Frozen Peanut Butter Balls
I was sent this recipe from a woman asking me if I could low-carb it for her. I said, "Sure! Where did it come from?" and she said it came from a Toronto Chef with a show on the CBC called "In the Kitchen with Stefano Faita"!
Here's the original recipe.
As a general rule, I like to either completely make up a recipe, or use another recipe as a source of inspiration, but twist it and tinker with it, so that it's quite a bit different than the original idea. It's pretty rare for me to straight up take a recipe and leave it as is, but ... this particular recipe needs no tinkering, my friends. The flavor is an above and beyond blend of sweet and salty. The texture is like biting through a wad of frozen cookie dough, mixed with fudge and rainbows. It is, in fact ... PERFECT!
The ONLY change I made to the original recipe was to swap confectioners' sugar with a powdered erythritol blend. Aside from that, I went just short of 2 cups on it, because 2 or 3 full cups of sweetener just felt sickeningly sweet to me. I also added a full 1/2 tsp of salt, because ... I like a salty peanut butter!
Beyond that, I crushed some cacao nibs by giving them a quick half pulse in my coffee grinder and using them to coat a few of the little spheres. You'll notice half are coated with crushed cacao (I didn't like these as much as I'd hoped) and the other half with toasted and crushed peanuts (YUM!).
Finally, I used melted ChocoPerfection's Dark Chocolate Bars as the chocolate. For the white chocolate? Well ... that's a different kettle of fish! I'll list the method below, but I should say that ... I didn't much care for it. I ate it and it was delicious, but the chocolate separated. I've tried it a few times since, and it's always separated on me. If you're quick about it and get it immediately chilled, the cocao butter solidifies white and conceals the fact that it's been separated, but ... it's separated. I know it and it bugs me. It's just not a nice and smooth white chocolate.
My suggestion? If you're asking me, personally? Just skip the chocolate and cacao altogether. Dust them with toasted peanuts. Then, tell no one you've made them and hoard them all to myself yourself!
... but ... that's just me!
This particular recipe is fantastic as a fat bomb and as a quick cure for a sweet craving. It's also easily portioned and lives seemingly forever in the freezer. These can be whipped up, shaped, dredged in peanuts and tossed in the freezer in mere minutes ... and can be enjoyed, at leisurely intervals, without worry that they'll go bad or melt.
Honestly, the ONLY problem with this recipe is ... well ... at least in my case ... these decadent little peanut butter balls somehow learned my name ... and would occasionally call out for me.
I would respond, appropriately. Don't tell anyone.
Nom.
Note: Makes about 16 two ounce balls.
Here's the original recipe.
As a general rule, I like to either completely make up a recipe, or use another recipe as a source of inspiration, but twist it and tinker with it, so that it's quite a bit different than the original idea. It's pretty rare for me to straight up take a recipe and leave it as is, but ... this particular recipe needs no tinkering, my friends. The flavor is an above and beyond blend of sweet and salty. The texture is like biting through a wad of frozen cookie dough, mixed with fudge and rainbows. It is, in fact ... PERFECT!
The ONLY change I made to the original recipe was to swap confectioners' sugar with a powdered erythritol blend. Aside from that, I went just short of 2 cups on it, because 2 or 3 full cups of sweetener just felt sickeningly sweet to me. I also added a full 1/2 tsp of salt, because ... I like a salty peanut butter!
Beyond that, I crushed some cacao nibs by giving them a quick half pulse in my coffee grinder and using them to coat a few of the little spheres. You'll notice half are coated with crushed cacao (I didn't like these as much as I'd hoped) and the other half with toasted and crushed peanuts (YUM!).
Finally, I used melted ChocoPerfection's Dark Chocolate Bars as the chocolate. For the white chocolate? Well ... that's a different kettle of fish! I'll list the method below, but I should say that ... I didn't much care for it. I ate it and it was delicious, but the chocolate separated. I've tried it a few times since, and it's always separated on me. If you're quick about it and get it immediately chilled, the cocao butter solidifies white and conceals the fact that it's been separated, but ... it's separated. I know it and it bugs me. It's just not a nice and smooth white chocolate.
My suggestion? If you're asking me, personally? Just skip the chocolate and cacao altogether. Dust them with toasted peanuts. Then, tell no one you've made them and hoard them all to myself yourself!
... but ... that's just me!
This particular recipe is fantastic as a fat bomb and as a quick cure for a sweet craving. It's also easily portioned and lives seemingly forever in the freezer. These can be whipped up, shaped, dredged in peanuts and tossed in the freezer in mere minutes ... and can be enjoyed, at leisurely intervals, without worry that they'll go bad or melt.
Honestly, the ONLY problem with this recipe is ... well ... at least in my case ... these decadent little peanut butter balls somehow learned my name ... and would occasionally call out for me.
I would respond, appropriately. Don't tell anyone.
Nom.
Note: Makes about 16 two ounce balls.
Prep Time5 mins
Total Time5 mins
Servings: 16 Servings
Calories: 220.486875kcal
Ingredients
- 8 ounces regular cream cheese (not low fat)
- 1 cup natural peanut butter (no sugar added)
- 2 1/4 cups Confectioners 'Swerve' or other sugar replacement divided
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup chopped peanuts toasted
- 24 each lollypop sticks (optional)
- 2 oz cocoa butter
- 1 tsp sugar-free vanilla whey protein
- 1 each chocoperfection dark chocolate bar
Instructions
- In an electric mixer (or with a firm mindset, a medium sized mixing bowl and a whisk), beat the cream cheese until smooth and all sense of lumps are gone. Make sure it's at least somewhat warm and very smooth. Add the peanut butter, 1 3/4 cup of powdered sweetener, vanilla and 1/2 tsp salt. Beat until well mixed, smooth and slightly airy.
- Depending on the peanut butter and temperature, the mixture "might" be a bit too soft to roll into a ball. If so, cover and refrigerate the mixture until it firms up enough to roll into balls.
- Spread the toasted peanuts on a baking tray or large plate. Set aside.
- Once it's somewhat firm, with an ice cream scoop or two spoons, scoop out the mixture and roll into 1-inch balls (you should get about 24 of them). Place the balls on the plates with the peanuts and gently roll them around, until well coated with chopped nuts.
- If you'd like, insert the candy sticks at this point. Place them on a tray and in the freezer to begin freezing.
- For the white chocolate: Melt the cocoa butter over a double boiler, or the defrost mode in the microwave. Once melted, add 1/2 cup of powdered sweetener, the protein powder, vanilla and a dash of salt. Set aside and keep warm.
- For the dark chocolate: Melt the chocolate bar over a double boiler, or the defrost mode in the microwave. Stir occasionally. If doing this over a double boiler, do not allow any water or steam to get into the chocolate or it will seize and will no longer work for our needs.
- Note: I personally am a nut for squeeze bottles. I placed my chocolates into two different squeeze bottles (like condiment bottles for ketchup/mustard). This allows me to cover the hole with my finger and wildly shake the bottle, mixing the ingredients inside and then lightly squeezing and pouring the contents over the peanut butter balls, but this can also be done with a bowl and spoon ... it's just a bit less precise)
- Remove the peanut butter balls from the freezer. Making sure the two chocolates are stirred, drizzle the chocolates over the peanut butter balls. Freeze again. After about 2 or 3 hours, they'll be nice and firm.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition
Serving: 16g | Calories: 220.486875kcal | Carbohydrates: 39.14875g | Protein: 7.23625g | Fat: 19.70625g | Fiber: 2.25g