I know, I know, there are a million of these peanut butter egg recipes floating around the web, some using the traditional powder sugar and chocolate candy coating, other cleaner versions made using coconut oil, maple syrup, cacao powder, etc. But really, if given the excuse to make a tasty, healthier version of these yummy peanut butter eggs, wouldn’t you jump at that, too? So add me to the bandwagon, and here are my own Clean Eating Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs!
These healthier Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs are made using dates, natural peanut butter, cashew meal and honey, then coated in a creamy chocolate coating made of cocoa powder, coconut oil and honey!
Reese’s peanut butter eggs are Josh’s favorite. I, however, tend to prefer the dark chocolate mini Cadbury eggs, I can seriously eat wayyyyyy too many of those. And since stores tend to put out holiday candy insanely early, these little eggs are always out by my birthday in mid march and because pretty much all of my close friends and family know how I adore them, I inevitably get at least a one bag each year with my cards, gifts, etc. Do you like how I said that as if I try to put up a fight? Yeah, I definitely welcome the bag(s!) each year and would be majorly mildly heartbroken if I didn’t get at least one. BUT because my self-control is so weak when it comes to these mini scrumptious dark chocolates, I actually forced Josh to take them to his work and ONLY bring some home when I asked for them… Pretty pathetic, huh?
Anyway, sidetracked. I’ll always go for the mini cad buries and Josh will nearly always go for the Reese’s eggs, something about these eggs makes them slightly better than the traditional peanut butter cups, maybe it’s the peanut butter vs chocolate ratio?
Either way, I knew I couldn’t wait to try my hand at creating a healthier version of them and while the coconut oil takes just a little attention away from the peanut butter and rich chocolate, they are still pretty divine, if I do say so myself! And you could eliminate that coconut flavor by simply dipping them in melted dark chocolate chips as opposed to the cocoa, coconut oil and honey concoction.
I realize that the “egg” shape makes them festive for Easter, but I had been racking my brain to come up with a way I could decorate them or add a bit of color while still keeping them healthy. Trader Joe’s has an amazing candy section in the back of the store {at least that’s where it’s located in ours} and I had seen these adorable, pastel chocolate covered sunflower seeds and thought they’d be the perfect thing to sprinkle over the eggs. I was pretty stoked. BUT, because we are trying to watch our budget and I had reached my limit that particular week I decided to get them the following week {which was last week}, and of course I reached that back aisle and they were GONE! Ugh, completely sold out. Couldn’t believe it, they would have been SO cute! Yes, I realize I’m wining a bit here, but its the little things sometimes that get me the most excited.
Anyway, with or without the colorful chocolate coated sunflower seeds, the eggs still turned out delicious and best of all they are made without any added sugar or hydrogenated oils, etc. And this was my first time to use cashew meal, really happy with the outcome! It’s flavor is less distinct than the almond meal and it lends itself nicely to a sweet flavor, I will definitely be finding other ways to incorporate it in the near future!
If you’re interested in picking up some cashew meal and aren’t sure where to get it, check out Trader Joe’s if you have one or whole foods. It’s also available on Amazon!
I hope you and your families have a wonderful Good Friday and Easter weekend. Take some time to think about the sacrifice Jesus made for us and the beauty of His resurrection. If you have been keeping up with my mom, I posted an update here on her health and the things the Lord is doing in our circumstance {final update here}.
Blessings!
Clean Eating "Reese's" Peanut Butter Eggs
Ingredients
- FOR THE EGGS:
- ¾ cup peanut butter
- 8 dates
- 2 tbsp honey
- ½ tbsp coconut oil
- ½ tsp vanilla
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- ¼ cup cashew meal
- FOR THE CHOCOLATE COATING:
- 4 tbsp cocoa powder
- 4 tbsp coconut oil
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp vanilla
Instructions
- Add peanut butter and dates to a high-powered blender or food processor and process until smooth.
- Add in honey, coconut oil, vanilla and sea salt and process until creamy consistency is reached.
- Stir in the cashew meal with a rubber spatula, and continue to stir until fully incorporated. Mixture should be somewhat thick.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a tablespoon, scoop out even portions of the mixture and roll into small balls, then shape into an oval and flatten to the shape of an egg (depending on how particular you are with their shape, this can be a bit time-consuming!) on the lined baking sheet.
- Put the baking pan in the freezer to allow eggs to harden for approx 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, add the coconut oil to a small microwave safe bowl and heat JUST enough to soften the oil, do not melt it. I ended up putting it in for 10 seconds, checked it, then put it in for another 8 seconds.
- Mix the cocoa powder in with the coconut oil, then add in the honey and vanilla and stir until smooth, liquid-like consistency.
- Remove eggs from freezer, dip each egg into the chocolate coating, making sure to fully cover. Allow excess chocolate to drip off, then place back on lined baking sheet, chocolate will begin to harden almost immediately due to the eggs being so cold.
- Once all eggs have been dipped, put them back in the freezer for another 10 minutes to fully harden. At this point, I cut off the excess chocolate so they were true egg shapes again. Store in refrigerator (or freezer, we liked them best when stored in freezer!)
Nutrition
