Tag Archives: peanut butter

Desserts, Recipes, Tips

Chocolate Peanut Butter Candies are OK!

First batch of candies. You can easily see where the butter pooled on the bottom. My second try didn’t have that issue.

This recipe comes from Atkins and it is pretty much as they printed it with a few changes from me. They call it a “fat bomb” but it is a little lower in fat per serving than many of the other fat bombs. This type of snack is intended to give you a quick burst of energy without adding much to your daily carbs. The body will burn the fat for energy, leaving little to go to becoming excess weight.

They are very tasty and a great quick treat when you need a pick-me-up in the middle of the afternoon. The only problem I have with it is that the unsweetened coconut flakes don’t get crispy the way regular ones do when they are toasted and they are very chewy. They also don’t bring a lot of coconut flavor. I plan to try it again with shredded unsweetened coconut to see if that works better. I’ll add a note later about that result. I also cut the butter from 2 tablespoons, whcih left a puddle of butter at the bottom when the candies set up, to 1 tablespoon. I added 1/2 tablespoon of Coconut Oil. The oil sets up quickly, so it doesn’t leave a puddle.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Haystacks

1/4 cup Heavy Cream
1 tablespoon Butter
1/2 tablespoon Coconut Oil
3 tablespoons Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
4 tablespoons Xylitol or other granulated sugar substitute
1/4 cup Natural Creamy Peanut Butter (check carbs for lowest)
2 cups Unsweetened Flaked Coconut

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F.) and place coconut flakes on a baking tin. Toast for about 5 minutes or until lightly browned.

Prepare a cookie sheet with a sheet of waxed paper or place a silicon mat on it.

In a medium-sized, heavy saucepan, combine the cream, butter, coconut oil, sugar substitute, and cocoa. Cook over medium high heat stirring often. When it comes to a boil, remove from the heat.

Add in the peanut butter and stir until it is mixed into the chocolate well. Fold in the coconut flakes until they are completely coated.

Drop tablespoons of the mixture onto the wax paper to form mounds. The recipe should make about 18 mounds. Place into the refrigerator to harden to a candy consistency. Once they are firm, you can store them in an airtight container for up to two weeks, if they last that long. They may also be frozen.

Makes 18 haystacks.

Nutrition information per haystack:
Calories: 110.6 Fat: 10.5 g Net Carbs: 1.8 g Protein: 1.7 g

This recipe is good for all phases of Atkins and other low carb diets except for the first two of Induction when nuts are not allowed.

Notes: When using other sugar substitutes, use the granulated versions and keep in mind that they do have a small amount of carbs per teaspoon due to the medium for storing the sweetener.

If you don’t like coconut, you can omit it and make a peanut butter chocolate candy that is also delicious.

Got any questions or comments? Please send them.

Desserts, Recipes

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cakes Are Great!

Did you know that chocolate cake can be a very low carb dessert? It really is. When you replace the sugar in it with a sugar substitute and use a low carb flour, the carbs really go down. Here’s a great little cupcake that combines a chocolate hazelnut flour cake with peanut butter cups for a delightful snack or dessert that is only 1.7 net carbs!  I used Russell Stover’s Peanut Butter Cups in this but Reese’s also makes a sugar-free peanut butter cup.  I think the carbs may be a little higher on Reese’s cups though.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cakes

1/4 cup Low Carb Flour
1 tablespoon Hazelnut Flour
1 tablespoon Vanilla Whey Powder (optional)
1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 tablespoon Vegetable or Olive or Coconut Oil
1 tablespoon Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1 Egg
1 tablespoon Heavy Cream
1/4 cup Sugar Substitute
4 Russell Stover Sugar-free Peanut Butter Cups

Preheat oven to 365 degrees. Prepare four cupcake molds by spraying with baking spray with flour.

In a medium bowl, add flours, why powder and baking powder. (If you are not using whey powder, add an extra tablespoon of low carb flour.) Mix in sugar substitute and cocoa powder. Add egg, oil and cream. Mix together well.

