Snacks

January 29, 2019

Protein Peanut Butter Cups: Gluten Free & Vegan

protein peanut butter cups

For some strange reason, I've never made my own PB cups. Growing up though, I loved the classic cup combo so I am surprised that I never got around to making my own. I think it's because somehow I was convinced that they would be too much trouble to make. Well that couldn't be further from the truth. These protein peanut butter cups are SO EASY! Plus they are made with one of my new favourite plant based protein powders and I snuck a little jam in there as well. You are going to LOVE them so much, promise!

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only share products and services I have personally used and love. Disclosure here.

protein peanut butter cups

Personal Updates:

Before I get to the protein peanut butter cups, I wanted to share a little about what has been going on for me. It has been quite a start to 2019 for me. As I mentioned in a previous post, I had a lot going on during the end of 2018 and things really hit the fan in early 2019. My boyfriend and I are no longer together and after nearly 15 years together it has a huge impact on my life. You can read more about the breakup over here.

I had to give myself lots of time to really sit with my feelings. Creating content and recipes just wasn't something I felt like doing and so I allowed myself the time and respect to slow down. It was incredibly hard to do because I work for myself and I love what I do. But I knew if I didn't slow down, I would eventually burn myself out completely. So I stopped posting on social media for a while and even stopped going on altogether. And you know what? The world kept right on going. It didn't stop because I did and it was kind of a humbling experience to be honest. It forced me to realize that there are bigger things going on than just what is happening in my life and it made me realize that I still have lots to be grateful for.

protein peanut butter cups

Staying Grateful

So I have been maintaining my gratitude practice daily and I can honestly say I do feel a lot better than I did earlier this month. I know this is going to take a while, but I trust completely that things are happening for me rather than to me. My mindset has shifted dramatically over the past few years and I no longer want to view myself as a victim or think about how much this sucks and I don't want it to happen. Because it is happening and I do trust. One book that completely helped me shift my perspective on this (and I've spoken about it before) is The Universe Has Your Back by Gabrielle Bernstein. I highly recommend it for anyone, no matter what is going on in your life.

I really wanted to address all of this because to pretend that everything is fine would not only feel incredibly inauthentic to me but also what is the point? I want to connect with you on a deeper level and share my life with you, the good and the bad. So that is why I will continue to share things that are going on and being open along the way.

plant based protein powder

Plant Based Protein Powder:

One of my favourite companies, Botanica had sent over their new protein powder, called Protein Powder Elevated. I previously used and still love their original protein powder which you can read about over here. These no-bake chickpea brownies are delicious and one of the most popular recipes on the blog. So I was really excited to try this new protein powder because it is made with adaptogens to help support your adrenals and combat stress. Something I so clearly need at the moment.

protein peanut butter cups

Adrenal Support:

What I love about the Adrenal Support blend is the addition of ashwagandha, an adaptogenic herb to help support energy levels and overall immune function plus it helps our bodies adapt to stress. It is something that I have been taking for a while, but the taste on its own is not so great to say the least. But when it is added to this blend in a protein powder, that overwhelming taste is gone. It also has reishi, which is a relaxing adaptogenic mushroom that helps our bodies deal with stress.

Reishi is something that I had also been taking before bed to help calm me down and help me deal with racing and anxious thoughts at night. It is probably one of my favourite mushrooms to take.

It also has vitamin C from acerola cherries which helps support your immune function (which is easily compromised when our bodies are stressed). And finally, it has 20g of sprouted and fermented plant based protein from rice, quinoa and coconut.

No Pea Protein and No Stevia

No pea protein in here! Which can be something that not only irritates some peoples bodies but also is responsible for a stronger taste when it comes to plant based protein powders.

It also doesn't have stevia, which is something I love as I personally hate the taste of stevia. This one is sweetened with monk fruit extract, making it sugar free as well. This protein powder makes the perfect accompaniment to these protein peanut butter cups, because you get to enjoy the comforting classic flavour and the addition of the stress busting ingredients.

protein peanut butter cups

Protein Packed Peanut Butter Cups:

I wanted to create a fun recipe to showcase the protein powder and how easily it can be added to anything. Enter these protein peanut butter cups that taste just as good as the ones you buy at the store, except in my opinion are better. Plus the whole process only takes a little bit of time to prepare and then you have them sitting in your fridge for whenever you get a craving for something chocolate-y. And when you know these protein peanut butter cups are waiting for you in the fridge, that craving may just happen a little more often... go with it.

protein peanut butter cups

Optional, but Recommended

The addition of jam in these protein peanut butter cups is totally optional. You can keep it out if you want the classic taste, but I personally liked the addition of the jam. The amount of protein powder you use is going to depend on how runny your peanut butter is. Start with 2 tbsp of protein powder and add more if you need to ensure that the peanut butter is a bit more firm. I used about 3 to 4 tbsp in total to get it to the consistency I needed to handle the peanut butter as mine was really drippy.

If you make these, please let me know. You can tag me on Instagram or leave a comment and review below letting me know how they turned out. I love seeing and hearing from you!

Thanks for all the support and love you have shown me throughout this month (and always), I really appreciate it more than you could ever know. If you have any books, podcasts or anything related to getting through a breakup, leave them in the comments. I have a running list of books I'll be placing an order for soon.

Please note this post was sponsored by Botanica Health, meaning they have compensated me for my time and provided product to me to try. As always, all opinions expressed are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that help make Holistic Foodie possible. This post contains affiliate links which I could receive a small commission if you purchase. Regardless, I stand behind all of these products.

Protein Peanut Butter Cups: Gluten Free & Vegan

Delicious and nutritious protein peanut butter cups.

Prep:
15
min
cook:
30
min
total:
45
min
servings:
12
Author:

Jaclyn

Ingredients


Instructions
  1. Line a muffin tin with liners and spray with coconut oil.
  2. In a medium bowl, add the peanut butter and protein powder and mix together until the mixture is firm enough to handle. Roll into 12 balls and flatten them just slightly with your hands and set them aside.  
  3. Melt the chocolate bars over low heat along with the coconut oil. Once melted, add 1 1/2 to 2 tsp of chocolate into each liner then place in the freezer for about 10 minutes.
  4. Remove the tray from the freezer and add the peanut butter balls to each one, flattening as you go so that it covers most of the chocolate layer, while still leaving some room around the edges. Add about 1/2 tsp of jam on top of the peanut butter if using. Then cover each cup with the rest of the melted chocolate and place back in the freezer for about 30 minutes.

Notes

Once they are frozen, you can move them to the fridge and store them there.


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