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Chocolate.
Peanut Butter.
Popcorn!
Hey, take that back! That isn't a weird combo of ingredients! Okay, maybe it is... but let me tell you, it's delicious! It's salty, it's sweet, it's crunchy, it's chewy, it's satisfying, it's healthy. Wait, what?!? This is healthy? Oh, you bet :)
So, I was a little over-excited when I found a healthy popcorn at the grocery store (the majority of microwaveable popcorn have partially hydrogenated oils, trans fats, preservatives, excessive salt, and the list goes on...), so naturally, I had to make a dessert out of it. Yes, a dessert out of popcorn. And it was a success! Even though most of the popcorn didn't stay whole, it still provided that familiar, airy crunch to the salty-sweet fudge.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Popcorn Fudge: [no bake, sugar free, high protein, GF]
(makes 9 large squares or 16 small)
5 cups Popped Popcorn*
96g (1 cup) Old Fashioned Rolled Oats (gluten free if you like)
1/8 tsp Salt
3.5oz Sugar Free Milk Chocolate**
128g (1/2 cup) Natural Peanut Butter (no sugar/salt/oil added)
64g (2 scoops) Chocolate Protein Powder
1/2 tsp Stevia Extract
1/4 cup Unsweetened Almond Milk
*I used O Organics Microwave Popcorn with the ingredients: organic popcorn, organic palm oil, salt.
Beware of what popcorn you use! The majority of popcorn products contain partially hydrogenated oils (harmful trans fats)
**I used Guylian brand chocolate, pictured in this post
Directions:
1. Line a 9" brownie pan with parchment paper, set aside
2. In a large bowl, add the popcorn and oats, set aside
3. In a microwave-safe bowl, add the chocolate and peanut butter. Heat at 30-second intervals, stirring in between each one, until chocolate and peanut butter is melted and runny (I microwaved for a total of about 1 minute and 45 seconds)
4. Add the protein powder to the chocolate and PB mixture, scoop by scoop, stirring in between each one (it should look like frosting). Now add the stevia extract and stir again.
5. Pour the chocolate and PB mixture over the popcorn and oats and fold with a rubber spatula (it's okay if the popcorn breaks apart, most of it will stay whole--I was having trouble incorporating the chocolate and PB mixture so I added the almond milk, spoonful by spoonful until mixture softened and chocolate and PB mixture coated all of the popcorn)
6. Scoop this mixture into the brownie pan and flatten with the rubber spatula (I used this pastry roller. Make sure that the mixture is flat and pressed into the pan). Refrigerate for 2+ hours (or freeze for express snacking!), then slice with a sharp knife.
Enjoy from the fridge!
These look delicious! Nice and simple too. Could I use flour instead of protein powder?
ReplyDeleteThanks! I'm not sure if flour can replace protein powder as protein powder dissolves readily into liquids, but you can try using ~4 tbs of a soft flour (like oat flour) plus ~4 tbs of something else, like dried milk or cocoa powder maybe? Just be sure to add some more stevia because protein powder comes pre-sweetened. It never hurts to taste the "batter" as you go along ;)
DeleteHope it all works out!
-Jess
try unbleached parchment paper, it is safer than "aluminum" foil and works wayyy better. i'm making these today for the
ReplyDeletekids thanks so much!
Anonymous- thanks for the tip! I updated the post directions :)
DeleteThese look amazing! Do you have any calorie/nutritional information for these?
ReplyDeleteI didn't make a nutrition label for this because popcorn ranges widely in calories/fat/fiber, and same goes with peanut butter and protein powder. This is the program I use and love it!
Deletehttp://www.shopncook.com/nutritionFactsLabel.html
But just a guestimation on my products' labels, 1/16th of the recipe/one fudge square will have 120 calories, 6.5g fat and 6g protein... pretty good considering how unhealthy it tastes! Hope this helped :)
Can PureVia (powder sweetener made from stevia extract)be used instead of the stevia extract?
ReplyDeleteAnonymous- the stevia extract I used is a concentrated liquid sweetener (as little as 6-8 drops can sweeten up bitter coffee!), but I'm sure you can use purevia instead, though. If it measures cup-for-cup like sugar, try using around ~1/4 cup plus ~3 tbs of almond milk. Just taste the "batter" as you go along--if it needs to be sweeter, add some more purevia! Just make sure that the mixture isn't too dry or wet, it should look nice and fudgy :)
DeleteHope it works!
-Jess
Hey, Jessica... When I was growing up, we didn't have microwave popcorn (heck, I'm so old, they didn't even have microwaves!). If you don't like all the bad stuff, just as I don't, make yourself some good old fashioned popcorn yourself. Put a tablespoon or two of coconut oil in a large'ish saucepot (enough to cover the bottom) then add a layer of popcorn kernels (Use organic if you must, but the ingredient list is more than likely always just popcorn). Just enough to cover the bottom is enough or you'll literally pop the top off your pot. With the top on the pot, just shake it back and forth for a few minutes, and keep shaking until the popping subsides, and there you have it... pure, unadulterated, fresh-as-you-can-get popcorn. Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteI almost forgot... shake it back and forth over med-hi heat until popping subsides. Sorry! :)
DeleteOh wow, that's such a great idea! I didn't know you could make popcorn at home, definitely going to try that ASAP, especially now that I have a bunch of new food allergies, it will be nice to know the food I'm making is safe for me to eat. I recall the package saying it was processed on equipment with soy and milk :(
DeleteThanks so much for the recipe!
-Jess
*runs off to grocery store to buy kernels*
And, if you sprinkle it with some nutritional yeast while it is still hot and somewhat steamy, it'll give it a nice salty'ish, parmesan-cheesy taste while adding a multitude of B vitamins!! :)
Delete