Peanut Butter and Jelly Chocolate Protein Fudge (vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, no refined sugar added)

Makes approximately 30 small bites (1-inch-by-1-inch pieces that are about 1/2-inch high; how you pour the batter and slice the fudge, i.e. thin/thick, cubes, bars, etc. will determine the piece count but this is not a “huge” recipe)

3/4 cup honey* (or brown rice syrup, agave nectar, maple syrup)

3/4 cup peanut butter (I used non-natural, i.e. Jif)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup chocolate protein powder* ( I used Sun Warrior Raw Vegan Brown Rice Protein Powder in Chocolate)

1/3 cup diced dried cherries* (or diced raisins, dried blueberries, dried fruit of your liking, or omit)

1/3 cup chopped peanuts* (or other nuts, or omit)

Note: This is a fast moving recipe so have everything ready to go before you begin and work quickly through the steps.

Line an 8-by-8-inch baking dish (or slightly smaller if you have it) or 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with foil and spray it with cooking spray. Dice the dried fruit and chop the peanuts and set aside. Dicing and chopping is preferred because smaller pieces will incorporate better into the batter.

Pour the honey into a medium-sized sauce pan and heat over medium-high heat until it almost begins to boil but do not let it boil; turn off the heat. Add the peanut butter and stir until smooth. Add the vanilla extract and stir, using caution as it could bubble up a bit. Add the protein powder and stir, taking care to work quickly because batter will get increasingly stiff as time elapses. Quickly fold in the diced fruit and peanuts.

Spread the mixture into approximately half the width of the prepared pan, noting the mixture will not cover the entire pan. Keep the mixture about 1/2 inch in thickness, or thicker if you prefer thicker cube-like fudge, but do not spread it paper thin (I called for an 8-by-8-inch pan because most people have that size or something similar and if using a loaf pan, the mixture could likely cover the base of the pan entirely). Place pan into the freezer for at least 90 minutes. Remove from the freezer and slice fudge into desired size, waiting five to ten minutes to slice it if fudge has frozen too solid for slicing.

Store fudge in an airtight container in the freezer for up to three months or in the refrigerator for up to one month. I do not recommend storing this at room temperature as it becomes too soft for my liking. I store mine in the freezer and remove it five minutes before I intend to eat it as I like my fudge well-chilled.

*Notes, suggestions, variations:

The honey can replaced with maple syrup, yacon syrup, brown rice syrup, agave nectar or mix-and-match various sweeteners.

I used Sun Warrior Raw Vegan Rice Brown Protein Powder in Chocolate. The recipe can likely be made with any flavor protein powder you have from vanilla to strawberry to cookies and cream and I’m sure other flavors, brands, and types will work (whey, soy, etc.) but I have not tested them. I called for 1/2 cup of protein powder and the batter was tacky and sticky however if using another type of protein powder or you want to make this more dry and crumbly than dense and chewy fudge-like, increase the protein powder amount based on your preference and brand used.

Dried fruits such as: raisins, apricots, dates, pineapple, mango, blueberries, apples or any type of dried fruit you have and like, or use one at all.

Nuts and seeds such as: diced cashews, almonds, macadamia nuts, hemp seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, chia seeds, or any type of nut or seed you have and like, or use none at all.

You could also add coconut flakes, chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, white chocolate chips, toffee bits, cereal pieces, whole rolled oats.

Ingredients and ratios may need to be altered and tweaked based on type and brand of protein powder used, peanut butter used, add-in’s used, and personal taste preferences.

The best part of this fudge is that it’s “healthy”. I really don’t like using that word because we all have different definitions of what it means, in both food and in life.