Welcome back to my kitchen!

I love a good challenge. This week, a No Sugar Baker teammate reached out to me asking if I could modify a chocolate peanut butter pie recipe.
Challenge accepted.


Result. 90%.
But for this overachiever, I prefer 100%.

It’s been a switch in diet and lifestyle for me to appreciate the taste of natural peanut butter. For over forty years, peanut butter for me came in a jar and the choice was creamy or crunchy. Those, as we have learned, are energized with sugar sweetening the taste. It’s no wonder I use to crave English muffins piled high with peanut butter.

Those days are in the past. One step back, ten steps forward.

The experts say that natural peanut butter usually contains just two ingredients–peanuts and salt. Conversely, conventional peanut butter includes sugar and hydrogenated vegetable oil to ensure that its consistency is not affected by time or temperature. Natural peanut butter is much thinner than regular peanut butter at room temperature and tends to be extra firm when chilled. They conclude, natural peanut butter is ok for baking but you will need additional salt in your recipe.

Peanut butter enthusiasts and chefs opine that using natural peanut butter in baking and traditional dessert recipes need modifying. Most established recipe creators know that standard peanut butter brings sugar and oils to their recipe. Therefore, when you remove these hidden ingredients the finished result might need some adjust.

Agree. I think natural peanut butter needs a little more pizazz in taste. Try this treat—but I’ve modified it with increased vanilla and salt to zest up the taste factor.

Thanks for the challenge, Jane!

We’re on a roll. Life is sweet.

All this made with LOVE,
Jayne (aka The No Sugar Baker!)

No Sugar Baker’s Chocolate Peanut Butter Dessert

Ingredients:

For Crust:
2 C. Almond Flour
2 T. Melted Butter
4 T. Cocoa Powder
½ C. Swerve Granular

Easy Directions:

Mix butter, flour, cocoa and granular. Pat into 9 inch baking pan and bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Place in freezer and move on to the filling.

For Filling:
8 Ounces Mascarpone or Cream Cheese
1 C. Natural Peanut Butter
2 C. Heavy Whipping Cream
3 T. Vanilla
½ T. Salt
½ C. Swerve Confectioners

Easy Directions:

In small bowl, mix the cheese and peanut butter. Set aside. In electric mixing bowl, mix the whipping cream, vanilla, salt and Swerve until peaks forms and hold. Carefully, add in peanut butter mixture. Beat until smooth. Take a taste—does it need more vanilla or salt or peanut butter—add a little until taste is delightful to you! Spread on top of crust and freeze for at least one hour.

For Topping:
2 T. Natural Peanut Butter
1 Bag of Lily Sugar Free Dark Chocolate Chips
1 T. Heavy Whipping Cream
½ C. Salted Peanuts

Easy Directions:

Melt the peanut butter and chocolate chips. Stir in the whipping cream. Spread onto dessert and top with peanuts. Refreeze until ready to serve. You can eat frozen or let dessert thaw slightly for an hour before serving in fridge.