Although each ingredient of chocolate and peanut butter singly offers health benefits in their own way, the commercialized flavor duo has more than likely become injected with added sugars.
Strip away from unwanted ingredients and enjoy the raw flavors of chocolate and peanut butter with this homemade peanut butter cup recipe featuring high-quality ingredients.
Homemade Peanut Butter Cups
Yields: 12 cups
Nutrition per serving (1 cup): 120 calories, 8 g fat, 1 g protein, 14 g total carb, 1 g fiber
Ingredients:
• 8 oz dark chocolate chips
• 1 Tbsp coconut oil
• Peanut butter (see peanut butter recipe below)
Instructions:
1. Melt the chocolate with the coconut oil in a double boiler or microwave. Do so slowly to prevent burning and promote a smooth, silky chocolate product.
2. Line a muffin tin or flat plate with 12 cupcake liners. Fill the bottoms of each liner with a small spoonful of the melted chocolate and place in the freezer for five minutes to set.
3. Once the chocolate has hardened, dollop the peanut butter mixture into the center of the liners. Gently flatten the peanut butter with the back of a spoon.
4. Cover the peanut butter with remaining chocolate and freeze for an additional 15 to 30 minutes.
5. Remove the liner and serve! If enjoying at a little time, allow the cups to thaw for approximately 20 to 30 minutes up until serving.
How to Make Reese's Peanut Butter
So you may be wondering, "Why make a nut butter when it sits at seemingly almost all grocery store aisles?"
Though some nut butters leave the unwanted ingredients out of the jar, others are loaded with added sugars and fats, especially in the form of oils. Creating your own nut butter allows for ingredient control as well as knowing the source of the nuts.
The basic peanut butter recipe includes the main star: 2 cups of dry roasted peanut butter (will produce approximately a cup and a half of peanut butter). Throw the nuts into a food processor and mix for roughly five minutes, stirring against the sides as needed. Add salt to taste if desired!
Furthermore, here is how to make the Reese's peanut butter used in the recipe described above:
Ingredients:
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1 Tbsp coconut oil
• 1 Tbsp coconut flour or oat flour
• 1 Tbsp maple syrup or honey
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions:
1. Melt together the peanut butter and coconut oil.
2. Mix the remaining ingredients and allow to cool. The mixture works best if chilled.
Nutritional Comparison
It is important to note although the homemade recipe is for one cup rather than two from a standard Reese's package, they are relatively comparable in weight. While the homemade recipe contains more calories, the ingredients used are all-natural, like coconut oil.
Often, healthy eating is about the quality of ingredients rather than strictly counting calories. The evaluation also vastly demonstrates the extreme reduction in carbohydrate and sugar content.
