My entire family goes crazy for these Reese’s-inspired peanut butter protein cups for dessert. Full of rich chocolate and peanut butter flavors, one cup satisfies my sweet tooth cravings, and the extra protein makes them fairly filling.
I’ll admit that the protein peanut butter mixture took a few tries to get just right, making this one of the most tested recipes I’ve ever created. Not that I’m complaining, because these have become one of my favorite treats. My boys even claim they’re better than any store-bought candy.
Recipe Highlights
- Nutritious: Each cup offers 7 grams of protein, offers the benefits of protein powder, and provides healthy fats and 3 fiber for a sweet treat that keeps me satisfied until my next meal.
- Meal prep-friendly: I make an extra batch to store in my freezer for quick protein snacks whenever a craving strikes.
- Simple: This recipe calls for simple ingredients and is easy to prepare. I melt the ingredients in the microwave, which eliminates the need to turn on the stove, keeping prep time minimal. The only hard part is waiting for the pb cups to cool.
Featured Ingredients
This isn’t the full ingredient list, but a few notes about some of the main ones:
- Peanut butter – natural, creamy peanut butter works best for this recipe and almost any brand will work. I’ve tested it with so many pbs, including Justin’s Classic Peanut Butter, Smucker’s Natural Peanut Butter, Crazy Richard’s 100% Peanuts PB, Old Home Natural Peanut Butter, Santa Cruz Organic PB, and Trader Joe’s Organic Salted Valencia PB and each one tasted great.
- Protein powder – when making protein powder recipes, I always use a gluten-free plant-based protein powder, since I avoid gluten and dairy in my home. Stacie has also tested them with Puori’s PW1 (a team favorite whey protein powder), and it works just as well. No matter what brand you choose, I recommend using vanilla protein powder.
- Chocolate chips – I’ve tested this recipe with Enjoy Life semi-sweet chocolate chips for a dairy-free option, as well as Ghirardelli 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate chips. Any brand will work, but I recommend using semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips instead of milk chocolate chips to balance the sweetness of the filling.
Find the ingredient list with exact measurements in the recipe card below.
Essential Kitchen Equipment
This recipe doesn’t require any specialty tools. Here’s what is helpful to have on hand:
- Microwave-safe bowl – for melting the chocolate
- 1-tablespoon cookie scoop – these cookie scoops are a handy tool for portioning out the protein peanut butter mixture
- 12-cup silicone muffin pan – a silicone muffin pan is wonderful for popping the frozen cups out. If you don’t have one, you can use metal muffin tin with paper muffin liners
Serve, Store, Enjoy Again Later
My boys are always eager to enjoy these homemade peanut butter cups, digging in as soon as the melted chocolate is set. Luckily, they’re easy to just pop out of the muffin tin and right into their hands.
To store, I transfer the frozen cups to an airtight container and freeze them for up to 3 months. When ready to eat, I let them thaw and soften at room temperature for about 5 minutes so they aren’t too hard to chew. If you don’t want to eat them right out of the freezer, they can also be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Though these healthy peanut butter cups offer more protein, more fiber, and less sugar than store-bought versions like Reese’s peanut butter cups (plus a bigger size), they are likely too high in carbohydrates to fit the macros of a keto diet. For a lower carb option, try swapping the maple syrup for a sugar-free liquid sweetener and using sugar-free chocolate chips.
Yes, you can use any favorite nut butter or seed butter in place of the peanut butter. Cashew butter, almond butter, and sunflower seed butter would all be good choices.
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Peanut Butter Protein Cups Recipe
This easy high protein peanut butter cups recipe is a fun, nutrient-dense snack or dessert. Freezer-friendly and great for meal prep, the recipe is naturally gluten-free and can be made dairy-free and vegan with simple swaps.
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup natural creamy peanut butter
- ⅓ cup vanilla protein powder (30 g), plant-based or whey protein powder
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1 (10 ounce) bag semisweet or dark chocolate chips, use vegan chocolate chips for dairy free
- 2 teaspoons coconut oil
- Flaky sea salt, optional
Instructions
- To a small microwave-safe bowl, add the peanut butter. Microwave until the pb has a runny consistency, 20-30 seconds. Add the protein powder and maple syrup; stir well to combine.
- Using a 1-tablespoon cookie dough scoop, scoop the peanut butter mixture into 12 portions. Gently flatten each portion into a small disc that will fit into the bottom of the muffin pan cups (about 1 ½ inches diameter). Transfer the peanut butter discs a plate and set aside until Step 5.
- To a small microwave-safe bowl, add the chocolate chips and coconut oil. Microwave in 30-second increments, stirring between each one, until the chocolate is melted. (TIP: watch carefully so as not to overcook and burn the chocolate.)
- To the cups of a 12-cup silicone muffin pan (or a metal muffin pan with paper liners), use a spoon to place a scant one tablespoon of melted chocolate in each muffin well. With the back of the spoon, spread the chocolate out so that it evenly coats the bottoms of each cup or paper liner.
- Place one peanut butter disc in the center of each muffin well.
- Top the peanut butter disc in each cup with an additional 1 tablespoon of the melted chocolate. Swirl the chocolate gently with the back of the spoon to evenly cover the peanut butter.
- Sprinkle tops with flaky sea salt, if desired. Place the muffin pan in the freezer until chocolate is set, at least 15 minutes.
- Remove from the freezer and gently remove each peanut butter cup from the pan. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
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Notes
Use any brand of vanilla protein powder. See the posts below for our favorites:
Shop this Recipe: We gathered our favorite ingredients and tools to make these peanut butter protein cups in one handy collection.
Nutrition Information
- Serving Size: Per peanut butter cup
- Calories: 240
- Fat: 16 g
- (Sat Fat: 7 g)
- Sodium: 8 mg
- Carbohydrate: 18 g
- (Fiber: 3 g
- Sugar: 12 g)
- Protein: 7 g
- Cholesterol: 5 mg
Dietary
The photos in this post were taken by Megan McKeehan.
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My family loves these peanut butter cups! We keep a batch in the freezer and enjoy one after dinners. They’re so quick to make and love the minimal ingredients.
Great Ana! We appreciate the feedback and 5-star review!
These are amazing!!! I’d honestly eat them over a Reese’s PB cup and I love those! Super easy to make. I ended up needing to make more chocolate/coconut oil mixture. Next time I would flatten my filling a little more so the chocolate that goes on top can surround it. Highly recommend!
We are honored to receive this feedback, Barbara! They are such a sweet treat!
These were so easy to make, so delicious and so satisfying. You can really use any variation of nut butter, chocolate ect. Thanks for sharing with us!
You are so welcome, Ann!
Quick, easy and delish healthy version of a Reece cup! Will be making these on repeat !!
Fantastic Terri! We appreciate the 5-star review!