Almond, Coconut, Chocolate Popsicles and Homemade Peanut Butter Cups (Flashback Friday)

Today's post is a flashback to last summer. Can you believe that last summer I made things other than just ice cream and fro yo? It's true (if you missed two of my favorite creations from this summer, here you go; Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream, Basil and Coconut Ice Cream). I was looking through my recipes and photos from last year and rather than letting them go to waste, I thought I'd share two of my favorites with you today.  Starting with, Clean Eating Popsicles (after all, it's been hot hear in Columbus lately.  Since I now work on a campus where I am walking outside a lot of the day, I have been craving popsicles, and really anything that is cold!).

Almond, Chocolate, Coconut Popsicles

Makes 4 popsicles

Modified from a Clean Eating Magazine recipe

Ingredients

1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes 

2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 packet non-calorie sweetener of your choice

1 Tbsp. maple syrup

Directions

1. Blend all ingredients in a blender.

2.  Add to prepared popsicle molds.

3.  Freeze according to the popsicle mold directions.

Estimated Nutrition Facts for 1 popsicle

Next up we have homemade Reece's Peanut Butter cups.  Since college football season is right around the corner (literally) and I'm a huge OSU Buckeye fan (huge) I thought I'd get in the spirit by sharing this recipe that combines two of the best ingredients; chocolate and peanut butter (you know, like a Buckeye candy).  I made these last year for the first time, but have experimented with them more over the past couple weeks.   I found the recipe on Averie's blog, and made just a couple tiny modifications, and ended up with these pieces of heaven.

Vegan Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

Makes: 4
Source

Ingredients

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (dairy-free)

2 Tablespoons crunchy Peanut Butter (or almond butter!)

1.5  Tbsp. Nutritional Yeast

Directions

1.  In a microwave-safe bowl melt the chocolate and spoon a thin chocolate layer of the chocolate into either a) small muffin/cupcake liners, or b) a small plastic cup, such as one you might get from a restaurant, filled with dressing to-go.

2.  Allow chocolate to cool in the liners. While  cooling, prepare the peanut butter and nutritional yeast mixture by stirring them together in a small bowl (you may have to zap the peanut butter in the microwave to get it soft, if you leave your peanut butter in the fridge like we do!).  

3.  Spoon ~1/6th of the mixture on top of each cooled chocolate base layer. Add the top layer of melted chocolate over the top of the peanut butter/nutritional yeast.  Tap the cups on the counter to get the chocolate evenly spread out on the cups.

**  Add less chocolate to each layer if you want to make them lighter, and/or if you want to make more with each batch **

3.  Allow cups to set up fully before eating, at least 30 minutes in the freezer.

I tapped my cups on the counter to get them to set. 

**NOTE:  If you are following a low FODMAPS diet you will be happy to know that both of these recipes are low FODMAPs!  Coconut does contain some FODMAPs, but the small amount in this recipe shouldn't pose any problems.

Sometimes I want more chocolate.....

Other times I want more peanut butter!

Estimated nutrition facts for 1/4th of recipe
Source: CalorieCount.com

I never said they were light or anything...  :)  But hey, they beat paying $5 a bag for the real things, and they are made with dark chocolate, so how bad can they be?!  haha.  Oh yeah, and 3 grams of protein?  That's thanks to the nutritional yeast.  yum yum.

Be careful, it's difficult to eat just one.  My advice? Just take out one at a time, then hide the rest.  Make sure to savor every delicious bite so you are left satisfied and happy.

QUESTION:  What's your favorite candy of all time?  For me, it's Reece's. Hands down (followed by Snickers).  Can you tell I'm already getting into the Halloween spirit?!

Happy Friday everyone. Any fun plans for the weekend?  I'm actually planning on sitting around and doing nothing, because this is my first two days off in eight days.  So actually, that's not true, I will be doing a lot because I'm behind on my never-ending "to-do" list, but I'll be doing plenty of relaxing and kicking-back in between.  Make sense? Good.

Thanks for reading!

The Candid Rd