Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Ice Cream

June 12, 2012 by

Summer makes me want to eat a lot of ice cream. Ice cream is one of the best things ever. I wish it was acceptable to eat for breakfast, brunch, lunch, linner, dinner, and dessert. Oh, the cruel world we live in…

I have been obsessed with making my own frozen treats lately. And I am all about making ice cream that I can feel less guilty about eating. I’ve professed my love for peanut butter and chocolate many, many, many times on this blog. It was time to make this dreamy combination into something frosty and wonderful.

I had to tell a little fib before serving this ice cream to my husband. Actually, I didn’t lie. I just chose not to say anything. He doesn’t like it when I try to “healthify” things. So, I just didn’t tell him what I did to this ice cream. First, instead of using 5 or more egg yolks, I only used 3. And instead of heavy cream, I used reduced fat half and half. But, my favorite tweak in this recipe is that there is NO added sugar! I used agave nectar as a sweetener and I am really pleased with how it turned out. The ice cream was plenty sweet.

I eventually told my husband as he was eating a bowl of the ice cream that I used agave instead of sugar. His reply was, “So, what you’re saying is that this ice cream could be even better had you used real sugar?” Ass.

Print
Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Ice Cream

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Yield: about 1 1/2 quarts

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup agave nectar
  • 1/2 cup milk (any kind will do)
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 2 1/2 cups reduced fat half and half
  • 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chunks (or roughly chop semi-sweet chips)
  • 1/2-2/3 cup natural peanut butter

Instructions

  1. In a small sauce pan, add the milk, agave nectar, and the cocoa powder. Bring to a simmer until the agave dissolves. Pour the mixture into a large bowl. Place a mesh strainer over the bowl and set aside.
  2. Whisk together the egg yolks in a bowl and set aside. In a sauce pan, add the half and half and vanilla extract and heat until warm. Gently pour the warm half and half into the bowl with the egg yolks, whisking constantly. Gently pour the half and half and egg mixture back into the sauce pan. Heat until it reaches 170 degrees.
  3. Pour the mixture through the mesh strainer into the large bowl with the chocolate mixture. Stir until well-combined. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours (I like to let mine cool overnight).
  4. Pour the cooled custard into the bowl of an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions.
  5. Transfer the churned ice cream into a container. Fold in the chocolate chunks. Pour the melted peanut butter evenly over the ice cream. Then take a knife and swirl the melted peanut butter around in the ice cream with the knife. Cover and place in the freezer to harden.
http://eat-drink-love.com/2012/06/double-chocolate-peanut-butter-swirl-ice-cream/
Filed Under: Desserts, Low-Fat, Low-Sugar/Sugar-Free, Vegetarian/Vegan · Tagged With: , , , , , 51 Comments

Peanut Butter Coconut Protein Bars

April 18, 2012 by

I don’t eat protein bars too often, but sometimes when I have a crazy day at work and don’t really have time for breakfast or lunch, having a bar in my bag is a life saver. And alright, so this is not my prettiest recipe. I won’t deny that. BUT, trust me when I say that these protein bars are delicious! I hate buying protein bars at the store. At $3 a bar, it adds up fast. These bars are super simple to make and I bet you already have most the ingredients in your kitchen.

I went ahead and calculated the calories for these bars and without the chocolate topping, you are looking at around 263 calories a bar. Certainly not a low calorie snack, but keep in mind that these bars are really meant to be eaten as a meal replacement or as a pre/post workout snack. Although it may not look like it from the photos, I added a thin layer of chocolate on top. While the chocolate certainly makes these more tasty, it also adds calories, so use the chocolate at your own discretion! The great thing about this recipe is you can really tweak it to meet your own dietary needs. I think the key is that you have to use some type of flour to bind the other ingredients together.

These bars are best eaten chilled or out of the freezer. I put mine in a lunch bag with a freezer pack along with my other snacks for the day. The bars get a little crumbly as they get to room temperature, but either way, I think they still taste good!

