Monday, January 6, 2014

Gluten, Dairy, and Refined Sugar-Free Fudge

It's tastier than it sounds, I promise. If your allergies force you to cook creatively, then you'll probably love it. And hey, I think you'll like it even if you don't have weird dietary needs, Jack! In fact, I made it for a guy I dated this summer, and, after he'd licked his lips and raved about it, he promptly went home and googled a similar recipe so he could make it for himself.

This fudge is about the healthiest dessert I've ever made.  Coconut oil has loads of health benefits: it supports the thyroid, reverses or improves Alzheimer's Disease, improves Type 1 and 2 Diabetes, and more. Scientists think nuts can lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or "bad" cholesterol, which causes heart disease. And studies suggest honey fights infections and treats allergies. This fudge is so healthy I often eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It's so fun being a grown-up. 


I've taken a recipe I found floating around the internet and tweaked it just a bit for my needs. I think there are all sorts of fun variations you could make with this basic recipe:

INGREDIENTS:
  • 1/2 cup salted nut butter (I use pecan, but it would be great with almond, cashew, or peanut butter, too)*
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (Trader Joe's brand is my favorite; Hershey's is good too, but it makes the fudge taste a bit more like dark chocolate)
  • 1/2 cup melted coconut oil (You don't have to melt it if you have a really nice blender or food processor that can blend the chunks of oil into silky smooth liquid)
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • A splash of vanilla
  • Optional mix-ins: 1-2 cups of Rice Krispies, or chopped nuts, or marshmallows (my favorite is organic, brown rice krispies; although all three would be great together!)
*I make my own nut butter and have found that 1 cup of roasted nuts makes about 1/2 cup of nut butter.


DIRECTIONS:
 
Blend the nut butter, cocoa powder, coconut oil, honey, and vanilla in a blender or food processor until smooth and silky. If you want, mix in the optional mix-ins by hand.

Pour the mixture into a silicon muffin tray or a muffin tin filled with baking cups. I prefer the baking trays for mini muffins, since the fudge is so rich.

Put the muffin tray in the refrigerator or freezer until the fudge has hardened. Store the fudge in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Bon appétit!

Cheering for ya, Home Skillets,

Sarah


facebook iconhttps://www.instagram.com/sarahjacksonpanther/pinterest iconheart icon


Other gluten, dairy, egg and refined sugar-free recipes you  may like:
 Chocolate Mousse Parfait
Banana Chia Seed Pudding 
Berries and Cream Ice Cream
Pecan and maple waffles 






© by scj

17 comments:

  1. There is so much scope for the imagination with this recipe. You could health-ify it with chia and hemp seeds. You could intense-ify it with homemade ooey-gooey caramel. Or, my all time favorite, whip up some coconut whipping cream and dunk away. Everything tastes so much more romantic with homemade coconut whipping cream, don't you think?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh I love these ideas! They're delightful and diverse and imaginative! I think I'll have to try all three. And I do agree with you: homemade coconut whipping cream is one of the spices of life. It's right up there with bacon, in my book. ;) I like eating it in all sorts of delicious forms. I must try it with this fudge.

      Delete
  2. We made this tonight and it was AMAZING! We made ours in the blendtec. Word to the wise, don't overmix it or it separates. We still froze it and it was still AMAZING but I think it will be even better next time. This will become a regular for us I am sure!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm glad you liked it, Rach! Thanks for the tip. I haven't experienced that yet. Did the oil separate from the nut butter?

      Delete
  3. Oh. My. Word. These are a real problem--I've been making them every other day with homemade cashew butter. They are sooooo goooood. You've changed my chocolate-loving world for the better!! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh wonderful! I'm so glad to know I'm not the only one eating them almost daily! They are truly a special kind of grace. ;)

      Delete
  4. My family and I love these too (and there are 8 of us, so no small feat!). I was wondering how you'd change the recipe if you made it without the nut butter. I love it with the nut butter, but sometimes I crave just plain chocolate. Any suggestions would be appreciated! Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Heather,

      I'm glad you and your clan like them! I haven't met a person yet who doesn't. :) I've made fudge using coconut products that is yummy. Here's a link to the recipe:

      http://faithfulprovisions.com/coconut-oil-chocolate-fudge/

      Enjoy!

      -S

      Delete
  5. https://www.pinterest.com/pin/242138917437312496/

    This is a very similar recipe that is just chocolate I have tried it and love it. I have put a few drops of doTerra peppermint essential oil in it too for a little mint chocolate taste.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. http://thingsmybellylikes.com/2012/11/09/maple-coconut-chocolates/

      opps this is the actual link :)

      Delete
    2. This looks delicious! Thanks for sharing.

      -S

      Delete
  6. Thank you for this! My 11 yr old daughter is off all refined sugar and dairy, but her Dr. said honey was ok. I made this for her before our camping trip last week and we put it in a sliced open banana with some peanut butter, wrapped it up and grilled it on the campfire - it made an excellent replacement for the s'mores all the other cousins were having. She also enjoyed it straight, it really saved the day. Making another batch today! Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This sounds like a delicious way to use the fudge! Thanks for the fun idea. I'm glad your daughter enjoyed it.

      -SJ

      Delete
  7. Yum! Came out amazing with cashew butter! Subbed maple syrup, added a splash of rum and some shaved cocoa butter!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Gwen,

      Sounds delicious! Love these creative ideas for changing up the recipe. Thanks for sharing.

      -Sarah

      Delete
  8. I just made these last minute for a party! Delicious! A wonderful paleo alternative!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm glad you enjoyed them, Deanna! They are my favorite paleo holiday treat — especially with organize, sprouted brown rice krispies. :)

      Delete