What's better than a classic peanut butter cup? Well, not much, but if anything's going to beat it, it's these white chocolate peppermint peanut butter cups that you can make yourself and enjoy all season long.
White chocolate peanut butter cups
I always, always love a good treat. At any time. I don't need a reason to go for a piece of my favorite candy or a delicious dessert.
That being said, when winter rolls around and lights come up, my desire for festive food (most often of the sweet variety) goes through the roof!
Chocolate and peppermint are two iconic seasonal staples—but peanut butter cups? For me, it's a holiday trifecta, and that's exactly what we get with these white chocolate peppermint peanut butter cups.
What ingredients do I need?
You probably could have guessed most of the ingredients, but here's what you need to make these:
- peanut butter
- white chocolate peppermint protein powder (from Bad Athletics & use code JORDO for a discount)
- coconut oil
- white chocolate chips
- peppermint extract
- candy cane
Okay, which one caught you by surprise? Probably the protein powder–yes, it exists, and yes, it's super yummy.
What substitutions can I make?
Honestly, there's a reasonable substitute for every single thing in this ingredient list.
- Chocolate: swap out white chocolate for milk or dark.
- Nut butter: try almond or cashew, or branch out with some granola butter.
- Toppings: Candy canes are great, but so are crushed pretzels!
- Protein powder: could use a different flavor, such as vanilla, or none at all! (but Bad Athletics is my favorite brand of protein powder!)
- Oil: insert favorite here.
How long does this recipe take to make?
It only takes about 20 minutes to prep and clean up! Though you're going to wait about an hour from when you started to get that candy goodness.
How can I store these peanut butter cups?
Store these white chocolate peppermint peanut butter cups in an airtight container in the freezer. I've never made these last for more than a week, but you can store these healthy peanut butter cups in the freezer for up to 3 months.
When should I make this recipe?
You can make this recipe the night before you need it, at the beginning of the week, or at least an hour before you want them. They are INCREDIBLE.
How many calories in a white chocolate Reese's peanut butter cup?
It’s 220 calories for Reese's and 225 for these—but which one gives you more “bang” for your caloric “buck”? I think you know the answer.
Looking for more recipes?
If you're looking for more healthy dessert recipes, I got your back! Here are some similar peanut butter cups:
White Chocolate Peppermint Peanut Butter Cups
Equipment
- muffin tin
- Muffin liners
- small bowl
- spoon
- Cooking spray
Ingredients
- ½ cup peanut butter
- 2 scoops white chocolate peppermint protein powder (I use Bad Athletics protein -- use JORDO for a discount) & if you don't have white chocolate peppermint flavor, use vanilla & add a little peppermint to the peanut butter mixture
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1.5 cups white chocolate chips
- ¾ teaspoon peppermint extract
- 1 candy cane crushed
Instructions
- Gather all ingredients.
- Place 12 muffin liners in a muffin tin. Spray the liners with cooking spray.
- In a microwave safe bowl, add the white chocolate chips and coconut oil. Heat in the microwave for about 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds. Mix well until the white chocolate is melted. Add additional time, if needed.
- Add the peppermint extract to the melted white chocolate. Stir well until combined.
- Scoop a spoonful of melted white chocolate into the bottom of each muffin liner. Use a spoon to press the chocolate up onto the sides a little bit. Set the remaining chocolate aside.
- Place the muffin tin in the freezer for about 10 minutes or until the white chocolate is hard.
- In another bowl, prepare the peanut butter mixture. Start by adding all of the peanut butter and part of the protein powder. Mix well and continue adding protein powder until the peanut butter mixture isn't drippy anymore. You might need to adjust the ratios based on how drippy the peanut butter is.
- Use a small scoop or your hands to make 12 balls with the peanut butter mixture. Set aside. (Note: If you choose to make a drippy mixture, you can place the balls in the freezer to make them a little more firm.)
- Once the bottom layer of chocolate is frozen, take the muffin tin out of the freezer. Add one of the peanut butter balls on top of each chocolate bottom and gently use your finger to press the ball so it is smooth on the chocolate.
- Use the rest of the melted white chocolate to place 2 scoops over the peanut butter balls to make the top layer of chocolate for the peanut butter cup.
- Sprinkle crushed candy canes on top of each peanut butter cup.
- Place the muffin tin in the freezer for at least 1 hour until the chocolate is hard.
- Take out of the freezer and enjoy!
haley parrish says
these are sooooo good and perfectly festive for the holiday season!! i’m obsessed. i used the same bad athletics protein powder Jordo recommends and it’s the bomb. my husband isn’t a huge peppermint fan, so i left out the peppermint extract and he loved them too! i also used stevia sweetened white chocolate to cut the sugar content even more. so so yummy!!
Kim says
These peanut butter cups are so delicious and the perfect holiday time treat!
Glenn Hunzeker says
Is it possible to just do peanut butter with peppermint extract? What would the alternative recipe guidelines look like for that?
Jordan Smith says
Hi Glenn, yes you could just do peanut butter with peppermint extract and skip the protein powder! You wouldn't need to change the recipe much at all! The peanut butter is going to be more sticky without the protein powder, so you could just "plop" some into each space instead of rolling in a bowl. Hope that helps!