Chocolate Peanut Butter Spread (vegan, gluten-free)
This chocolate peanut butter spread only requires a few ingredients and minutes to make! It’s also naturally gluten-free, vegan and dairy-free.
My favorite not-so-unhealthy thing for breakfast is an English muffin with homemade peanut butter. To make homemade peanut butter, all you do is process peanuts in a food processor. It’s ridiculously simple.
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Then I got to thinking… is there some way to involve chocolate in this breakfast fun? It’s hard to beat chocolate + peanut butter, isn’t it?
I tried doing it the healthy way. I added cocoa powder and honey to my peanut butter. This didn’t work. It wasn’t creamy but crumbly and not chocolaty enough.
I won’t sacrifice on taste. It has to be both healthy and tasty for a recipe to get posted!
So what we have here is basically peanut butter + melted chocolate chips and a little extra cocoa powder for extra chocolate goodness. I mean, if you use dark chocolate, with all the antioxidants and all, this is basically health food. ;)
If you use dairy-free / vegan chocolate (which most semi-sweet brands seem to be – at least over here in Germany), this chocolate peanut butter spread is dairy-free and vegan.
To make this recipe, you first make peanut butter and then add chocolate and cocoa powder. If you don’t have a food processor or a high-speed blender, you can use store-bought peanut butter.
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Just make sure to use natural peanut butter without any added fat or sugar.
Substitution questions about this chocolate peanut butter?
Can I use something instead of peanuts?
Any other type of nut / seed would probably work but you might need to add a bit of sweetener. When using sunflower seed butter instead of peanut butter in other recipes, I find that I need to add a bit of sugar.
Definitely use a granulated sugar! I’d recommend coconut sugar. If you add a liquid one, it’ll likely make the nut / seed butter seize.
You’d also need to roast, slightly cool and process the nuts longer, depending on what type of nut you use. Here’s how to make almond butter.
Can I use something instead of semi-sweet / dark chocolate?
I thought that this recipe had the perfect amount of sweetness using semi-sweet chocolate but for people who like things darker, dark chocolate works. I think milk chocolate would be too sweet. I have no idea about white chocolate but I also think it’s a bit too sweet (you’d also want to omit the cocoa powder then).
Do I have to use cocoa powder?
I didn’t think it was chocolaty enough without it. You can add the chocolate, stir, taste and then add the cocoa powder. You could also use cacao powder.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Spread (vegan, gluten-free)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (90 grams) semi-sweet chocolate chips make sure to use dairy-free / vegan, if needed
- 2 cups (400 grams) roasted and salted peanuts or 1 1/2 cups + 1 tablespoon (400 grams) roasted and salted natural peanut butter (the kind with no added fat or sugar)
- 2 tablespoons Dutch-process cocoa powder regular cocoa powder also works but I prefer the more chocolaty taste of Dutch-process
- a pinch of salt if your peanuts aren't already salted
Instructions
- Using the s-blade of your food processor, process the peanuts until creamy. At first there’ll be ground peanuts, and then it’ll start to come together in a ball, then it’ll actually be a ball, and then the ball will break down and be super creamy.2 cups (400 grams) roasted and salted peanuts
- Melt the chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl at half power, in 30 second increments, stirring after each 30 seconds. Add the cocoa powder and salt, if using, and pulse.1/2 cup (90 grams) semi-sweet chocolate chips, 2 tablespoons Dutch-process cocoa powder, a pinch of salt
- Then add the melted chocolate and pulse a few times until it’s thoroughly combined.
- I store this at room temperature so that it’ll remain nice and creamy. You could store it in the fridge if you like but it will harden quite a bit, making it difficult to spread.
Notes
- If you’re vegan or dairy-free, make sure to use dairy-free or vegan chocolate.
- The nutrition information provided is calculated as a courtesy and is only an estimate. I am not a licensed nutritionist or dietitian. For the most accurate nutritional data, consult a professional or use your preferred calculator. Nutritional value based on a 2-tbsp serving.
Yum, these looks pretty tasty and easy too, I really need to try this when my jar runs out :)
I hope you do! It's so easy and yummy. :)
Great minds think alike. I just posted chocolate PB! But I used choc chips rather than cocoa powder & didn't even bother melting. I know what you mean about needing full-on chocolate intensity; nothing mild or wimpy!
Yeah! We're no wimps when it comes to chocolate OR booze. ;) I've gotta go check out your chocolate peanut butter now!
I could drink this. Or eat it with a spoon. Or both at the same time. I NEED this in my life right now Erin. You know I'm in love with peanut butter and chocolate – now why haven't I ever made a chocolate peanut butter before? OH MY GOSH!!!!!!!! PS: gorgeous photos :)
When it's room temperature, it's actually drinkable. Yup. Drinkable! And thank you so much for the photo comment! You know how I feel about my photos so that means a lot to me. :)
I would be eating this by the spoonful! Love chocolate and peanut butter!
I do! And me too. :)
OH yum! One of my favorite (not as healthy) things to do is to melt chocolate chips and store bought peanut butter together and dip graham crackers into it. SO GOOD, and I bet this is amazing too!
Sounds healthy enough to me! I miss graham crackers. I need to make some!
Oh I would eat this every morning. Yum.
Or like me, every morning and night. :)
Um, did someone say chocolate peanut butter?! I'm in!
That's right – chocolate peanut butter party up in here today. :D
ahhhhh what a sweet perfect addition fore breakfast! and how lucky for us webmd agrees!
Hahaha. Exactly! You know that WebMD is *the* authority on breakfast healthy-ness. ;)
OH MY FREAKING GOSH ERIN!!!! I'd want like 14 tablespoons.
Hahaha. 14 tablespoons it is, then!
I eat an english muffin with peanut butter most mornings : ) Love the idea of adding some chocolate into that! I really need to try making my own nut butters… it's been on my list to try forever.
You have to try! They're so quick and easy and most importantly, WAY cheaper than the kind from the store. It's just full of win! :)
You just made my favorite treat even better. It looks fantastic. Gobble…lol!
GOBBLE GOBBLE! :D I swear, I'm like four…
It's just more fun that way, okay? ;)
Holy moly. I'll gobble this whole thing right up! You are my hero.
Hehe. We have another gobbler! Yay. :)
This sounds great!! I need to do this for my kids, so simple….and yes dark chocolate is really good for you, the higher the cocoa in it the better ;-) I love those little glass containers you used.
Thanks! You can get them in the US, too. They're Weck containers.
I could sooo love this as a snack right now. Yum!
Or any time, right? ;)
I love chocolate peanut butter! I might copy your breakfast tomorrow :)
That's a good idea! English muffins, chocolate and peanut butter can never be wrong. :)
Oh my GOODNESS. This sounds and looks completely irresistible. I want a bite right now! :)
Hehe. Happy you approve! ;)
Mmmmm. chocolate and peanut butter. And it looks creamy, yet kind of crunchy, and I just started imagining myself just sitting on the couch eating this with a spoon, something I don't even do with regular peanut butter.
Yup, it's bad like that. I finally put mine in the fridge so that I couldn't just go after it with a spoon. It's hard enough in there so I don't bother unless it's breakfast. :)
Oh my, this looks incredible! Wish I could dip a spoon in that jar ;).
Thank you! I just had some on an English muffin and I'm drinking a tea. I think it was you who mentioned tea time so thanks for that. I actually adopted that idea for this afternoon. :)
I'd certainly like to gobble up some of this :D What's not to love about peanut butter + chocolate!
Here you go. Now please gobble. ;)
You are making my mouth water!
Sorry! ;)