Delicious chocolate cherry cream protein cups made with only good stuff and a punch of protein! These delightful little cups are creamy and so easy to make. Crunchy and chewy on the bottom, with the smooth creamy chocolate cream filling and cherries on the top.
Course Dessert, Snack
Cuisine Healthy Clean Eating
Keyword cherry chocolate protein bites, chocolate cherry cream protein cups, chocolate cherry protein bites, chocolate cherry protein snacks, clean eating dessert or snack
Servings 8
Ingredients
Base Crust
1 1/2cupsalmonds, pecans or walnuts or a mix
1/2cupdates, soaked at least 30 minutes and drained
1/2cupdesiccated coconut
Chocolate Filling
1cupcashews, soaked 3+hours and drained
113.5 ozcan coconut cream, full fat (solid part only) *see note below
1/4cupcoconut oil, melted
1/4cuphoney or maple syrup
1/4cupprotein or collagen peptides powder
1/4cupcocoa powder
1teaspoonvanilla extract
Topping
1/2cupcherries, fresh, pitted, chopped
Instructions
Base Crust
Note: Place the can of coconut cream or milk in the fridge or freezer for at least 1-2 hours before making these bars to allow coconut cream to separate.Use a 8-cavity bar or snack mold or use a muffin pan lined with paper liners or a silicon muffin pan. Or simply use a 7 x 5-inch loaf pan lined with parchment paper and cut into squares or slices.Place all base crust ingredients into a food processer and process until broken down and crumbly. Be careful not to over process as its nice to have texture variance and different sized “bits” in your base crust.Press the base mixture into the bottom of your molds or muffin pan. Refrigerate while you prepare the filling.
Chocolate Filling
Open chilled can and scoop out the cream that has separated and set hard on the top. Save the remaining coconut water to use in a smoothie, drink, or discard.Place all filling ingredients, cashews, coconut cream, coconut oil, honey, protein powder, cocoa and vanilla extract into the food processor and process until smooth and creamy. Depending on the power of your blender this might take a few minutes. Stop blending to scrape the sides and continue to blend until very smooth.Divide mix among the cups, scooping the filling over the chilled crusts and spreading evenly with the back of a spoon.Top with chopped cherry pieces and gently push down into the filling.Store up to 1 week in fridge or up to 3 months in the freezer. If frozen let thaw for 5-10 minutes to improve the texture.