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Delicious no-bake chocolate peanut bark made without chocolate chips! Bite into these cookies and enjoy the crisp texture satisfaction broken up by the peanuts. I leave them uncovered in the fridge on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper. Over the days they just harden even more. Keep them in the fridge.
My husband especially enjoys these as a pick-me-upper in the afternoon. Just avoid eating them too late as you may have difficulty going to sleep at your normal time.
The vanilla whey protein powder that I used is Six Star brand from Walmart, but you can use any good-tasting vanilla or chocolate whey protein powder.
This is so much healthier than eating a candy bar and you won't have that familiar crash in energy some time later.
You can freeze the bark cookies for longer storage, if desired. The flavors will not be affected.
You can use other nuts besides peanuts. This makes a great dessert after dinner. Keep them in an airtight container for longer storage.
You can add 1/4 tsp vanilla extract to enhance the vanilla flavor in the whey protein powder. You don't need to bake cookies like this which is a bonus. Simply melt cocoa butter and chocolate. There is no cocoa powder in this nor is it an almond butter, sunflower seed butter or chocolate peanut butter confection. The only variations possible is to change up the nuts. You could potentially sprinkle some flaky sea salt over the soft cookies before refrigerating or putting in the freezer to harden up. Just sprinkle or spoon it on them.
The melted chocolate and cocoa butter will be hot. Be careful when working with it. After cooling and scooping out cookie amounts, use a spatula to get the remaining chocolate batter out of the pan. The crunch from the peanuts is so satisfying in these no bake cookies. It is a very runny batter and that is why I suggest to let it cool to room temperature to thicken up a bit. Pour 2 tbspfuls on the parchment paper. This is a semi-sweet chocolate. There is no coconut oil in these cookies. The chocolate mixture is made less strong or bitter tasting by adding cocoa butter. Allow chocolate bark cookies to chill completely before enjoying.
If you use the microwave oven, use a microwave-safe bowl. I used a cookie scoop to measure the amounts for each bark cookie. Pecans or walnuts could also work in this chocolate bark cookie recipe.
INGREDIENTS:
7 oz cocoa butter (210 g)
6 oz unsweetened chocolate (180 g)
1/2
tsp sunflower lecithin (2 mL)\
(optional)
11/2 cups vanilla whey protein (375 mL)
Liquid sweetener to equal 1 cup sugar (250 mL)
1/2 cup powdered whole milk (125 mL)
Up to 1/2 cup powdered sweetener (125 mL)
(to taste)
11/2 cups salted roasted cocktail peanuts (375
mL)
In
double boiler or using the microwave oven or a pot on the stove with another
over top (first pot with water like in a double boiler), or a heavy bottomed
saucepot or nonstick saucepot, combine cocoa butter and unsweetened
chocolate. Stir occasionally and stir in
sunflower lecithin if using. When
completely melted, stir in vanilla whey protein powder, liquid sweetener,
powdered milk and powdered sweetener of choice.
Stir in peanuts. Set on
countertop about half an hour or more to cool and thicken up a bit.
Drop
cookies by 2 tablespoonfuls (30 mL) onto baking sheets covered with parchment
paper. Refrigerate or freeze until set
up.
Yield: 30 servings
1
serving
162.1
calories
6.6
g protein
14.4
g fat
2.0 g fiber
2.5
g net carbs