Vegan Peanut Butter Protein Cups
⏱ 30 min💪 7g protein per cup🔥 ~180 cal🍽 12 cups
The filling here is stiffer than a standard peanut butter cup because plant protein powder soaks up so much moisture, so it gets thinned with soy milk until it is spreadable again. Powdered peanut butter adds protein and concentrated peanut flavor without more oil. These live in the freezer and taste best about five minutes after they come out.
Ingredients
- 1 cup dairy-free dark chocolate chips
- 1 tablespoon refined coconut oil
- 1/2 cup natural creamy peanut butter
- 1 1/2 scoops (48g) vanilla plant protein powder
- 3 tablespoons powdered peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 2 to 3 tablespoons unsweetened soy milk
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- Flaky sea salt, for finishing
Instructions
- Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper or silicone liners.
- Melt the chocolate chips and coconut oil in the microwave in 20-second bursts, stirring between each, until completely smooth.
- Spoon about 2 teaspoons of chocolate into each liner, tilt to coat the bottom evenly, and freeze for 10 minutes.
- Stir the peanut butter, protein powder, powdered peanut butter, maple syrup, and fine salt together, then add soy milk a tablespoon at a time until the filling is thick but spreadable.
- Press a rounded tablespoon of filling into each cup, leaving a small gap around the edges, then spoon the remaining chocolate over the top and tap the pan on the counter to settle it.
- Sprinkle with flaky salt and freeze for 20 minutes until firm.
- Store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months, and let them sit out for 5 minutes before eating.
Tips
- Refined coconut oil is flavorless while unrefined tastes strongly of coconut and will take over the cup. Either is fine, but know which one you bought.
- If the filling crumbles instead of pressing smooth, it needs more soy milk. Plant protein powders differ by 2 tablespoons or more in how much liquid they take.
- In a warm kitchen, spread the filling into a flat disc and freeze it for 5 minutes before shaping. Cold filling presses into a much neater layer.
FAQ
- Can I use whey protein in the filling?
- Yes, and you will need roughly half the soy milk. Whey filling also stays softer in the freezer, which some people prefer.
- What is powdered peanut butter?
- Peanuts with most of the oil pressed out, sold as PB2 and similar brands. It adds about 6g of protein per 2 tablespoons with almost no fat.
- Do they have to stay frozen?
- They hold in the fridge for about a week, but the filling goes soft. The freezer is what keeps the snap in the chocolate shell.
- Can I make them without protein powder?
- Yes, use 1/3 cup more powdered peanut butter in its place. Each cup lands around 5g of protein and the filling is slightly drier.
