Anyone who loves chocolate knows there are plenty of great ways to satisfy your craving. Here are 13 ridiculously delicious and surprisingly healthy ways to treat yourself to a chocolatey dessert.
Raw Chocolate Brownies
Brownie Ingredients
- 1 cup almonds
- 1 cup walnuts
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil melted
- 10 fresh dates pitted
- ½ cup cacao powder
Icing Ingredients
- ½ cup cashews
- ½ cup coconut cream
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla powder
- 1 tablespoon cacao powder
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- Strawberries (or other berries) to serve
Preparation
1. Process almonds, walnuts and cacao until the nuts turn into a fine meal and the cacao is well combined. Add dates slowly until the mixture combines and starts to stick together.
2. Finally add coconut oil and process until well combined. Press the combined brownie mixture into a small tray or container. Place in the fridge while you make the icing.
3. To make the icing, process all ingredients until smooth and then spread on top of the brownie. Cool in the fridge for 3 hours, then cut into squares and serve with strawberries (or other berries). These brownies are best stored in the fridge.
Chocolate Berry Mousse Tart
Ingredients
- 1 large avocado
- 1 tablespoon cacao powder
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- Raspberries, blueberries (any berries you have) and shredded coconut to garnish
Preparation
Blend the avocado, cacao powder and maple syrup in a blender until shiny and smooth. Spoon mixture into a small tart tin and set in the fridge for a couple of hours. Sprinkle with berries and coconut.
Chocolate Cherry Ripe Slice
Base Ingredients
- 1 cup nuts (I used almonds)
- 1/3 cup cacao powder
- 4 fresh dates pitted
Filling Ingredients
- 2 cup shredded coconut
- 1 cup dried cherries
- 6 fresh dates pitted
- ¼ cup coconut cream
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla powder
- Pinch of salt
Topping Ingredients
- 3.5oz/100g melted dark chocolate
Preparation
1. Process nuts and cacao powder in a food processor until the nuts are fine and the mixture is well combined. Slowly add the dates until the mixture sticks together.
2. Press the mixture into a slice tray or into a 12 cup muffin tray. Place into the fridge while you make the filling. Process filling ingredients in a food processor until well combined. Spoon the filling onto the base and top with melted dark chocolate.
3. Place into the fridge to set. Once set, slice into squares or remove from muffin tray and serve. This slice is best stored in the fridge.
Chocolate Nutty Bliss Balls
Ingredients
- 5 fresh dates pitted
- 1/2 cup almonds
- 1/2 cup walnuts
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil melted
- 1/4 cup cacao powder
- Shredded coconut for rolling
Preparation
Process nuts in a blender and slowly add the dates and coconut oil until well combined and the mixture sticks together. Roll the mixture into balls, cover in coconut and enjoy. Store in the fridge – if you don’t eat them first!
Chocolate Oat Slice
Slice Ingredients
- ½ cup shredded coconut
- ½ cup oats
- ½ cup LSA (ground linseed, sunflower seed and almond mix)
- ½ cup almond meal
- 2 tablespoons psyllium husk
- 2 tablespoon maca powder
- 2 tablespoons coconut sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup of nut or seed butter (peanut butter, almond butter, tahina, cashew butter, brazil nut butter, hazelnut butter, etc)
Chocolate Topping Ingredients
- ¾ cup cacao butter melted
- 3 tablespoons cacao powder
- 3 tablespoons honey
Preparation
1. Mix slice ingredients in a bowl until well combined. Pour into a slice tray and press down firmly. Place into the fridge to set.
2. Mix chocolate topping ingredients until smooth. Pour over slice and return to the fridge to set. Once set, cut slice into 12 bars or squares. Store slice in the fridge.
Warm Hot Chocolate
Ingredients
- 2 cups coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon cacao powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
Preparation
Warm all ingredients over medium heat on the stove, stirring continuously. Once warm and smooth, pour into 2 cups and serve.
Chocolate Mint Slice
Base Ingredients
- 10 fresh dates pitted
- 1 cup almonds
- 1 cup walnuts
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- ½ cup cacao powder
Peppermint Cream Filling Ingredients
- 1 cups cashews
- 2 cups desiccated coconut
- ¾ cup coconut oil
- ¾ cup maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla powder
- 4 drops peppermint oil
- Chocolate Topping Ingredients:
- 7oz/200g dark chocolate
Preparation
1. Process the base layer ingredients in a food processor until well combined. Press the mixture into a 15cm x 20cm slice tray and place in the freezer to set.
