Salted Caramel Peanut Butter Protein Cups
I treated myself to a little (ahem, quite big) assortment of Macromike powdered peanut and almond butter recently, mostly because I saw it on my insta feed and I am truly the ideal consumer - impulsive, impressionable, open to suggestion, usually hungry… But look, it’s not yet another pair of leggings, jeans, shoes or white t-shirt, so let’s consider that a win.
Of course, fun new food products to play with means fun new treats to eat. It’s a tough job but somebody has to do it. And by somebody I mean me, I have to, I am my own test kitchen guinea pig and I ain’t mad about it.
I started out with designs on making some sort of peanut butter cheesecake deal filling and instead ended up with an insanely good gooey, chewy caramel. But let me tell you, there are zero, count them zero, complaints from me. It’s what might result if a Twix had a wild one-nighter with a Reese’s cup, combining the best of both in one knicker-wetting mouthful - shortbread base, nutty caramel, chocolate top. Plus the caramel is secretly protein loaded so you can eat your treats and grow muscles too! Or something…
Please note, these are the brands and products that I use and like, but you do you boo and feel free to sub in any alternatives you prefer. No one is paying me to hock anything here, but I’m also not against whoring myself out. Will work for food and/ or money, feel free to hit me up, mama’s got an appetite and bills to pay.
Get this stuff
Base
Caramel filling also doubles as an excellent straight from the bowl treat, if that’s how you roll/ And I do.
1/4 C almond meal/ flour
1/4 C desiccated coconut
2 Tbl coconut flour
1 Tbl coconut oil
1 Tbl sugar free maple syrup (or sugar-ful, your treat your choice)
approx 1 Tbl milk of choice to bind
Filling
4 Tbl Macromike salted caramel almond butter powder
4 Tbl True Protein choc peanut butter whey protein isolate
2 Tbl ATP Sscience choc noway collagen protein
1/4 C plain greek yoghurt (or your choice of yog.)
1 Tbl s/f maple syrup
1/2 tsp salt (more or less to taste depending how salty you like your caramel)
Topping
60-80 grams (or so, I NEVER measure chocolate) lindt 90% dark chocolate
Do this with it
Starting from the bottom up with the base. Mix all the dry ingredients to combine, then add the maple syrup and coconut oil and stir through to create a crumbly mixture. Add milk a teeeeensy bit at a time stirring in between. You only want enough to create a stiff dough that will hold together when squeezed, too much and it’ll be sloppy and sticky.
Grab a 12 hole mini muffin tin and divide the mixture between each cup and press firmly to squish it in good and firm. Alternatively just whack it all to a big tin to carve up later. Throw the tray in the freezer for a few minutes while you mix the filling.
To make the caramel, mix the almond butter powder, collagen and whey proteins in a bowl then add teh yoghurt and maple syrup. Mix thoroughly to create a thick, sticky, very fucking delicious caramel. Lick it and tell me I’m wrong.
Dollop evenly onto the bases and smooth out the tops by dipping a knife in hot water to stop it sticking. Do not use your tongue for this purpose. Let’s be hygienic here.
Whack the tray into the freezer to chill like little caramel fonzies.
Sometime later (a few hours, the next day, whatever), melt the chocolate and pour over the top of the cups then stick them back in the freezer long enough for the tops to set.
Wait as long as your impatient, hungry little heart can tolerate then remove from the freezer, pop out of the tray and enjoy ready made single serve cups. If you went for the slab option use a hot, sharp knife (again, hot water will work a treat here) carve that baby up and get stuck in.
Store and survivors in the freezer for optimum chewy, caramel delight on demand.
Oh. Fuck. Yes.