Paleo Fudge Superfood

Super-Fudge-Healthy-Snack

This nutty fudge has everything you want in a perfect snack. Chocolate, low-carbs, high-nutrition, rich flavor, and crunchy nuts. 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

  1. Cover a 9 x 9 square pan with a strip of parchment paper that comes up on 2 sides like handles.
  2. Chop the nuts coarsely in a food processor or by hand, and set aside.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. Lastly add the shredded coconut and chopped nuts. Pulse briefly so they are mixed in, but still in big chunks.
  7. 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.
  8. Remove from refrigerator, lift the handles to place the single slab of fudge on a cutting board. Cut into 1-inch squares. Eat.