Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Bites

Every year we spend the week between Christmas and New Year's at our cabin in the woods. I always make a sweet treat to share with our friends. I try to choose something that's easy to make and healthier than the sugar-ladden sweets usually served during this time of year. We usually use almond butter at home, but I think that the peanut butter works very well in this recipe. Of course, if you are sensitive to peanuts or prefer not to consume them, these chocolate covered bites could also be made with another nut butter, like almond, hazelnut or cashew.  

Chocolate covered peanut butter bites

Peanut Butter Filling:

• 1/2 cup almond flour

• 1/2 cup peanut butter, natural & unsweetened

• 1/2 cup coconut oil

• 3 tbsp maple syrup

• 1/4 tsp vanilla

• Pinch of salt

Chocolate Coating: 

• 1/3 cup coconut oil

• 1 tbsp cacao powder

• 1 tbsp maple syrup

• Sprinkle of Maldon salt or flaked sea salt

Peanut Butter Filling: In a sauce pan slowly melt coconut oil over low heat. Add peanut butter and stir until it softens and mixes easily. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and mix in the remaining ingredients: almond flour, maple syrup, vanilla & salt. Place the dough in the fridge to harden. Once it is firm enough to hold its shape when formed, aprox 20-30 minutes, roll the mixture into balls. For lack of a better reference, mine are a similar size and shape to a hard boiled egg yolk. Place them in freezer while making the chocolate coating. 

Chocolate Coating: In a sauce pan slowly melt coconut oil over low heat. Remove from heat, add maple syrup, then the cacao powder and mix thoroughly ensuring that there are no small clumps remaining. Transfer the mixture to a small narrow bowl or shallow cup. 

Remove the peanut butter balls from the freezer. If they're cold the chocolate will coat them more quickly and evenly. Use a wood or metal skewer or something similar to dip the balls into the chocolate, then place them on a plate covered with wax paper. Top with a sprinkle of Maldon salt, or other flaked sea salt. Once all of the balls are covered in chocolate, place them back into the freezer. After the chocolate is set, aprox 40 minutes, transfer them to a sealable freezer-safe storage container to store. Remove them from the freezer 5-10 minutes before serving to soften slightly.