Protein Peanut Butter Cups

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: protein peanut butter cups

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 0

Total Time: 20

Servings:

Calories: 204kcal

Author: Megan Gilmore

These Protein Peanut Butter Cups taste like Reese's, so you'd never guess they have extra protein hidden in each bite! (Don't worry; they don't taste like protein powder at all.)

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Ingredients

½ cup peanut butter
¼ cup collagen peptides
2 tablespoons maple syrup
⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
¾ cup dark chocolate chips
1 teaspoon coconut oil
flaky sea salt (optional)

Instructions

Line a standard muffin pan with 9 parchment paper liners. To melt the chocolate, add an inch of water to a small saucepan and bring it to a boil on the stove top. In a heat-safe bowl that will fit snugly over the top of the saucepan, add the chocolate chips and coconut oil. The steam from underneath the bowl will gently melt the chocolate; stir occasionally until smooth. The coconut oil will thin the consistency so it's easier to pour.
Add 2 teaspoons of melted chocolate to each muffin liner. Then gently tilt the pan on all sides, so the chocolate starts to coat the lower edges of each muffin cup. (This will help create nice edges, but is optional.) Place the pan on a flat shelf in your freezer while you work on the next step.
In a medium bowl, combine the peanut butter, collagen, maple syrup, and salt. Stir well, until the dough looks uniform. Then, remove the pan from the freezer and scoop about a tablespoon of peanut butter into the center of each muffin cup.
Gently flatten the top of each peanut butter mound with your fingers, so it will be easier to cover in chocolate. It's ideal if the peanut butter doesn't go all the way to the edges of the muffin cups, so chocolate can fill-in the sides. Pour 2 teaspoons of the melted chocolate mixture on top, spreading it around evenly with the back of a spoon. Sprinkle flaky sea salt on top, if you like.
Place the pan in the freezer to firm up. Once they are firm (about 10 minutes or so), they are ready to enjoy. Transfer to an airtight container to preserve their flavor and store them in the fridge for up to 1 month. Serve chilled for the best texture; these can melt in your hands if they warm up too much.

Notes

Nutrition information is for 1 peanut butter cup, assuming you use all of the melted chocolate (you might not!) and get 9 cups from this batch. This information is automatically calculated so it's just an estimate, not a guarantee.

Want to make a holiday shape? Turn this recipe into Peanut Butter Hearts or Peanut Butter Eggs, instead. (See the linked posts for a photo tutorial.)

Low-Calorie Note: For a lower calorie treat, you can reduce the dark chocolate chips to only 1/4 cup. In this case, you'll only be able to coat the top of each peanut butter cup. (Not the bottom and sides.)

Dairy-Free Note: This recipe is dairy-free when you use allergy-friendly chocolate chips, such as Enjoy Life brand.

Nutrition