HOLD THE PHONE. While attempting to organize my photos from the last few months this evening, I realized that I’ve been holding out on you guys. I never told you about the ridiculously tasty Easter dessert I made last month. It involves chocolate. And peanut butter. And is definitely worth sharing.
It all started when I had a hankering to make something fun and festive as an Easter treat to give to friends and coworkers. I was imagining something along the lines of cupcakes with bunny faces on them or bird’s nest cookies, but a quick browse on the Google machine led me to this recipe for chocolate-covered peanut butter eggs. My mind was made up. Of course, I made a few tweaks, so here’s my version:
Healthified Reese’s Eggs
(adapted from Breakfast to Bed)
Ingredients:
- 1 cup quick oats
- 1/4 cup real maple syrup
- 1 cup natural creamy peanut butter
- 1/3 cup almond milk
- 3 tablespoons chia seeds
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 6-12 oz. milk, dark, or semisweet chocolate chips
Directions:
- Combine the almond milk and chia seeds and set aside for 10 minutes. The mixture will thicken and gel slightly.
- Heat the peanut butter in a microwave-safe bowl for 30-60 seconds or until slightly melted.
- Stir the milk and chia mixture into the peanut butter. Add the oats, maple syrup, and vanilla and stir until blended.
- Scoop the dough onto a baking sheet lined with foil or parchment paper and form into eggs. Chill for 1-2 hours.
- Melt chocolate in microwave in 15-second intervals, stirring in between.
- Dip eggs into chocolate using a fork, or spoon over top. Set back on baking sheet.
- Sprinkle with colored sugar, candies, or sprinkles. Chill until chocolate is hard.
A few notes about the ingredients… this recipe already contains some of my own changes from the original, and it turned out just fine. I’m sure it would work with a few more adaptations of your own. For example, I happened to have almond milk on hand because my roommate drinks it, but regular milk would probably work just fine. I also happened to have chia seeds because I’ve been putting them in my oatmeal lately, but they’re sort of random and obscure and might not be necessary at all. I’m not sure, try it.
Finally, the only thing that is totally non-negotiable is the maple syrup. It says real; it’s gotta be real. No Aunt Jemima rubbish up in hurr. I lived in Vermont for the first six years of my life, and the concept of artificial syrup mortally offends me. Don’t get me started. Just make these tasty chocolate eggs.
Uh… YUM. I want to eat these again just looking at the pictures. Unfortunately, I dropped the ball on this one and you’ll have to wait until next year to make them as Easter treats, unless you wanted to take a leaf out of the Mad Hatter’s book and proclaim it a very merry un-Easter. Actually, you could just make them into little balls instead of egg shapes and call them chocolate peanut butter bites. There’s an idea!
Anyway, they were a big hit. I packaged them up by twos in little cellophane bags and tied them with a ribbon. They made perfect and fun little Easter gifts for my work buddies, next-door neighbors, and even the milkman!
Try ‘em out and let me know! You’ll be hooked… I am. I could write a sonnet about your Easter bonnet chocolate eggs.