Print
Peanut Butter Coconut Protein Bars

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Yield: 8 bars

Serving Size: 1 bar

Calories per serving: 263

Ingredients

  • 1 small ripe banana, mashed
  • 2 tbs. honey or agave nectar (optional or to taste)
  • 1 tbs. coconut oil
  • 1/2 cup natural peanut butter
  • 3/4 cup oat flour (or whole wheat flour)
  • 1/2 cup quick oats
  • 1/2 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut
  • 3 scoops vanilla whey protein powder (can also use rice protein powder to make vegan)
  • 1/2-3/4 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips + 1/2 tsp. vanilla (both optional)

Instructions

  1. Combine the banana, honey, coconut oil, and peanut butter in a bowl.
  2. In a separate bowl, combine the oat flour, oats, coconut, and protein powder.
  3. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until well-combined.
  4. Prepare a baking sheet with foil or wax paper. Divide the batter into 8 equal portions. Shape into bars and place on the baking sheet. If not using chocolate, transfer directly to the freezer or fridge.
  5. If you want to add the chocolate topping, melt the chocolate in the microwave or over a double boiler. Stir in the vanilla extract. Spoon the chocolate over each bar and then place into the freezer or fridge.
http://eat-drink-love.com/2012/04/peanut-butter-coconut-protein-bars/
Filed Under: Breakfast, Snacks · Tagged With: , , , , , 79 Comments

Low-Fat Choco Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie

July 17, 2011 by


Sorry I haven’t posted in a while! The last week and the next two weeks are so crazy for me with a conference and out-of-state travels to visit family! But for now, it’s time for me to tell you about this awesome smoothie I have been making!

The name of this recipe is quite a mouthful, isn’t it?! I probably could have thought of something shorter and more creative, but I’m too dang tired! I had a craving for a smoothie the other day, but I didn’t want my usual fruit smoothie. I wanted something chocolatey, more like a milkshake, but without all the fat and sugar. And though my husband (the milkshake connoisseur) would disagree, I think this is a great substitute for a milkshake. This smoothie is rich and filling because of the peanut butter and banana. Not only is this smoothie low in fat, but it also low in sugar if you use the natural peanut butter.

Low-Fat Choco Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie

Serves 1-2

Ingredients:

– 2 cups ice

– 1 cup skim milk

– 1 medium banana, quartered

– 2 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

– 1 tbs. all natural peanut butter

– Optional: 1 tbs. ground flaxseed

Directions:

1. Put all ingredients into a blender. Blend until smooth and enjoy!
Filed Under: Desserts, Drinks · Tagged With: , , , , , 2 Comments

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

June 3, 2011 by

Chocolate and peanut butter. Peanut butter and chocolate. Two of the greatest foods on earth and when combined together, it’s pure bliss! This pie is awesome not just because it includes two of my favorite ingredients, but also because it’s low-fat and low-sugar, AND it’s so easy to make, a caveman could do it (no offense to any cavemen reading this…). By using low-fat and sugar-free ingredients, this pie is guilt-free and totally bangarang! (yes, I was watching Hook while I made this…)

I wish I could have made this completely sugar-free, but my grocery store doesn’t carry sugar-free crust. For the peanut butter, I used the all-natural kind which is much lower in sugar compared to the regular kind. If you aren’t worried about calories or sugar, feel free to swap these ingredients for the regular kind. If you do want to make this completely sugar-free, I do know you can get sugar-free crust and sugar-free peanut butter at health food stores or online.

Now, since this is a pudding pie, it is not very easy to serve. If you want a good presentation and be able to have neat and clean slices, I recommend freezing the pie for an hour or two before serving it. Just make sure it doesn’t freeze all the way through or it will be icy and you’ll have to wait for it to defrost a bit.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

Ingredients:

Makes 1 Pie

– 1 8 oz. container sugar-free Cool Whip, defrosted
– 1 1.4 oz. box instant chocolate sugar-free fat-free pudding
– 2 cups skim milk
– 1/4-1/3 cup all-natural peanut butter (add more if you want more peanut butter flavor)
– 1 reduced-fat graham cracker crust
– Optional (for garnish): chocolate bar (for shaving), chocolate sprinkles, cocoa powder

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, mix pudding and skim milk together. Pudding should set in about 5 minutes.

2. Melt peanut butter in microwave for approximately 20 seconds. Mix into pudding mixture.

3. Add half of the container of Cool Whip and mix well. Pour pudding mixture into pie crust.

4. Use the remaining Cool Whip to spread over the top of the pie. You can garnish the pie with shaved chocolate, sprinkles, cocoa powder, whatever you like! Refrigerate pie for 1 hour before serving.
Filed Under: Desserts, Low-Carb, Low-Sugar/Sugar-Free · Tagged With: , , , , , 2 Comments