This nutty fudge has everything you desire in the perfect snack: Chocolate, low-carbs, high-nutrition, rich flavor, and crunchy nuts. However, what looks like a decadent sweet, secretly hides nutrient-dense foods likes hemp nuts, flaxseeds, bee pollen, chia seeds, and oh yes, beets! It’s easy to make – just mix the ingredients, press into a pan, chill, and eat. They look like those chia squares I used to buy in the grocery bins before going sugar-free and Paleo – except they’re sooooo much more nutritious and tasty. Plus they’re sweetened with natural zero-glycemic sweetener, so they satisfy sweet cravings, while leaving your blood sugar untouched. Or use your favorite sweetener. Freeze any leftovers in a BPA-free container for a rainy day. You’ll need a food processor for this recipe – really. Keep the batter close to room temperature, and don’t allow it to get too hot, or the oil may separate. Makes a 9 x 9-inch pan, or about 70 1-inch pieces of yummy fudge.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups nuts, (I used 1 cup pecans, 1 cup almonds, 1/2 cup walnuts, soaked and toasted if possible (See All About Nuts)
- 1 cup Hemp nuts (also called hemp hearts)
- 170 grams coconut butter (or 3/4 cup if softened - place the jar in a bowl of warm water)
- 6 tablespoons coconut oil, melted but not hot (place the jar in a bowl of warm water)
- 1/4 cup flaxseeds, freshly ground (Use a hand-held grinder or superblender to grind them.)
- 3 tablespoons black chia seeds
- 1/4 cup pure cacao powder (or carob if you're avoiding caffeine)
- 1 tablespoon maca powder (optional)
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/4 heaping teaspoon unprocessed salt
- 1 tablespoon bee pollen (optional)
- 3/4 cup sweetener - half brown is yummy. 3/4 cup Just Like Sugar Table Top or Brown natural chicory root sweetener, or 2 tablespoons PureLo Lo Han Sweetener by Swanson, or 1/2 cup raw honey, or your favorite sweetener.
- Zest of 1/2 orange
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 1/4 teaspoon maple flavoring
- 1/2 cup grated raw beet, packed tight (or carrot, pumpkin, sweet potato)
- 1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
Instructions
- Cover a 9 x 9 square pan with a strip of parchment paper that comes up on 2 sides like handles.
- Chop the nuts coarsely in a food processor or by hand, and set aside.
- In a food processor, add the hemp nuts and process until they are a smooth butter. This may take a few minutes depending on your machine. It took 5 minutes in my Cuisinart.
- Add coconut butter, melted coconut oil, freshly ground flaxseeds, chia seeds, cacao or carob, salt, maca powder, cinnamon, cardamom, salt, and bee pollen, if using. Process well until it is a smooth paste.
- Now it gets interesting. Add the sweetener, orange zest, vanilla, maple flavor, and shredded beet. Mix well. The batter will be like a thick, dark paste from a parallel dimension. Do not be concerned.
- Lastly add the shredded coconut and chopped nuts. Pulse briefly so they are mixed in, but still in big chunks.
- Press into the pan with a spatula. Press down on the top so it’s even and flat. Refrigerate for 3 hours to set. Do not freeze.
- Remove from refrigerator, lift the handles to place the single slab of fudge on a cutting board. Cut into 1-inch squares. Eat.
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