Cocoa Candy Cane PB2

Looking for an ultra easy way to Christmas-ify your favorite oatmeal recipe? This topping needs half of a standard candy cane and can be whipped up in about two minutes!

What you’ll need: 

• 2 tbsp chocolate PB2*, or plain pb2 + 1 tsp cocoa powder
• 2 tbsp water*
• 1/8 tsp vanilla extract, or peppermint extract!
• 1-2 tsp chopped peppermint candy cane

How to make it:

1. In a small bowl, add water a little at a time to the PB2. Don’t add the water all at once; that way you’ll be able to choose the consistency you want. I find stirring with a FORK the most effective method.
2. Stir vanilla extract into PB2, and then stir in the chopped candy cane.
3. Add to the top of your oatmeal of choice and enjoy!

Just an FYI:

You could also stir in chopped semisweet, white, or dark chocolate.

The toughest part is just deciding what oatmeal to put it on top of. Not all flavors mesh with mint, after all! I put mine on top of glorious Thin Mints Oatmeal, but I could also see it atop Brownie Baked Oatmeal, Sweet Potato Fudge Oatmeal, or Mint Brownie Baked Oatmeal.

The chocolate version of PB2 is sometimes difficult to find in stores, but you can make your own by mixing cocoa powder with PB2. If all else fails, you can use any chocolate nut butter (like PB&Co) or regular nut butter + cocoa powder. The latter is what I do when I’m at my parents’ house, working with the ingredients they have around the house.

Tip: any time you mix cocoa powder into a plain nut butter or PB2, I recommend adding a teensy bit of vanilla extract–like 1/8 tsp. You won’t regret it.