Spoon 2 tablespoons of batter into each cupcake mold. It should bring it to about 2/3rds full. If there is a little extra batter, divide it around. Put a peanut butter cup, bottom down in the top of each of the cupcakes. It will sink in as they cook.

Bake for 12 to 16 minutes until the cake is done and a toothpick inserted at the side comes out clean. The middle of the cupcake will be the candy.

Peanut Butter Cup sinks to the middle of the cake.

Let cool a few minutes, then sprinkle with powdered sugar substitute or serve with whipped cream.

Makes 4 cupcakes.

Nutrition Info per cupcake:
Calories: 180.6 Fat: 8.7 g Net Carbs: 1.7 g Protein: 4.9 g

Regular Version using flour and sugar

To make without using sugar substitute, simply replace the 1/4 cup sugar substitute with 1/4 cup sugar and replace the sugar-free peanut butter cups with regular ones.  Replace the low carb flour with regular flour and, if you prefer, you can replace the hazelnut flour and whey powder with regular flour as well.  The rest of the recipe is the same.

Nutrition Info per cupcake with sugar and flour:
Calories: 232 Fat: 10.4 g Net Carbs: 32 g Protein: 5.5 g

Desserts, Recipes

Simply Peanut Butter Cookies

I’ve seen this recipe for Peanut Butter Cookies go around a couple of times on Facebook, so I decided to try it with sugar substitute. Generally, I use a little less sugar than called for and when possible, I try to use more than one sweetener for more balance. It works pretty well although the cookies are small,  about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. I don’t have a ball scoop, so I used two teaspoons to drop the cookies and it works although they are not as pretty. Check the carb counts on the peanut butter. My jar of JIF was pretty low, but when I checked to buy another jar, the carb count was higher. So I calculated the carbs on peanut butter that is 2 net carbs per tablespoon.

Peanut Butter Cookies #1

1 cup peanut butter
3/4 cup sugar substitute
1 large egg

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F.) Prepare a baking sheet by putting parchment paper or a silicone mat on it.

In a bowl, mix the ingredients together until they are well blended. Use a 1-inch ball cookie scoop or a teaspoon to put balls of peanut butter on the baking sheet about 2-inches apart. You can press down on the center with your lightly sugared (in sugar substitute) thumb to make a well for a thumbprint cookie or press down with the tines of a fork one direction, then the opposite direction to get a grid pattern.

Bake for about 8 minutes until the cookies are starting to brown around the edges, but don’t overcook. Let cool and top with a little sugar-free jam if you wish.

Makes 24 cookies.

Nutrition Info per cookie:
Calories: 108 Fat. 8.2 g Net Carbs: 2.0 g Protein: 2.3 g

Now, I simply can’t leave the recipe as it is. By my very nature, I have to make a change or two in it. I like a little more of a cookie taste to it, so I added 1/4 cup of Vanilla Whey Protein Powder to the mix. You can also use Almond Flour or any low carb baking mix. Then I also added sugar-free mini chocolate chips.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup sugar substitute
1 large egg
1/4 cup Almond Flour or Vanilla Whey Protein Powder
2 tablespoons mini sugar-free chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F.) Prepare a baking sheet by putting parchment paper or a silicone mat on it.

In a bowl, mix all the ingredients, except the chocolate chip together until they are well blended, then stir in the chocolate chips. Use a 1-inch ball cookie scoop or a teaspoon to put balls of peanut butter on the baking sheet about 2″ apart. Press down with the tines of a fork one direction, then the opposite direction to get a grid pattern.

Bake for about 8 minutes until the cookies are starting to brown around the edges, but don’t overcook. Let cool a few minutes then eat warmed or at room temperature.

Makes 30 cookies.

Nutrition Info per cookie:
Calories: 95 Fat. 7.1 g Net Carbs: 1.7 g Protein: 4.4 g

For a more traditional Peanut Butter Cookie, try the Peanut Butter Blossoms or the Triple Peanut Chocolate Chip Bars.