Brainssss and Walnuts | Raw Chocolate Fudge

The first time I made this recipe, I soaked the dates and it ended up as this: frosting, which I used on my 22nd birthday cake. The second and third times, I wised up and kept things dry to make raw chocolate...stuff...fudge...freezer snacks.

Before I moved to Colorado, I made chocolate fudge/protein bar/raw chocolate stuff with all of my leftover chias, cocoa, cacao nibs, coconut, coconut oil, and hempseeds. It was fantastic but I took more pictures of the dog I was watching than of the food I made.

Nevertheless, I do have a few pictures: 

 

I ate pretty much all of it before I left.

 

I've made it four times, four different ways. The first time, I soaked the dates overnight in order for everything to process in the Vitamix easier. Nay, I made frosting, albeit delicious frosting.

 

The second time, this June, I made a very small batch and the Vitamix was able to process the dates and the walnuts and the cocoa together.

 

The third time, same story. I soaked the walnuts but didn't let them soak for more than 4 hours. I still got freezer fudge.

 

Fourth time, I didn't soak anything but I made the full amount. I bricked my Vitamix, which is fine. It recovered quickly from overheating.

 

 

TC asked me what I was making. I said, "Raw vegan chocolate fudgy stuffs." Aren't you making that a lot lately? Isn't it kind of...junk food?

 

No, it's healthy treats! Besides, it's so rich, it's difficult to eat a lot of it at once.

 

Walnuts: contain healthy levels of Omega-3 fatty acids, which help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and help with brain function, and vitamin E, which is an antioxidant.

 

Cocoa: contains polyphenolic flavonoids, which also help reduce LDL and lower blood pressure.

 

Coconut oil: virgin coconut oil contains the medium-chain fatty acid, lauric acid, which also promotes HDL and lowers LDL.

 

Date & maple syrup-sweetened chocolate full of healthy fats. Not junk food.

 

Raw Chocolate Fudgy Stuffs

Modified from My Darling Lemon Thyme and Whole Foods Market and every other raw vegan fudge recipe on the Interwebs

 

2 cups walnuts, soaked

2 cups dates, chopped

1/2 cup coconut oil, melted

1/4 cup maple syrup (substitute raw agave to make recipe raw)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 cup cocoa powder (use raw cacao powder to make it truly raw)

 

If using a food processor, you can make the recipe in one go. If using a blender, work in batches.

 

 

Line a 9-inch cake pan with parchment or waxed paper and clear some space in your freezer.

 

Blitz the walnuts until they make a clingy meal. Scrape into a bowl and set aside.

 

Blitz the dates, coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla, and salt until pasty. Add the date mixture to the walnuts and stir in the cocoa powder. 

 

 

Stir hard. Stir really well until uniformly combined. (I ran out of walnuts and substituted a cup of almond meal.) Finally, transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and smooth over.

 

 

Freeze for about four hours.

 

 

It looks about the same after being frozen, so here's another photo pre-freeze.

 

Om nom nom nom.

 

 

Yes, you read that right, 78 fluid ounces of coconut oil. Thank you, Costco.

Come to the Dark Side...we have vegan and gluten-free goodies.