2. Process the peppermint cream layer ingredients in your food processor until smooth. This may take a few minutes, depending on the strength of your processor. Stop every few minutes to scrape down the sides.
3. Once smooth, pour the creamy mixture onto the base layer and place back into the freezer. Melt the chocolate until smooth. Pour over the slice and place in the fridge to set. Once set, you can cut the slice into squares and serve.
Chocolate Chia Pudding
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons chia seeds
- 1 ½ cups almond milk
- 1 tablespoon cacao powder
- 1 tablespoon goji berries
- 1 tablespoon shredded coconut
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon cacao nibs
Preparation
1. Combine all ingredients except cacao nibs in a bowl, cup, mug or jar and stir until well combined and the chia seeds start to soak up the almond milk liquid and form a pudding-like consistency.
2. Leave to soak up the remainder of the liquid for a few minutes. Sprinkle the pudding with cacao nibs and serve.
Chocolate Bounty Bar
Base Ingredients
- 1 cup nuts (I used almonds)
- 1/3 cup cacao powder
- 4 fresh dates
Filling Ingredients
- 3 cups shredded coconut
- 1 cup cashews
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla powder
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil
Topping Ingredients
- 3.5oz/100g melted dark chocolate
Preparation
1. Process nuts and cacao powder in a food processor until the nuts are fine and the mixture is well combined. Slowly add the dates until the mixture sticks together. Press the mixture into a slice tray or into a 12 cup muffin tray.
2. Place into the fridge while you make the filling. Process filling ingredients in a food processor until well combined. Spoon the filling onto the base and top with melted dark chocolate.
3. Place into the fridge to set. Once set, slice into squares or remove from muffin tray and serve. This slice is best stored in the fridge.
Chocolate Muffin in a Cup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon coconut flour
- 1 tablespoon shredded coconut
- 1 tablespoon cacao powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon honey
- ¼ cup coconut cream
Preparation
Mix all ingredients in a mug and cook in the microwave for 1 minute. Enjoy warm.
Chocolate Coconut Pancakes
Serves 2
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup coconut flour
- 1/4 cup cacao powder
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate soda
Suggested toppings
- Greek yoghurt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- cacao nibs
- chopped nuts (I used macadamias)
- berries (I used strawberries and blueberries)
Preparation
1. Mix all ingredients in a bowl until well combined. Fry batter in a pan on the stove over medium heat with a little coconut oil.
2. Top with toppings of your choice.
Chocolate Superfood Slice
Ingredients
- 1 cup melted cacao butter
- 1/4 cup cacao powder
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar
- 1/4 cup hazelnuts
- 1/4 cup chopped brazil nuts
- 1/4 cup almonds
- 1/4 cup walnuts
- 1/4 cup buckwheat groats
- 1/4 cup shredded coconut
- 1/4 cup goji berries
- 1/4 cup cacao nibs
- 1/4 cup cranberries
- 1 tablespoon bee pollen
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
Preparation
1. Combine cacao butter, cacao powder and coconut sugar to make base chocolate recipe. Once well mixed and smooth, add remaining superfoods and nuts and stir until well combined.
2. Pour into a 14cm by 18cm tray or container. Set in the fridge for a couple of hours. Once set, pop out of tray or container and break or cut into chunks. This chocolate is best stored in the fridge.
Chocolate Peppermint Protein Balls
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup almond meal
- 1/2 cup shredded coconut
- 1 tablespoon psyllium husk
- 3 tablespoons ground flaxseeds/linseed or LSA
- 2 tablespoons protein powder
- 2 tablespoon cacao
- 2 tablespoon almond butter
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- A couple of drops of peppermint essential oil
Preparation
1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix with your hands until well combined.
2. Roll into balls. You can roll the balls in extra shredded coconut if you like. This recipe makes about 15 balls. They are best stored in the fridge.
Photo courtesy of the author
Emily Holmes is the author and creator of her two e-books, Transform Your Life in 8 Weeks and Conscious Cleanse. She has been featured in Women’s Health and Fitness Magazine, Nature and Health Magazine, and Body Soul Magazine. Emily inspires countless people to use food for abundant energy, clear skin and a peaceful mind. She is currently studying for her Masters in Human Nutrition.