November starts two months of get-togethers, parties, celebrations, friends, family and food! Whereas the upcoming holidays often mean indulging in some decedent desserts, all of the sweet treats don’t have to be detrimental to your waistline.
November is Peanut Butter Month and what a great time to try a different take on traditional peanut butter. Powdered peanut butter is all the rage right now. Simply put, powdered peanut butter is made by pressing peanuts to remove most of the fat and oil, while leaving all the slow-roasted peanut taste. For those who are weight-conscious or watching their fat and calorie intake, powdered peanut butter has about 85% less fat and about 45 calories per serving verses 190 calories in traditional peanut butter. Sign me up…right?
Versatile is fantastic word that describes powdered peanut butter. It can be used in smoothies, baked goods, as a dip for favorite fruits or vegetables, blended into yogurt or oatmeal and of course on a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Simply add water to the powdered peanut butter to get the consistency and thickness of traditional peanut butter.
For a tasty treat try adding two tablespoons of powdered peanut butter to a chocolate instant pudding mix, then follow the directions on the back of the pudding box. The treat will be reminiscent of a chocolate peanut butter cup. This is one of my favorites!
Find Hy-Vee Powdered Peanut Butter in the Health Market at your local Hy-Vee store. It is available in Original, Chocolate and Hazelnut flavors!
Take ‘Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Popcorn Mix’ to your next holiday gathering. I’m certain it will not disappoint!
Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Popcorn Mix
Ingredients:
- 14 cups of Boom ChickaPop sea salt popcorn
- 2 cups pretzel sticks
- 2 cups Cheerios
- 1 cup corn Chex cereal
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 3 Tbsp powdered peanut butter
- 1 1/2 oz (about 1/2 a bar) Zoet dark chocolate squares (or 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips)
- 17 zip top baggies
Directions:
- Combine popcorn, pretzels, cereal, cinnamon and powdered peanut butter in a large bowl. Toss to combine. Divide among two baking sheets.
- Microwave dark chocolate, uncovered, at 30-second intervals, stirring in between each interval, until melted.
- Evenly drizzle chocolate over popcorn mixture. Allow to set until completely cooled (you may refrigerate for 15 minutes to quicken the process). Transfer 1 heaping cup to a zip-top bag; seal tightly. Repeat with remaining mix.