If you love chocolate peanut butter cups, then this yummy protein fudge is for you! Plus, it's quick and easy to make!
You likely wouldn't guess this fudge is high in protein or even low in carbs or keto-friendly since it's got everything you'd want: it's rich and creamy, full of chocolate and peanut butter yumminess, and it melts in your mouth.
And since this fudge is high in protein, you'll likely feel satiated after eating, which makes it an ideal treat or snack. Plus, each serving is just 1 net carb per serving, which means you don't need to limit yourself to one (which is hard to do with this fudge!).
This fudge is incredibly quick and easy to make, too. The hardest part is waiting for the fudge to set in the fridge. But, be patient the wait is totally worth it! When done, you get fudgy treats to last you throughout the week!
Why This Protein Fudge is An Ideal Treat
- It's easy to make. This protein fudge takes less than 15 minutes to prepare before it goes in the fridge to set.
- It's filling. High-protein snacks help keep you full for longer periods of time, making it less likely for you to overeat or snack between meals. This keto fudge is 31 percent protein, which is considered "high."
- It's low in carbs. Each serving of this high-protein fudge is just 1 net carb per serving. Yes, you can have seconds, but you may be too full.
Ingredients
This protein powder fudge recipe is made with just 8 ingredients. Key ingredients include:
- Sugar-free peanut butter: Be sure to use natural peanut butter with no sugar added. We use Santa Cruz Organic Dark Roasted Creamy Peanut Butter. For this recipe, we use creamy peanut butter but you may use crunchy if you like. Additionally, you can substitute peanut butter with almond butter.
- Powdered erythritol: We use Swerve Confectioners Sweetener, but you can use any of brand of erythritol sweetener. Be sure to use confectioners — not granular — otherwise the texture may end up grainy, which is not what you want in fudge.
- Unsweetened almond milk: We use unsweetened almond milk to create the right consistency since the protein powder makes the mixture quite thick. You can substitute another type of low-carb milk like unsweetened macadamia milk or coconut milk.
- Low-carb, chocolate whey protein powder: We use low-carb chocolate whey protein powder to increase the protein in this fudge. Our favorite chocolate protein power is Quest Chocolate Milkshake.
- Sea salt flakes: Sea salt flakes are optional, but they sure are a nice touch!
How To Make
Just a few easy steps to make this protein fudge:
STEP 1 — PREPARE PAN: Grease a loaf pan with butter. Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the length of the pan (do not worry about the short sides of the pan). Leave enough parchment paper to hang over the sides, so you call easily pull the fudge out once set.
STEP 2 — HEAT WET INGREDIENTS: In a saucepan over low to medium heat, stir in butter, peanut butter, almond milk, vanilla extract and sugar-free sweetener. Stir until peanut butter has melted.
STEP 3 — MIX DRY INGREDIENTS: In a large bowl, whisk together cocoa powder and protein powder.
STEP 4 — COMBINE: Combine wet and dry ingredients into one bowl.
STEP 5 — STIR: Stir all ingredients together until fully combined. Note that mixture will be thicker in consistency.
STEP 6 — SET IN FRIDGE: Pour the mixture into the parchment-lined pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Top with a few pinches of sea salt flakes. Put fudge in refrigerator to set. Let set for at least 6 hours or overnight. Remove fudge from the pan by pulling on the sides of the parchment paper. Cut into 12 square pieces and serve. Store in fridge after serving.
How To Store
The fudge can be stored in the fridge for about a week. Or, you may store in the freezer in air-tight container for a few months.
Recipe FAQ
There are many types of protein powders on the market and some can be high in carbs. Low-carb protein powders include whey, collagen, casein, and egg (among a few others). To be sure you’re purchasing a low carb or keto protein powder, it’s best to look for keto-friendly brands and check the net carbs in the ingredients. Lower carb and keto protein powders typically range from 0 to 5 net carbs per serving.
Use your personal favorite! There are lots of chocolate flavored protein powders, and the best one is a matter of personal preference. In our case, we compared three common low-carb brands of chocolate whey protein powder (Cellucor, Quest, and Optimum Nutrition) in a taste test, and Quest was our favorite.
Quest is a whey/casein protein mix and you may have different results if you use a pure whey or plant based protein powder. The exact type of protein powder can make a big difference in some recipes, especially when baking. However, because this is a no-bake recipe, we expect it to be fairly accommodating to other protein powders. If you try it with other brands or types of powder, let us know in the comments so readers know which ones to try and which to avoid.
As long as you purchase a peanut butter with no sugar added, it can be included in a low-carb or keto diet since it’s fairly low in carbs, high in fat, and good source of protein. However, it should be eaten in moderation since it contains between 2 to 5 net carbs per 2 tablespoons.
Related Recipes
If you try this recipe, we would love to hear your feedback! Leave a comment, rate it, and tag @lowcarbsimplified on your photo of this recipe on Instagram or Facebook. We hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do!
Protein Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge
Ingredients
- ¼ cup Santa Cruz Organic Dark Roasted Creamy Peanut Butter or similar no sugar added peanut butter
- 1 ⅛ cup Quest Chocolate Milkshake Protein Powder or similar chocolate protein powder
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup almond milk
- ⅓ cup Swerve Confectioners or similar powdered erythritol
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt flakes
- 3 tbs Hershey's Natural Unsweetened Cocoa Powder or similar cocoa powder
Instructions
- Prepare pan: Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the length of the pan (do not worry about the short sides of the pan). Leave enough parchment paper to hang over the sides, so you call easily pull the fudge out once set.
- Heat wet ingredients: In a saucepan over low to medium heat, stir in butter, peanut butter, almond milk, vanilla extract and sugar-free sweetener. Stir until peanut butter has melted.
- Combine remaining ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together cocoa powder and protein powder. Combine wet and dry ingredients into one bowl. Stir all ingredients together until fully combined. Note that mixture will be thicker in consistency.
- Let set in fridge: Pour the mixture into the parchment-lined pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Top with a few pinches of sea salt flakes. Put fudge in refrigerator to set. Let set for at least 6 hours or overnight. Remove fudge from the pan by pulling on the sides of the parchment paper. Cut into 12 square pieces and serve. Store in fridge after serving.
Notes
- This recipe is estimated to be 31% protein by calories.
- Feel free to use your favorite chocolate protein powder. We taste tested three popular brands and found we prefer the taste of Quest.
- We've tried this recipe with both light or dark roasted peanut butter and both work. Personally, we prefer dark roasted for a stronger peanut butter taste.
- We've tried this recipe with both dark dutch processed and regular cocoa powder. Much to our surprise we prefer the taste of this recipe with regular cocoa powder.
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