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These no-bake chocolate peanut butter cup reindeer treats are sure to put a smile on your child’s face! It looks like you spent hours creating these, but they couldn’t be easier to put together (and are nourishing too!)
For this dietitian and mom of three, the holidays are a special time to get in the kitchen with my kids and create a little festive magic. These no-bake, fast and oh SO easy, satisfying and super yummy chocolate peanut butter cup reindeer are our new favourite holiday-themed snacks!
Holiday snacks are especially fun to make, as the kids (and I!) adore all of the traditional sights like brightly lit houses, colorfully decorated trees, and of course, Santa’s reindeer! I love that the peanut butter and coconut flour in these Frozen Chocolate Peanut Butter Reindeer cups add health-promoting protein, healthy fats and fibre that make these snacks satisfying and scrumptious.
How to make these reindeer cups
It only takes a few minutes to stir the peanut butter mixture together and form it into triangles.
After a quick chill in the freezer (or even overnight, if you want to surprise your children the following day by dipping and decorating them together!), I coat them in melted chocolate.
Then, I just pop on the cute little pretzel antlers, candy eyes and a nose.
Back they go into the freezer for about a half hour or until we are ready to eat them. I anticipate they’ll be the after school snack of choice for December!
Why Make These Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Reindeer?
No matter how much we adore it, the holiday season is a busy and often hectic time for families, so any snacks or desserts I make for the season have to be easy and quick to prepare, fun and flavourful, be satisfying and keep bellies fuller longer, and a dish my whole family can make together that stores well until we are ready to enjoy it. That’s a lot to ask but these no-bake cups pass the test! I am all about reducing stress and increasing family time.
You can customize these snacks to make them just right for your family. If you need them to be nut-free, simply swap out the peanut butter for sunflower seed butter; it isn’t as naturally sweet as nut butters so you may want to add a little extra maple syrup, to taste, until they are the right sweetness for you. Are you a dark chocolate lover or do you prefer the flavour of semi-sweet? Both taste decadent in these reindeer cups!
Enjoy them any time…as an afternoon or after school snack, after or alongside December dinners, to refuel after a shopping spree (or gift wrapping session!), on a lazy weekend day (do those really exist for us parents?!) or any time you like. Whether you make these for yourself, your kids or your guests, I hope they add flavour and whimsy to your holiday season!
Frozen Chocolate Peanut Butter Reindeer Cups
Yield:
8 reindeer
Prep Time:
15 minutes
Additional Time:
40 minutes
Total Time:
55 minutes
These fun and fast reindeer snacks are so easy to make and will become a seasonal favourite. They turn out best using natural peanut butter with only peanuts, or peanuts and salt, on the label. You can make them nut-free by using sunflower seed butter and adding a little more syrup, to taste. Store them in the freezer to keep on hand for quick and satiating holiday snacking or dessert.
Ingredients
- 1 cup natural peanut butter
- 1/4-1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup coconut flour
- 1 1/4 cup chocolate chips
- 2 1/2 teaspoons coconut oil
- 16 mini-pretzels for antlers
- 16 candy eyes
- 8 candy noses
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment.
- To a medium bowl, add the peanut butter, syrup, vanilla and salt, and stir to combine. Now, add the coconut flour, and stir, until no patches of dry flour remain.
- Form the mixture into 8 triangles, adding them to the lined pan as you go, then transfer the pan to the freezer for 30 minutes or so, until solid.
- To a shallow bowl, add the chocolate and coconut oil and melt in the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring in between, until mostly melted. Stir, until fully melted.
- Using a fork or pie knife, add a triangle to the bowl of melted chocolate, and coat. Continue with the remaining triangles, returning them to the lined baking sheet as you go. Add the antler, eyes and noses.
- Transfer the finished reindeer to the freezer and chill for at least 30 minutes. Let them soften for a few minutes at room temperature before eating.
Notes
Ensuring that your triangles are frozen solid before and during dipping is the key!
If your chocolate firms up before you add the toppings, simply use a bit of melted chocolate to “glue” them on.
If you wish, you can use a sharp knife to cut off the pooled chocolate along the sides of the triangles after freezing. I don’t often do this, I’ll take the extra chocolate!
I purchased my candy eyes at Bulk Barn in Canada, they are also available at Michael’s Arts and Crafts stores.
Recipe inspired by @minimalistbaker ‘s Easy Vegan Peanut Butter Eggs
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