Tag: peanut butter

5-Ingredient Salted Caramel Peanut Butter Cups

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peanut-butter-cups

I am a peanut butter fanatic and I make no apologies for that – just can’t get enough of the stuff! So growing up, Reeses Pieces would have been my ideal choice of sugary snack but just like with my mini Bounty bites, I wanted to come up with a healthy alternative and these are so unbelievably indulgent but refined sugar free, gluten free, wheat free, dairy free, egg free and vegan.

I actually  made these about 4 years ago for the first time but it was before I had the blog so I never posted a picture and obviously haven’t thought about making them again until now – heaven knows why. But a friend of mine, fashion blogger Sarah from We Are Twinset (check them out here), mentioned them so it gave me the inspiration to make them again.

They seem like they’d be really hard and time-consuming to make but I promise they are so easy! Give them a go, the kids will love them (that’s if you leave any left over for them!)

Ingredients

Chocolate layer:
4 tbsp coconut oil
3 tbsp cacao butter
3 heaped tbsp. cacao powder
2 tbsp pure maple syrup
Pinch Himalayan salt (optional)

Peanut butter filling:
3 tbsp organic, natural peanut butter
2 tbsp coconut oil, melted
1-2 tbsp maple syrup (depending on how sweet you like it)

Method

Start by making sure you have room in your freezer to place a baking tray flat.

Now line a cupcake baking tray with 12 muffin cases.

Prepare your chocolate layer by melting all the ingredients together in a saucepan over a low heat. The salt is optional so if you aren’t a fan of salted sweet snacks, leave this out.

Once ready, spoon into the muffin cases, reserving half of the mixture for the top layer. Put in the freezer for 20 mins.

At this point, make the peanut butter filling by melting the coconut oil then mixing it in with the peanut butter and maple in a bowl. Mix really well.

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Take the tray out the freezer and spoon a good dollop of this mixture onto the chocolate bottom layer and put back in the freezer for half a hour.

Once set, add the remainder of the chocolate layer to the top and put back in the freezer for 20 minutes.

Once ready, you can remove the muffin cases if you want to and store them in an airtight container in the fridge (easier to eat that way) or freezer if you want them to keep for longer, you may just have to wait 10 minutes when taking them out for them to soften a little bit.

Love & health,
Lauren

Peanut Butter & Chocolate Mousse Mini Pies

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peanut butter pies 2

These are a bit of a strange invention, I have to say! But they’re pretty decadent and yummy and I was totally happy with the outcome 🙂

You will need to prepare the day before by soaking the cashews overnight, putting the top layer of peanut butter in the fridge and putting the coconut cream in the fridge to chill. Read the recipe thoroughly before starting…

Ingredients

Chocolate Mousse layer bottom layer:
1 cup cashews (soaked overnight)
2 tbsp cocoa powder
4 tbsp organic maple syrup
1/3 cup ground almonds
5 tbsp almond milk.

Peanut butter cream middle layer:
The cream from the top of two tins of coconut milk or 1 can of coconut cream
1/3 cup natural peanut butter
1 tsp maple syrup

Peanut butter pies 1

Top layer:
Spoon about 10 tbsp peanut butter into a bowl and keep in the fridge overnight.

Method

Start by adding all the bottom layer ingredients to the blender and blend well. If it is too dry add some more almond milk. It will either go like a crumble or like a mousse depending on your blender, each is fine. Add more milk depending on your preference.

Place muffin cases in a cupcake baking tray and scoop out about a tablespoon and a half per muffin case. Once they’re all filled and the mixture is all finished up, place in the freezer for about 45 minutes or until fairly hard.

Once they’re in the freezer you can take the coconut cream out the fridge and whip it with an electric whisk until stiff, then mix in the peanut butter and maple. Put it in a bowl and place in the fridge until your bottom layers are ready to come out the freezer.

Once the mousse mixtures are ready, take them out the freezer and spoon a heaped tbsp of the peanut butter cream mixture on top of each one then put back in the freezer for an hour.

Once ready, wash your hands thoroughly then spread a bit of the peanut butter that has been in the fridge overnight over each of the pies.

