I’ve always loved Medjool dates. Growing up in the Westwood area of Los Angeles where there is a sizable Persian community and many Middle Eastern grocery stores, my dad would always stock our house with the largest, moistest Medjool dates. Medjool dates are sweet enough on their own, but to take their decadence to the next level for an over the top sweet treat, I decided to stuff them w/ nut butter and coat them in chocolate. The result is an indulgent yet healthy(ish) sweet treat that I think is best enjoyed with coffee or espresso as an afternoon pick me up. They’re easy to make, look fancy and would be nice as a homemade gift as well. Enjoy!
Servings: 6 dates
Ingredients:
- 6 medjool dates
- Almond butter or nut butter of your choice – about 1-2 tbspn
- 1/2 cup of chocolate chips/ chunks or bar – I used vegan brand Hu chocolate gems
- Optional toppings: Coconut shreds, nuts, cacao nibs, sea salt
Directions:
- Open each medjool date and stuff it with nut butter as pictured below
- Put the stuffed dates in freezer for 10-15 minutes
- In a small saucepan on low heat, heat the chocolate and stir frequently. You should get a delicious melted chocolate in just about 1 minute.
- Line a plate or container with parchment paper
- With a fork (or with you hand but careful as the chocolate is hot), dip each stuffed date until it’s fully coated in the chocolate and place on parchment paper.
- Coat with toppings of your choice such as any nut, coconut shreds, seeds, cacao nibs etc.
- Place in fridge for 10-15 minutes for chocolate to set.
Crunchy & sweet nut butter treats
These delicious nut butter bites are great as a pre or post workout snack or are fun to serve as a sweet vegan treat at a party too. They are really easy to make – the only thing you will need is chocolate molds (I got these on Amazon and love the variety of shapes, particularly the hearts and the circles and rectangles embedded with swirly designs; I also got similar molds shaped like cute little robots). They should take no longer than 10 minutes to make and will set in the freezer and be ready to eat in about 1 hour. Note you do need to keep them in the freezer and serve immediately when taking out since the coco oil and nut butter combo make these prone to melting, especially in high heat. You’ll get protein from the nut butter, healthy fat from the coco oil, and an energy and mood boost!
Granola coated Maple Peanut Butter Bites
If you want a sweet afternoon treat (perfect with coffee for all you afternoon coffee drinkers out there), this four ingredient recipe takes less than 10 minutes to make and can be consumed immediately or frozen for a few minutes for more solid texture.
Ingredients:
1. 3/4 cup peanut butter (I used salted crunchy. If you don’t use salted, you’ll want to add some sea salt)
2. 1/2 cup maple syrup
3. 1/3 cup coconut oil
4. 1/2 cup granola (you can find a few different granola recipes on this site or use store bought)
Directions:
1. Add peanut butter, maple syrup, and coconut oil to medium bowl. Mix well until coconut oil chunks are fully dissolved (assuming coconut oil isn’t already liquified).
2. On a plate spread out some granola that you will dip the mixture into to coat.
3. Scoop out quarter diameter sized balls and using your hands shape them into small balls before rolling into granola mixture until fully coated.
4. Once complete you can eat immediately (will be gooey) or you can place in freezer for about 10 minutes and they will set for more solid texture (I prefer the latter). Keep remaining stored in freezer and take out when you want a tasty treat! They should keep well for a week.
Mint choco-coco bars
This is an incredible mostly raw vegan holiday treat – crunchy, chocolaty goodness!
Ingredients:
1. Almond flour- 2 cups
2. Cocoa powder- 2 cups
3. Coconut OR maple sugar- 1/2 cup
4. 1/2 tsp sea salt
5. 1/2 cup coco oil, warmed to liquify
6. 1 tbsp peppermint extract
7. 1 tbsp vanilla extract
Directions:
1. In a bowl, combine ingredients #1-4
2. In a separate small bowl, mix coco oil and extracts
3. Add the wet mixture to the dry bowl and stir well
4. Press dough on parchment lined pan and put in freezer to chill
5. Once firm, cut into slices and store in a container – keep in freezer or fridge. I reco freezer b/c it stays really crunchy.
This recipe was inspired by and slightly adapted from Living Raw Food book
Coco bliss balls
I’ve been drinking a lot of young thai coconuts lately and playing around with different recipes where I can use all the luscious raw coconut meat. These creamy, decadent raw vegan treats are a great protein packed sweet indulgence.