Step By Step: Double Chocolate Protein Nut Butter Cups & An AWESOME Treadmill Workout!

Pinit

I have a double whammy for you today!

Since last Wednesday’s ‘What I Ate’ post I have had tons of comments and questions about the protein nut butter cups I have as my last snack of the day! They seemed to have peaked quite a bit of interest… and as they should, they are DELICIOUS!

So, I thought it was a great idea to put together a post that shows step-by-step how these delectable (and healthy) little treats are made!

Also, I’ve been wanting to add some more fitness related posts to the blog, and I have been experimenting with different cardio routines lately to avoid monotomy and keep my body guessing! One day, a couple weeks ago, while doing my usual run on the treadmill I started playing around with speeds and intensity and I came up with this fantastic 35-minute routine. It left me feeling so energized after, I tried it the next day, and again a couple days later, and again, and I realized “I’ve got something great here!!” … this little routine is just too good to not share!

So, first, let’s get into those nut butter cups!

(just a side note – I use a silicone muffin mold.. I have not tried these with a regular muffin tin so I can’t say how they might turn out if at all different from this method. The silicone molds work perfectly to pop the little cups out when they are set, and there is no mess or need for knives or even greasing the pan. So, that being said, I suggest you try it with a silicone mold – they aren’t expensive and mine is just a run-of -the-mill $3 Superstore one!)

Step 1: Assemble all ingredients (1 scoop chocolate protein powder, 1/2 tablespoon raw cocoa powder, 1 tablespoon nut butter, 2 1/2 tablespoons water)

 

Step 2: Place 1 scoop chocolate protein powder and 1/2 tablespoon cocoa powder into a bowl.

 

Step 3: Mix protein powder and cocoa powder together to combine.

 

Step 4: Adding a little bit at a time, mix in 2 1/2 tablespoons water with the powder mixture, stirring constantly.

Step 5: Mix until well combined and a thin pudding consistency is reached.

 

Step 6: Marvel at the delicious pudding mixture you now have.

 

Step 7: Divide half of the pudding mixture between two muffin cups.

 

Step 8: Chill in the freezer for 10 minutes to set.

 

Step 9: Once set, add in 1/2 tbsp nut butter to each cup.

 

Step 9: Smooth the nut butter into an even layer over the pudding layer.

 

Step 10: Divide remaining half of pudding mixture to top the nut butter in each muffin cup. Make sure the nut butter is completely covered. Then let chill in the freezer for at least 30 minutes before removing.

Yummmmmm…. and there you have it, protein-packed-double-chocolate-nut-butter-cups-of-delicious-rich-fudgey-love! 

Just a warning, these cups are delicate and at room temperature they melt quite quickly, so I suggest popping them in a bowl or putting them on a plate and enjoying with a fork or spoon!

….Or you can eat them with your hands and lick all the gooey chocolate goodness off your fingers after!

… I may or may not have done that… a few times. 

So…nutritional stats on these little cups of love…?

220 calories (per 2 cups), only 6g of carbs, 9g of healthy fats, and 30g of protein!! Yup…30g!!

(compared to the 210 calories (per 2 cups), 24g of carbs ( 21g being refined sugar), 12g of fats (including hydrogenated), and only 5g of protein..not to mention the list of laboratory ingredients… in those other guys peanut butter cups, I’d say mine do quite well ;)) 

4.0 from 1 reviews
Double Chocolate Protein Nut Butter Cups
 
Prep time
Total time
 
Serves: 1
Ingredients
  • 1 scoop chocolate protein powder
  • ½ tablespoon raw cocoa powder
  • 1 tablespoon nut butter
  • 2½ tablespoons water
Instructions
  1. Combine the protein powder and cocoa powder in a bowl.
  2. Slowly add in the water, stirring in between little amounts, until you get a smooth pudding-like consistency.
  3. Once a pudding consistency is reached, divide ½ of the mixture between two muffin cups (I use a silpat muffin mold as it is easy to pop the cups out when they are solid)
  4. Then you can freeze for 10 minutes to set.
  5. Next, add ½ tablespoon of nut butter to each cup, then pour the remaining protein pudding to cover the nut butter.
  6. Freeze again for 30 minutes to an hour to set.
  7. Pop the cups out of the muffin mold and enjoy!
Nutritional Information
Serving size: 2 cups Calories: 220 calories Fat: 9g Carbohydrates: 6g Protein: 30g

Alrightly, now – let’s move onto the wicked awesome treadmill routine!!

This is kind of like a high intensity interval routine… but kind of not. Maybe more like a pyramid? I’m not really sure how to term it…

I love it because the build up is a little slow (the first 12 minutes is pretty much a warm up), but then before you know it your running at full speed and totally in-the-mode, endorphins-flowing, sweat-streaming, heart-pumping goodness, and then you get a nice finish at the end where a what-might-seem-like-normal-paced jog feels like a slow, steady, cool-down.

I kept my incline on 0.5 the last time I did this.. I know it’s not much of an incline , but it still adds just that little extra intensity that can work my body a little harder without me really even noticing!

With my personal stats I burn a good 340 calories during the workout!

Pinit

Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Do you have any awesome treadmill workouts that are your go-to? I’d love to hear about them! I’m always up for something new!

This is the song that I always listen to when I do this workout… I seriously have it on repeat for 35-minutes straight… is that weird…that I can easily listen to one song for an entire workout if it gets me all riled up and excited?! 

Well! I hope you’ve enjoyed this double whammy post!

Have a great Tuesday and I look forward to your comments… and possible confirmations of my weirdness! 🙂

Christal

Nutritionist in the Kitch

Author: Christal Sczebel

Christal is the creator of Nutrition in the Kitch. She's a Certified Nutritional Consultant, twice published author, gluten and dairy free recipe developer, food photographer, speaker, wife, and mama. Christal loves good food, all things wellness, and loves to travel. Her wellness philosophy is centred around balance and sustainable health, life's way too short for boring diets and restriction!

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