Remove them from the cupcake tray and place them in a large container in the fridge. They will be too hard if you leave them in the freezer but the fridge will give them a mousse-like consistency.

Peanut butter pies 3

Enjoy!

Love,
Lauren

Peanut Butter & Coconut Blondies

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Peanut Butter Blondies

I saw a recipe for white chocolate blondies that looked divine but we don’t like to use nasties in our recipes, as you know, so I thought I’d make my own healthy ones 🙂 These are moist, gooey, sweet and scrumptious! If you are keeping Passover, they are also kosher for Passover and really not difficult to make.

Ingredients

1 tbsp coconut oil
50g cacao butter
3 tbsp organic natural peanut butter
3 eggs
Pinch Himalayan salt
70g coconut palm sugar
2 tbsp pure maple
1 tsp vanilla extract
200g ground almonds
Desiccated coconut to sprinkle

Method

Preheat the oven to 180.

Melt the coconut oil and cacao butter in a heat-proof bowl over a saucepan with boiling water. Once it’s melted, add the peanut butter and stir until it all melts in together.

Remove from heat and set aside.

Beat the eggs in a large bowl and once beaten, add the coco palm sugar and whisk with a fork until totally combined. Then add the salt, vanilla and maple and mix.

Add the peanut butter mixture and mix well, then add the ground almonds and mix until combined.

Line a square baking tray with baking paper, grease with some coconut oil and pour the mixture in and flatten it out.

Sprinkle some desiccated coconut on top and put in the oven for 20-25 minutes. In my oven it only needed 20. You want it to be moist but cooked through but don’t over cook otherwise it will go dry.

Enjoy!

Love,
Lauren

Berry Fudge Cups

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cranberry and peanut fudge cups

It’s all about peanut butter for me! Not only is it so tasty and indulgent, it is also a great source of plant protein so I tend to make a lot of snacks with natural organic peanut butter. You can make your own but for this recipe you really need a runny consistency so I like the Meridian peanut butter – works really well. See how you get on, these really are so delicious…

Ingredients

2 handfuls cranberries (also works great with goji berries)
Half cup natural organic peanut butter
4 tbsp coconut oil, melted
2 tbsp organic natural maple syrup

Method

Mix all the ingredients other than the cranberries in a bowl until well combined.

Add empty muffin cases to a cupcake baking tray and sprinkle some cranberries at the bottom of each case then spoon in about 2 tbsp of the mixture on top.

Freeze for about an hour or until solid. I tried to keep them in the fridge but they went to soft so you should probably keep them in a container in the freezer once you’ve taken the cases off (that’s if you haven’t eaten them all straight away!)

Enjoy!

Love,
Lauren

Chocolate Kale Chips

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Technically I cannot take credit for these delicious little miracles… it was my son’s idea! The last time I made a batch of Kale Chips I added a bit of cayenne. He was not very impressed and asked why I put fire in them 🙂 So I asked him what flavour he would like next time and he said chocolate! At first I laughed, and then I started thinking it might actually work. The end result surprised even me… they are so moreish, and you just happen to be eating greens!

Ingredients

150 – 200g kale, weighed after removing the tough centre stem (I’ve used curly kale but you can use any variety)
90g natural peanut butter (I like Jozi’s Nut Butters which you can buy at The Organic Emporium)
2 tbsp organic maple syrup
1/2 tsp organic stevia leaf powder (or double up on the maple syrup)
60ml raw cacao powder
1/4 tsp himalayan salt
60ml water

Method

After removing the tough centre stem, tear the kale into pieces about 5cm square.

Combine the rest of the ingredients with a whisk and pour over the kale. Use your hands and “massage” the chocolate sauce into the kale, making sure to cover each piece with that chocolatey goodness.

Spread the leaves out on dehydrator sheets, and dehydrate at 45 C overnight.
Alternatively, spread out on a large baking tray (you might need 2) lined with baking paper. Set your oven to 100 C and prop the door open with a wooden spoon. This allows moisture to escape so that you’re drying the kale, rather than just baking it. They’re ready when they are completely dry with a light, crispy texture. Done in the oven these won’t be raw, but still healthy and delicious!

