salted peanut butter hearts

Chocolate and peanut butter just may be my two favorite things on the planet. My mom and I sign our emails and cards to each other with “I love you more than peanut butter.” I’m not sure how it started, but I’m guessing I was very little and we were playing the “I love you more than…” game. And the peanut butter stuck! (pun intended)

A while ago I bought a heart-shaped chocolate mold and shoved it in the back of my pantry to be forgotten. Until now! A special holiday is coming up next month…you know, the one everyone hates? In honor of the holiday-that-must-not-be-named, I’ve whipped these little treats as a healthier alternative to Reese’s. They taste just as good, but without all the extra sodium and sugar.

ingredients

• 1/4 cup natural unsalted peanut butter
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 tablespoon oats blended into a flour
• 1/2 tsp sea salt, divided
• 1 tsp coconut oil
• 1/2 bag dark chocolate chips (I used Hershey’s special dark)
• silicone heart shaped candy mold

Note: This recipe made 15 heart-shaped chocolates that were about 1″ wide and 1/2″ high. The total count can vary depending on the candy mold you use. If you don’t have a heart-shaped mold, try using the muffin cup marble technique!

instructions

In a small bowl, mix together the peanut butter and honey, then add the oats and 1/4 teaspoon sea salt. You may need to add more oats depending on how runny your peanut butter is, but ideally you want the mixture to turn into a dough.

Form small hearts with the mixture that are half the size of your mold. An easy way to do this is to make a little log, and then add a small ball to it and squish them together. They don’t have to be perfect, no one will see them once they’re covered in chocolate! Put the peanut butter hearts in the freezer on a plate lined with wax paper.

While the hearts are firming up, melt your chocolate with the coconut oil. I used a mini crock pot, but I’m sure most of you won’t have one of those! Try the double boiler method. The microwave is also an option, but in the past I always ended up scorching the chocolate, so I don’t recommend that it.

When your chocolate is melted to a creamy consistency, spoon a little bit into each chocolate mold, filling it about halfway. Press a peanut butter heart into each one, making sure that it doesn’t stick out past the edge of the mold. Then, spoon more chocolate over each one, filling the rest of the mold and making sure the peanut butter is covered on all sides.

For the final touch, sprinkle sea salt onto each one. Freeze for about thirty minutes and then pop them out of the mold and enjoy!

What’s your favorite V-day treat?