Healthy Peanut Butter Cups

I am walking through my living room and out of the corner of my eye I catch a glimpse of a commercial on tv. BOOM. There it is. A yummy Reece's Peanut Butter cup... and what are they doing? Making the suggestion you put the chocolate goodness in the refrigerator. HOW did they know? That is one of my FAVORITE treats for myself. I am weird like that. I like almost all of my treats cold. Peanut butter cups, cake, brownies, etc. The colder the better.

Now the dilemma. I have this HUGE craving for a peanut butter cup and none in sight. Well played commercial you have done your job.  I don't keep things like that in the house for moments just like this. If I had a package of those I would have devoured the entire package before the next commercial came on. Then it hit me. I have all of the ingredients to make some! Even better, they are going to be healthy! WIN WIN!

Within 45 minutes I have a delicious snack that kept me on track and not feeling like this...

So if you have these 3 ingredients and a little bit of extra time you can whip up this quick dessert and not have to worry about the feeling of regret afterwards!

Ingredients

8 tbsp. Vegan Chocolate Shakeology, divided (you can use regular but the texture may be a little different)
4 tbsp. Coconut Oil (divided)
4 tsp. Natural Creamy Peanut Butter (divided)

First, take 2 tbsp of coconut oil and melt it in a small bowl (about 30 seconds in the microwave). Once melted, add 4 tbsp of Shakeology and mix well. Divide the mixture evenly into the bottom of your mini muffin tin or the mini papers (shown below). Put in freezer for 5 mins.

Remove from freezer and add 1/2 tsp of creamy natural peanut butter to the top of each cup.

In your small bowl heat the other 2 tbsp of coconut oil in the microwave. Add the other 4 tbsp of Chocolate Shakeology and mix well. Divide evenly and pour over the top of the peanut butter and chocolate you have already in the cups.

Put them back in the freezer for another 30 mins. Remove after 30 mins and ENJOY!

Healthy Peanut Butter Cups!

We all have that one "treat" out there that we have a weakness for. Now I LOVE Reece's Peanut Butter Cups but I don't like what is in them. When I found out that I could make a healthy version of them I was over the moon! There are many variations of the recipe. Here is one that takes a minimal amount of time and work!

Chocolate Shakeology Peanut Butter Cups

Ingredients:

- 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
- 2 scoops vegan chocolate Shakeology
- 1 tbsp. psyllium husk
- 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
- 6 tsp. natural peanut butter

 Place chocolate chips in a small bowl and heat until melted. Place shakeology, psyllium husk and pumpkin in food processor. Pulse until it forms into a dough. Divide dough into 12 small balls and portion into cupcake liners. Press down into liners until flat. Make an indentation for the peanut butter.  Drizzle peanut butter into hole. Pour 1/2 tsp. of melted chocolate on top. Freeze for 30 minutes.

Protein - 4 g
Calories - 75
Fat - 3 g


There are many other variations to this recipe. There are also a ton of other dessert recipes using Shakeology. Next time you are craving chocolate or something sweet take a few minutes to whip up a dessert that is full of super foods and healthy ingredients!

Here are some of the highlights of Chocolate Vegan Shakeology:


• Plant based. As you know, the new formula is 100% plant-based and the health benefits of a plant-based lifestyle are well documented — from lower cholesterol and lower risk for heart disease, cancer, and diabetes – to easier weight management and fewer digestive issues.

 No animals allowed. Give your system a break from heavy animal proteins by replacing one meal a day with Chocolate Vegan Shakeology®. There are also theories that eating meat which arrived on your plate through the brutal process of factory farming can contribute to added stress. Plant-based foods can help calm the body from the inside out.

• Superfoods! Chocolate Vegan includes 5 new superfoods: moringa, coconut flower nectar, luo han guo, Himalayan salt, and konjac root. All key nutrients come from natural whole foods. There are no added vitamin or mineral isolates and no fortification. Moringa is called the “Tree of Life,” because it is one of nature’s most nutritious foods. It contains 90 nutrients and 46 antioxidants along with ALL of the essential amino acids. Plus, according to some studies, moringa can help boost energy, lead to faster recovery, and balance out blood sugar levels.

• All natural chocolate. The way nature intended. Ever wonder what cacao tastes like right out of the pod from the cacao tree? It’s rich, earthy chocolate taste is derived solely from whole-food ingredients with no additional flavoring agents.

• Freedom. Chocolate Vegan is lactose and dairy free. If you’re lactose intolerant or have trouble digesting whey protein, then this is the shake for you. Most people have trouble digesting dairy, whey protein, or animal proteins and don’t even know it—until they try a plant-based protein meal and can immediately feel a difference.

• Sugar is the devil and Fructose is a thing of the past. Chocolate Vegan is made with coconut flower nectar and luo han duo — two whole-food superfoods that are so naturally sweet, there’s no need to add fructose.

• This is a BIG ONE – protein. One of the most common questions vegans get is, “How do you get your protein?” Well, plants have protein and so does Vegan Shakeology – 16 grams per serving. Chocolate Vegan and Tropical Strawberry are crafted from an easy-to-assimilate blend of whole, plant-based proteins including sprouted brown rice, pea, sacha inchi, chia, flax, quinoa, amaranth, and spirulina. Not only do they offer 9 essential amino acids, but together they are a complete protein source with sufficiently high levels of lysine and methionine, two important amino acids that are often a limiting factor in plant-based diets. To put it simply – you don’t need 30 grams of protein with all the other nasty stuff, when you have 16 grams packed with the best stuff.

Questions? Contact me at bbcoachkaren@yahoo.com or order your 30 day supply complete with a 30 day money back guarantee HERE. Any HD orders placed between now and November 30, 2012 will be eligible for a $25 gift card. Happy Thanksgiving!!

Clean Eating Pumpkin Cupcakes

It is hard to believe it is already November 1st. The holidays are always my favorite time of year. I love getting to spend time with family and enjoy the changing weather. It is also the time of year when we can get off track thanks to all the feasts we associate with each holiday. Thankfully there are "clean eating" alternatives to most recipes that still have great flavor and don't sabotage all of our hard work from the rest of the year. Here is a recipe to try out for a yummy dessert alternative - Pumpkin Cupcakes with Chocolate Pumpkin Frosting! 

Each cupcake will only set you back 179 calories!  Thank you to The Gracious Pantry for this recipes and many other amazing clean eating recipes!

Ingredients:

For the cupcakes:
 
1 c. canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix, just pure pumpkin)
1/2 c. almond milk
2 egg whites
1/2 c. safflower oil (or any light-flavored oil)
1/2 c. honey
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 c. whole-wheat pastry flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. ground cloves

For the frosting:


1/2 c. canned pumpkin

1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 c. honey

1/4 c. unsweetened applesauce

1 tsp. vanilla extract
 
Directions:
 
For the cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line your cupcake tins with cupcake papers or grease the tin itself. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together your pumpkin, almond milk, egg whites, safflower oil, honey and vanilla extract. In a second mixing bowl, whisk together your flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger and cloves. Whisk the flour mixture into the liquid mixture and blend well. If your batter is too thick, add a little extra almond milk (about 1/4 c. at a time until you reach a thick, yet runny consistency). Pour into tins, and place in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick stuck in the middle of a cupcake comes out clean.


For the frosting:

Place all ingredients in a small mixing bowl, and whisk until well blended. Remove cupcakes from oven, allow to cool and spread frosting over the tops.

Makes about 16 cupcakes.