with the chocolate for the perfect coating, and helps the outer shell harden.

Reese’s Pumpkin Recipe Tips & Tricks

Swaps: You can swap dark chocolate chips for milk or white chocolate. If you don’t have almond flour, you can use coconut flour instead. Just cut the amount down to 1/2 cup because it absorbs more liquid, then add a little more at a time until you reach the right dough consistency.

Peanut butter filling: Depending on the type of peanut butter you use, you may need to use more or less almond flour. The first time I made these, I didn’t use enough almond flour and the shapes were difficult to cut. Runny natural peanut butter varies in consistency, so just add enough almond flour to create a dough that holds together but is still moist.

Chocolate coating: You can use a variety of chocolate chips here, just pick your favorite. You can even use a brand like Lily’s to cut down the sugar content, or Enjoy Life for a dairy free option. Melt the chocolate and coconut oil just before you are ready to dip your PB cups. It needs to be liquid-y and not too thick to make the dipping process easier.

Cookie cutter: I definitely recommend using a cookie cutter for the pumpkin shapes. I found this cute pumpkin/Halloween set and they’re the perfect size! You could also make these in pumpkin candy molds, or just shape the pumpkins with your hands.

How to Make Healthy Reese’s Pumpkins

These are so easy to make (watch the video above to see it step by step)! First, mix the peanut butter, maple syrup, almond flour, and vanilla in a medium sized bowl. You may need to add a little bit more or less almond flour, depending on how runny your peanut butter is (this can vary). You want a soft dough that holds together but is still moist.

Spread the dough in a thin, even layer on a parchment paper lined tray. Freeze for 20-30 minutes. Right before removing from the freezer, make your chocolate coating by melting the chocolate chips and coconut oil in the microwave in 30 second increments until smooth (alternatively, you can melt it on the stovetop in a saucepan).

Cut out pumpkin shapes with your cookie cutter and use a fork to dip each pumpkin into the melted chocolate, letting the excess drip back down into the bowl. Transfer each pumpkin to a plate lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle with a bit of salt if desired, and return to the freezer.

Freeze for 30 minutes to an hour until set, and then enjoy! Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer (these won’t last long!).

More chocolate recipes to love:

• Honey Mama’s Chocolate Bar Copycat
• Healthy Hot Cocoa Mix
• Double Chocolate Pecan Bars
• Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins