Chocolate Peanut Butter Chaffle Cake

I love mini desserts and chaffles make it so easy to make a luscious, decadent little cake, without having a lot of leftovers to worry about. This particular cake includes my favorite flavors, and probably yours too: chocolate and peanut butter! You can’t go wrong with this little gem of a dessert for a special occasion or just because....

Chocolate Peanut Butter Chaffle Cake

Makes 1 mini cake (2 servings)

Chaffles:

1 teaspoon coconut flour

1 teaspoon unsweetened dark cocoa powder

1/8 teaspoon baking powder

1 tablespoon granulated erythritol sweetener

1 large egg, beaten (or 2 egg whites)

2 teaspoons creamy peanut butter, no sugar added

1 teaspoon water

1/8 teaspoon chocolate or vanilla extract

1 drop of peanut butter flavoring (optional)

Peanut Butter Frosting:

1 ounce cream cheese, softened

1 1/2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter, no sugar added and at room temperature 

1 tablespoon butter, softened 

1 1/2 tablespoons powdered erythritol sweetener 

1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 to 2 1/2 tablespoons heavy cream

Chocolate Ganache Drizzle:

2-3 tablespoons heavy cream

3 tablespoons semi-sweet, sugar free chocolate chips, chopped (such as Lily’s or Bake Believe)

Additional hot heavy cream, if needed

1-2 teaspoons chopped peanuts to garnish, if desired

1. Preheat a 4-inch mini waffle maker. Whisk together all of the chaffle ingredients until a smooth batter is formed. Divide the batter in half and spoon about 4 tablespoons of batter in the waffle maker, spreading it around with the back of a spoon to cover all the waffle bumps. Close and cook for 3 to 3 1/2 minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cool. Repeat with the remaining batter to make a second chaffle. This recipe makes two chaffles. Cool completely before frosting.

2. Peanut Butter Frosting: In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese, peanut butter and butter with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in the powdered sweetener and vanilla extract. Beat in the cream, one tablespoon at a time, until a fluffy and spreadable consistency is achieved.

3. Place one chaffle on a plate and spread with about 1/2 of the frosting. Add the second layer and top with the remaining frosting. Refrigerate for about 20 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, make the Chocolate Ganache: In a small bowl or saucepan, heat the heavy cream in the microwave or on the stovetop until hot and beginning to bubble at the edges. Add the chocolate chips and allow to sit for a few minutes to melt before stirring. Whisk until smooth. If your ganache is too thick, add additional hot cream, 1 teaspoon at a time, and whisk until you achieve at smooth and pourable consistency. (Note: This recipe will make more ganache than you need. Store the leftover in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Simply reheat gently in the microwave, 10 seconds at a time, until melted.)

5. Drizzle about 1 tablespoon of ganache over the top of the cake and sprinkle with chopped peanuts. 

Nutritional Information per 1/2 cake: 367 calories, 7.2 g carbohydrates (2.5 g dietary fiber, 1.2 g sugars), 33.8 g total fat (14.3 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat), 153 mg cholesterol, 212 mg sodium, 55.8 mg calcium, 48 mg potassium, 222 mg Vit A, 1 mg iron, 9.7 g protein. Net carbs per serving: 4.7 grams

Photos and recipe by Kathy Sheehan, copyright 2020

All rights reserved. Please do not duplicate without the author’s permission. 

Low Carb Apple Pie Filling (made with Chayote Squash)

This all-purpose “apple” filling is great to use in any recipe that calls for apples, such as a pie or tart, cake, bread, pancakes, fritters or even applesauce. They are delicious on their own or served with keto ice cream. Their taste and texture is amazingly and truly like apples! Chayote squash is an almost tasteless, mild and firm squash, so it’s a perfect low carb substitute for apples. Simmered with apple pie spices, a zero-carb sweetener and lemon juice for tartness, it readily absorbs those flavors. Although it is optional, I think the addition of apple extract or flavoring is important to achieve the best apple-like flavor. I use Capella Double Apple flavoring (see photo below) and only a few drops is enough to impart a realistic “appleness” to this recipe. (You can leave it out and the recipe will still work fine, but the result may not give you the full apple punch, in my opinion.) I’m offering this basic recipe as a prelude to more “apple” recipes to come. Once you try these apples, I think you’ll be as delighted as I am to have this low carb alternative in your recipe box.

Low Carb “Apple” Pie Filling

Makes 2 cups

2 cups chayote squash, peeled, seeded and cut into thin slices (2-3 squash, depending on size)

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons golden erythritol sweetener, or to taste (I use LaKanto Golden)

2 teaspoons apple pie spice blend

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon apple extract or 10 drops apple flavoring (I used Capella Double Apple), optional

6-8 drops monkfruit extract or stevia, if additional sweetness is needed

Water, if needed

In a medium to large skillet, melt the butter over medium-low heat and add the squash, sweetener, apple pie spice and lemon juice. Stir to combine. Cover and simmer for at least 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, adding water if needed to keep the apples hydrated (you don’t want them to dry out). Once the squash begins to soften, add the apple extract and monkfruit extract or stevia to taste. Continue cooking, covered, until the squash is tender, about 5-10 more minutes. You want the “apples” to be fork-tender. (If you plan to eat them without additional cooking, such as in a recipe that is baked, make sure they are very soft and no longer have any crunch.)

Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes to allow the flavors to mingle or store in an airtight container for up to a week. You can use this filling in any recipe that calls for apples, such as a pie or tart, apple cake or bread. Or serve warm with whipped cream or keto vanilla ice cream.

Nutritional Information per 1/2 cup: 67 calories, 4.2 g carbohydrates (1.8 g dietary fiber, 1.4 g sugars), 5.9 g total fat (3.7 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat), 15 mg cholesterol, 43 mg sodium, 27.6 mg calcium, 100 mg potassium, 1 mg iron, 66 mg Vit A, 9 mg Vit C, 0.7 g protein. Net carbs per serving: 2.4 grams

Note: Compared to no sugar added, canned apple pie filling, this recipe is about 10 carbs LESS per 1/2 cup! 

Recipe by Kathy Sheehan, copyright 2020

All rights reserved. Please do not duplicate without the author’s permission.