These healthier chocolate peanut butter eggs are easy to make and taste even better than the store-bought version! They’re the perfect no-bake dessert that everyone will love.
One of my favorite treats of all time are peanut butter cups. Chocolate + peanut butter = the best combo ever! These peanut butter eggs have a thick creamy peanut butter center and rich chocolate covering. You’re going to want to have a stock of them in the refrigerator when you’re craving a sweet treat!
Peanut Butter Eggs for Easter!
With Easter just around the corner, I thought it would be fun to make a healthier version of the Reese’s peanut butter eggs. As always, I don’t want to discourage anyone from eating the ‘real deal’ version, but offer this as a healthier alternative that is fun to make with friends or kids at home.
Indulging in a treat every so often isn’t going to make or break a healthy diet. In fact, I think it’s better to let yourself have a small portion of the treat your craving, so you don’t deprive yourself. Deprivation only leads to more cravings and binges later.
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Made With Wholesome Ingredients
Packaged peanut butter cups have a lot of unnecessary ingredients. In order for the candy to have a stable shelf life, and to stay edible and not melt, it must be processed with all kinds of additives and artificial ingredients which aren’t the best for us to consume regularly.
On the other hand, when you make these eggs at home, there’s no need for extra binders, preservatives, or high fructose corn syrup. Making your own goods or candy affords you the ability to use high quality simple ingredients and control the sugar content.
Simple Ingredients
These peanut butter eggs are a healthy homemade treat and only requires 6 ingredients. They are just as good, if not better than the originals. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Peanut Butter- choose a peanut butter where the ingredients are just peanuts and salt. Better yet, make your own peanut butter by adding peanuts to a high-speed blender until processed. Refer to my cashew butter recipe for reference on how to make your own nut butters.
- Almond flour– helps thicken the peanut butter to get to our desired consistency. Plus adds more nutrients. You can substitute coconut flour. I personally didn’t like the consistency with oat flour. I don’t recommend regular flour as it’s not meant to be eaten raw.
- Pure maple syrup– we are lightly sweetening the filling with maple syrup. I only add 1 Tablespoon because I didn’t want them to be too sweet. You can also substitute honey.
- Vanilla extract– for a little extra flavor.
- Chocolate– I love using dark chocolate for its health benefits. However, I am a milk chocolate lover all the way. Feel free to use whatever chocolate you prefer. I sometimes mix milk with dark chocolate.
- Coconut oil- a very small amount helps thin the melted chocolate, so you get a thin outer layer.
What Kind of Peanut Butter?
Like I said above, it’s best to pick a store-bought brand that has only peanuts and salt as the ingredients. Just be aware that some natural peanut butters, where you have to stir the oil in prior to use, will change the consistency of the peanut butter. If the peanut butter is thinner, you may have to add more almond flour to get the desired consistency for the peanut butter eggs.
An even better option is to opt to make your own peanut butter. It’s simple to do and will last in the refrigerator for weeks. Refer to my cashew butter recipe but substitute the cashews for dry roasted peanuts. Also, any nut butter can be substituted for the peanut butter in these candies.
Storage Tips
Store these peanut butter eggs in a tight-sealed container in the refrigerator. Alternatively, they can stay in the freezer for up to 3 months. Though I doubt they will last that long! I like to store them in the freezer, then thaw them on the counter for 10-15 minutes when a craving strikes. Make a double batch and freeze the extras for later!
Other Spring Time and Easter Recipes
- Carrot Cake Cupcakes
- Arugula Spring Salad with a Lemon Honey Vinaigrette
- Frittata with Broccoli, Potato, Cheddar, & Bacon
- Strawberry Salad Dressing
- Fresh Mango Salsa
- Eggplant Caponata
These healthier chocolate peanut butter eggs are easy to make, decadent treats, and fun for Easter….or anytime of the year if you are a chocolate-peanut butter lover like me!
Healthier Chocolate Peanut Butter Eggs
Ingredients
- 1 cup peanut butter
- ½ cup + 2 Tablespoons almond flour
- 1 Tablespoon pure maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup chocolate milk or dark, plus more if needed
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil
Optional Toppings
- ¼-⅓ cup white chocolate
- Sprinkles
Instructions
- Place parchment paper on a baking sheet or plate (be sure whatever you use fits in your freezer).
- Prepare the filling. In a medium bowl, add the peanut butter, ½ cup almond flour, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Stir to combine. Add additional almond flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to get a thick consistency. You want the peanut butter mixture to be pliable, similar to dough. It should be thick (not sticky) but soft enough to shape. The most important thing is that it holds its shape. *
- Shape into eggs. Once you have the desired thick consistency, scoop ~1tablespoon and roll into a ball. Shape into eggs by slightly flattening the ball and gently pressing at the top with your thumb and forefinger to form an oval shape. Place on the parchment paper and place in the freezer for 30 minutes, or until hard. (the longer the eggs stay in the freezer, the easier it will be to roll in chocolate.)
- Melt the chocolate. After about 30 minutes melt the chocolate with the coconut oil. Use the double boiler method or place chocolate and coconut oil in a microwave safe bowl and microwave in 30 second increments, stirring in between until melted. Once the chocolate is melted, set aside to cool for a few minutes.
- Dip the eggs. Remove the peanut butter eggs from the freezer. Using a fork, quickly dip peanut butter eggs one at a time, being sure to evenly coat. Let excess drip off before placing back on the parchment paper. Continue until all the eggs are coated in chocolate. Place in the freezer for at least 20 minutes to set.
- Optional decorations. You can melt white chocolate or the chocolate you coated the eggs with. Then place the chocolate in a small Ziploc bag. Seal the bag tight, being sure to get all the air out. Push the chocolate to one corner of the zip loc bag. Snip the very tip of the corner so the chocolate comes out nice and thin. Remove the eggs from the freezer and drizzle the chocolate over each egg working on a diagonal (or however you want to design). If you want to add sprinkles, be sure to work quickly and work in batches as the chocolate will harden right away.
- Store the eggs in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Or place in the freezer for up to 3 months. Be sure to thaw peanut butter eggs at least 5-10 minutes before eating from the freezer.
Nutrition Facts
You can use chocolate chips or your favorite chocolate bar. Just chop the bar into small pieces before you measure. *If you use a peanut butter brand that has more oil in it, you will have to add additional almond flour than what this recipe calls for to get the right consistency. You can make these peanut butter eggs however big or small you want. If you don’t want to shape them into eggs you can keep them as round balls. The coconut oil added to the chocolate helps thin it out. If you find your brand of chocolate is thin when it melts, you don’t have to add it.
What’s your favorite sweet treat? Share in the comments below. I love to try out your recommendations, and maybe other readers will love your ideas, too! Also, be sure to stay in touch and follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest
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