This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I may make a small commission if you purchase through the links. Thank you so much for supporting me!
These Healthier Valentine’s Day Protein Reese’s gluten free, vegan, high protein, and low sugar. They only take a few simple ingredients to make a healthier, festive version of a favorite candy. The soft, chewy peanut butter center covered with a thin layer of rich chocolate is the perfect snack or sweet treat to end the night!
The seasonal Reese’s peanut butter cup shapes are one of my fave parts of every holiday… trees during Christmas time, eggs around Easter, pumpkins in the Fall, and hearts for Valentine’s Day! But what I’m not a fan of is the excessive amount of sugar and unnecessary ingredients they add (think preservatives, gums, emusifiers, etc.). So I always opt to make my own homemade version and honestly prefer them to the original! You can adjust the recipe to your liking, having more peanut butter flavor, a thicker chocolate coating, festive sprinkles. They taste better than store-bought and won’t give you the sugar crash!
I love that the vanilla protein powder doubles as a sweetener because it gives these more protein and there’s typically little to no added sugar added, but it still gives the Reese’s a super yummy flavor. With this added protein boost, they’re something you can feel good about eating for a dessert but ALSO for an afternoon snack. You can count on these to fuel you for a while rather than leave you feeling hungry immediately after thanks to the balance of protein, healthy fats, and carbs. My kind of snack!
This is one recipe I’ve been making for YEARS and every year my friends and family either make these for themselves or ask if I have any to share. You know it’s a good recipe when people keep saying they look forward to these this time of year 💁♀️ If you don’t have the time or patience to use the heart shaped cookie cutter, you could just roll the dough into balls and dip in melted chocolate from there. I promise they taste just as delicious!
Watch the full tutorial HERE.
Why You’ll Love These
- Higher protein – The addition of vanilla protein powder in the peanut butter filling provides a solid protein boost, making these treats a bit more substantial and satisfying than your average candy.
- Lower sugar – These hearts are naturally sweetened with the protein powder and chocolate but you can always adjust the sweetness to your liking, adding a dash of sweetener.
- A crowd favorite – Not only are these easy to prep for yourself but they’re great to give to friends and family this season as a little gift!
- Dietary friendly – These little hearts are gluten free, vegan, dairy free, low sugar, and higher protein. You can make these refined sugar free depending on certain ingredients used.
What You’ll Need
- Peanut butter— Look for any brand with the only ingredients “peanuts” or “peanuts and salt” because these natural peanut butters are runny and easier to use!
- Vanilla protein powder— Some of my favorites are the Vanilla from Sprout Living (code: CALLASCLEANEATS), Truvani, and FlavCity (code: CALLA for 15% off)
- Chocolate chips— I use any brand with simple ingredients like these from Enjoy Life or Hu Gems.
- Coconut oil— This is to help make the chocolate super velvety and easier to dip in. I used both white and dark chocolate for some variety with these!
- Natural sprinkles— I prefer to use sprinkles with no added dyes, these are some of my favorite.
How To Make
- Line a plate with parchment paper, just make sure what you’re using can fit in your freezer.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the peanut butter and the protein powder and mix until a thick dough forms.
- Roll the dough into a ball and place on the lined plate. Slightly flatten the dough and place it in the freezer for thirty minutes – one hour.
- Use a cookie cutter to cut out heart shapes and place on the lined plate. You can also roll the dough into balls and then shape into hearts by hand. Set back in the freezer for at least one hour.
- Once done, make the chocolate coating by combining chocolate chips and coconut oil in a small bowl. Microwave for thirty seconds, stir, and repeat until smooth.
- Dip each heart into the melted chocolate and place on the lined plate. Top with sprinkles and place back in the freezer to set for another hour or two.
- Keep these stored in the freezer and enjoy!
Recommended Tools
- Parchment paper
- Glass mixing bowls
- Stainless steel measuring cups and spoons
- Silicone spatula
- Mini heart cookie cutter
- Glass food storage container – store the Reese’s hearts in the freezer and let them thaw a few minutes before eating.
You’ll Also Love
Peanut Butter Cup Baked Oatmeal
Healthy Peanut Butter Blossoms
Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Crunch Balls
Valentine’s Day Protein Reese’s (High Protein, Low Sugar)
Ingredients
Peanut Butter Center
- 1/3 cup peanut butter
- 1/3 cup vanilla protein powder
Chocolate Coating
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
- 1 tsp coconut oil
- natural sprinkles (optional – for topping)
Instructions
- Line plate with parchment paper, making sure it will fit in your freezer.
- Add peanut butter and protein powder to a bowl and mix well — depending on what kind of protein you use — you may need to add more (1 tbsp at a time) until you reach a thick dough-like consistency!
- Roll dough into a ball and place on a parchment paper-lined plate. Slightly flatten dough and place in the freezer for 30 minutes.
- Cut out hearts using a cookie cutter (or you can roll into balls or make hearts by hand) and set back in the freezer for at least 1 hour.
- Melt chocolate chips with coconut oil in 30 second intervals in the microwave, stirring between each (or on stovetop).
- Dip each heart into melted chocolate and place on another parchment paper-lined plate. Optional to top with sprinkles and set back in the freezer to set for another hour or 2. Keep stored in the freezer. Enjoy!
If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a review and rating below! To see more recipes, follow along on Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest!
what could be a substitute for this protein powder or could I use salmon collagen powder for this Valentine’s Day treat?
Hi! You could use collagen powder, but might need to play around with the amount – adding more if the thick dough doesn’t form with an exact substituted amount. I hope that helps!
Do you have nutritional values listed for your recipes?
Hi Catherine! I don’t include nutrition information for my recipes but you can add the ingredients to a nutrition calculator online or through an app for this 😊