dessert Archives - Happy Healthy RD

Last Minute Candy Cane Chocolates – Only 5 Ingredients

December 20, 2016 by Leave a Comment

Christmas is this weekend! Are you ready?!? I know I have a few more things to cross off my list before Sunday including making another batch of these chocolates. If you are in need of a quick sweet treat for a last minute gift or holiday party this week, I’ve got you covered. These chocolates take just minutes to prepare and the ingredients are easy to find (or you might already have them in your pantry). Just four ingredients: coconut oil, cocoa powder, maple syrup, and peppermint extract and/or crushed candy canes and you’ve got yourself some chocolates.

I made these using a medium size muffin tin with muffin liners which totally worked, although it is difficult to get a completely perfect and consistent shape. I think they would be darling in a candy cane shape, and I’m definitely going to hit up the after Christmas sales and be on the hunt for Christmas themed chocolate molds so I’m better prepared next year.

I added a bit of peppermint extract to the chocolate mixture but if you don’t have that on hand, don’t sweat it. The candy cane crunchies are really the star of the show and they add a delicious minty flavor. Smooth dark chocolate with mint, is there any better combination?!?

Also since the ingredient list is very short, these treats should be good for those with food sensitivities. They are dairy, nut, and gluten free.

Be Happy, Be Healthy! Have a wonderful holiday!

Candy Cane Chocolates

These peppermint candy cane chocolates are the perfect holiday treat (vegan & gluten free).

Course

Chocolate, Dessert

Servings

chocolates

Ingredients

1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 tsp peppermint extract
candy canes, crushed for garnish

Course

Chocolate, Dessert

Servings

chocolates

Ingredients

1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 tsp peppermint extract
candy canes, crushed for garnish

Instructions

Heat oil, cocoa powder, maple syrup, and peppermint extract in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir frequently until completely melted and combined.
Prepare chocolate molds or muffin tin using muffin liners. Evenly distribute chocolate mixture between molds. I used about 2 tablespoons per chocolate, but this may vary depending on what mold you are using.
Sprinkle crushed candy cane in each chocolate. If you want candy throughout the chocolate, give a small stir. If you just want the candy on top, do not stir. Pop them in the freezer for about 30 minutes or until hard. Best kept cold.

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Chocolate Almond Butter Cups with Raspberries

February 11, 2016 by 2 Comments

Anyone have exciting Valentine’s day plans? I will be working this weekend so we will probably have a low-key Valentine’s day night. My main requirement for V-Day is chocolate, I mean…is there really anything else that you need? This year I am all about the homemade chocolate treats.

I’m still deciding if it is a good thing or a bad thing that I have started to experiment with making my own chocolates. Good thing because they are darn delicious and so easy to make but a bad thing because I end up eating them all! To me, there is something so satisfying about watching chocolate melt and become velvety smooth. I could stand at the stove and stir chocolate all day.

You could go down the route of melting actual chocolate bars or chips but I have been digging using coconut oil to make chocolate. Mainly because it only requires three ingredients that I almost always have on hand – just coconut oil, cocoa powder, and maple syrup. Plus I don’t have to keep real chocolate lying around which would most likely be eaten before it could ever get to the candy making stage.

Does this taste like exactly like milk chocolate? No, but for me it is close enough. And when you add in creamy almond butter, I’m just as happy with these as I would be with a peanut butter cup. The possibilities for toppings and fillings are practically endless. I decided to go with raspberries since to me they are such a sexy little fruit but you could do strawberries (maybe cut them in little heart shapes -cute!) or dried fruit like cherries or crystallized ginger would work really well too. The filling is optional or you could use peanut butter or a jam or jelly might taste really good too.

Chocolate Almond Butter Cups with Raspberries

Makes 6 chocolate cups

1/3 cup coconut oil

1/3 cup cocoa powder

2 tablespoons maple syrup

3 tablespoons almond butter

Raspberries for topping

Sprinkle of sea salt if desired

Place 6 muffin liners in a muffin tin. Over very low heat, melt coconut oil, cocoa powder, and maple syrup in a small saucepan. Whisk until combined and smooth with no lumps. Pour about one tablespoon into each muffin liner. Chill in freezer for 5-10 minutes. Then spoon about 1/2 tablespoon of almond butter into each cup. Cover with remaining chocolate sauce until almond butter is covered. Place pieces of raspberries on top and finish with a sprinkle of sea salt. Chill for another 20-30 minutes or until chocolates are firm. Store in a covered container in the fridge until ready to eat.

I hope you have a Happy Valentine’s Day!

Be Happy, Be Healthy!

Homemade Larabars with Chocolate Frosting

August 31, 2015 by 12 Comments

Hi! I’m back from a short blogging hiatus, and while it’s always nice to step away from the laptop for awhile I have missed the blogging world. Part of my break was spent on a wonderful roadtrip to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula (I hope to share some pics soon!). While the UP was beau-ti-ful, the food situation was rough. We’re talking French fries most days and greens were nowhere to be found. I did pack lots of healthy(ish) snacks to help offset all the eating out. Larabars, SkinnyPop, and trailmix were lifesavers. I also brought some of these, what I call homemade Larabars, but they only lasted a few days since I had a hard time limiting myself to one a day…spoiler: they are gooood!

I’ve been making energy bites for awhile now but I’m just now getting into bars. This recipe could also be used to make energy bites but it’s a little more labor intensive. My favorite part of these bars is the frosting! I’m not sure if frosting is the best word to describe the chocolate part…maybe glaze would be a better word, but I’m going with frosting. I was inspired by Christina from BeginWithNutrition to experiment with coconut oil frosting. Her No-Bake Double Chocolate Brownie Bites looked too good not to make and they were so easy, and then I fell in love with coconut oil frosting. I was always wary of it because I thought it would taste oily but that’s not the case. It just tastes fudgy and chocolaty.

The base of these bars is dates. I’m starting to think dates are magical… they make everything so sweet naturally and take on other flavors really nicely. The other main components are nuts and seeds. Any combination would work. I just used what I had in my pantry.

If your dates are dry, soak them in some hot water for 5-10 minutes. They’ll soften right up.

Everything goes in the food processor and pulse, pulse, pulse until the mixture starts to come together. Definitely try a nibble or two to make sure you like the flavor.

The mixture will be pretty sticky but if you get your hands wet a little it will be easy to smooth things flat. You can also use a spatula to get it super smooth.

Once it is smooth enough for your liking, make that chocolate frosting and pour on date mixture. (Singing Def Leppard “Pour Some Sugar on Me” is optional but I recommend it. )

Now here is the lame part, there is some waiting involved – to not make a complete mess it’s best to pop in the fridge for a few hours so things can harden. But then cut into bars and enjoy! Super easy to cut with a pizza cutter if you have one.

These are best to keep chilled otherwise the chocolate frosting gets a bit sloppy. I’ve also been keeping them in the freezer with good luck.

Homemade Larabars with Chocolate Frosting

1 cup walnuts

1/4 shredded coconut

1/4 cup pumpkin seeds

1/4 cup sunflower seeds

1/2 cup almonds

2 1/4 cup dried pitted dates (about 30-40 dates)

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

pinch of salt

Chocolate Frosting

1/4 cup coconut oil, melted

1/4 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup cocoa or cacoa powder

1 tablespoon maple syrup

Pulse all the bar ingredients in a food processor until mixture starts to come together. Line a 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper and press mixture until evenly spread and top is smooth. To make frosting, whisk ingredients until combined. Pour frosting on bars and place in fridge for 1-2 hours or until frosting is firm. Once firm, slice into bars and keep chilled.

Be Happy, Be Healthy!