peanut butter and chocolate

There are certain things in this world that are a natural match made in heaven; the pairing of peanut butter and chocolate is one of those combinations in my book. Everyone's seen this in ice cream, but I decided that it's time for a peanut butter pop dipped in some choc!

I used all-natural peanut butter since I had it on hand, but a traditional store-bought peanut butter like Skippy or Jif would make a better base, as the flavor is more intense. Since these little guys are exceptionally rich, keeping these popsicles on the miniature side is key (if you don't have small popsicle molds, use tiny paper cups or shot glasses instead).

The chocolate shell needs to be cool to room temperature to ensure you don't melt the popsicles while dipping. Once dipped, however, the popsicles are ready to eat; alternatively, store them in the freezer until you're ready to serve them.

If you, too, are a peanut butter-and-chocolate fiend, bust out your popsicle sticks and get to freezing these easy chocolate and peanut butter packed popsicles. Read ahead for the recipe.

I aim to eat fresh real food whenever possible, but early morning workouts and a rushed commute to work means I occasionally reach for energy bars on the go. My flavor of choice is peanut butter and chocolate (because how could you not love the salty and sweet combo?!) and I've tried more varieties than I care to admit. Some are protein-filled and a delight like candy, and others taste like cardboard. It's hard to pick a winner, but my recent go-to has been the Think Thin Chunky Peanut Butter Bar, which packs 20 grams of protein and no added sugar but somehow satisfies my sweet tooth.

Are you a choco-nut too? Check out nutritional breakdowns and reviews of some of other popular choices.

After drooling over Party's amazing brownies, I knew I was going to have pull out the butter and flour and get to baking my own batch. Rather than making an uber chocolate one like she did, I opted for a peanut butter and chocolate variation. Initially, I wanted a recipe for chocolate brownies with a peanut butter swirl, but I came across the reverse — peanut butter brownies with chocolate chunks — and had to give it a try!

These peanut butter brownies are dense, moist, and full of flavor. I added three quarters of a cup of chocolate chips and next time will make it an even cup, so every bite has both peanut butter and chocolate. These brownies are easy to make and would be out of this world served fresh from the oven with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. If you want to earn brownie points with your friends and family who are obsessed with the combination of peanut butter and chocolate, keep reading.