Store in an airtight container and consume within 2 weeks. If you have high humidity you should use them faster, before they go limp. These are so good though, I’m willing to bet that they won’t last very long! 😉

Health & happiness!

Love,
Raine

Chunky Monkey Peanut Butter Cookies

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I’m obsessed with peanut butter. As far as I’m concerned, every meal could have peanut butter in it and I’d be happy! So when I decide to make cookies I usually have peanut butter in there somewhere.

I made these especially for my book club tonight and everyone has different dietary requirements so I wanted these to be vegan, gluten & wheat free, dairy free and sugar free. So guess what I used instead of flour? You’ll never guess… OK I’ll tell you… Chickpeas! Those versatile, brilliant little bean-like things. I also gave them an energy boost with some Maca powder so you’ve got the protein from the chickpeas and the peanut butter and extra energy from the maca. They taste like heaven…

Ingredients

1 normal sized can of chickpeas
Half cup organic natural peanut butter (either make your own by blending peanuts in a Vitamix or buy it. I like Meridian)
1 tbsp maca powder
1/4 cup agave nectar
2 tbsp organic natural maple syrup
1 heaped tsp baking powder
Pinch salt
Vegan chocolate chips – optional

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Method

Preheat your oven to 180.

First drain and rinse the chickpeas, then pat them dry with a paper towel.

In a food processor,  combine all ingredients (except the chocolate chips). Really make sure all the ingredients are combined and blended fully.

Put in the chocolate chips and pulse for a few seconds just so they get round the whole mixture.

Line a baking tray with baking paper then grab a chunk from the mixture and spoon them down but leave them quite thick as they’re meant to be chunky. You may need to wet your hands so the mixture doesn’t get stuck.

Once they’re all on the baking tray, put them in the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes. You want them to be moist and soft, not hard at all. No, I’m not kidding you, it really is that simple!

Serve warm or leave on a wire rack to cool then store in an airtight container.

Happy cookie eating!
Love,
Lauren

Peanut Butter Nana Smoothie

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Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie

Yes yes, here I am again talking about breakfast, but I can’t help it! I just love breakfast! I also think it’s hugely important to get a good amount of protein intake in the morning, but if you’re vegetarian (and you don’t like eating chicken for breakfast!) you have to find other ways, and smoothies are amazing for that. This one is a great pre or post workout smoothie or simply good to start you off with heaps of energy. It also means you can whip it up quickly and drink it on your way out if you’re in a rush.

You can use homemade peanut butter by simply putting peanuts in a Vitamix and blending until they make a butter, or you can use store bought but it MUST be a natural, organic butter with no added ingredients, just peanuts. I like Meridian.

Ingredients

250ml almond milk
1 heaped tbsp peanut butter
2 dates
1 banana (sliced and pre-frozen)
1 tsp chia seeds
1 tsp flax seeds

Method

Blend and drink!

Happy, healthy thoughts 🙂
Love,
Lauren

Protein Packed Breakfast Parfait

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breakfast parfait2

Tell me this doesn’t make you hungry just by looking at it! I’m in heaven right now eating my breakfast… mostly because I love that I can basically have dessert for breakfast!

So let’s start from the bottom: the bottom layer is my homemade maple and pecan granola, followed by raspberry coconut chia pudding, then some puffed quinoa pops, then my homemade healthy nutella, followed by Meridian Foods natural organic peanut butter, then some more granola sprinkled on the top. This is basically just one big jar of plant protein. I had a bit of this then went for a 45 minute power walk with the dogs. The cacao, quinoa and peanut butter are packed full of protein and the great thing about chia seeds is that although they contain carbohydrates, most of their carbohydrates are not digested by the body as carbohydrates but as fibre, so it speeds up the metabolism and gives you energy at the same time. They are also loaded with anti-oxidants and omega-3 fatty acids; gram for gram, chia seeds contain more omega-3 than salmon…

Ingredients

Homemade granola – click on link for recipe
Raspberry chia pudding – click on link for recipe
Quinoa pops – store bought
Homemade healthy nutella – click on link for recipe
Miridian Foods smooth peanut butter

Method

Simply layer away and enjoy!

Love,
Lauren