Holiday Date Fudge

Servings: 12
Preparation Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 pound pitted Medjool dates
• 1/4 cup Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil
• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 1/2 cups pecan or walnut pieces

Directions:

Soak pitted dates in hot water for 10 minutes, then drain well and dry on paper towels. Blend the dates and coconut oil in a large food processor until smooth. Add cocoa, vanilla extract, and honey, and continue to blend until mixed well. Recipe can be made in 2 half batches for easier blending.

Put fudge mixture into 1 gallon heavy-duty freezer Ziploc bag. Add nuts and seal bag with most of the air out, then massage by hand until the nuts are mixed well into the fudge. Press all the air out of the bag, seal, and place on flat surface. Press down firmly to shape the fudge. Refrigerate for 1 day.

Compress fudge again on the 2nd day to get a firmer fudge consistency. On the 3rd day, it can be cut into 12 pieces. Keep refrigerated until served.

For holiday meals, freeze separated fudge pieces for 1 hour, then stack fudge on a chilled serving plate immediately before table presentation.

Recipe and photo submitted by Kathleen, Anaheim, CA.

Submit your recipe here!

Pumpkin Butter Truffles

Servings: 8
Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup almond butter*
• 2–3 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1/4 cup vanilla protein powder (optional, add 1/4 cup more flour to replace)
• 1/2 cup almond flour
• 1 tablespoon lucuma powder (optional, adds maple flavor)
• 3/4–1 teaspoon pumpkin spice
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• dash or two of salt (omit if using salted nut butter)

Chocolate:

• 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips
• 1 tablespoon cacao butter or coconut oil

Directions:

Combine the pumpkin, almond butter, syrup, and oil in a bowl.

In a different mixing bowl, combine the flour, protein powder, lucuma, spices, and salt.

Add the wet to the dry and mix well. Place the mixture in the freezer for a couple hours until it has hardened a bit and can be formed into balls.

Once mixture is hard enough to handle, form inch in diameter size balls, place them on a cookie sheet or plate lined with parchment, and place back in the freezer for 30 minutes.

While those are in the freezer, add the chocolate chips and cacao butter/oil to a small mixing bowl that has been placed over a small pan of boiling water. This is to get the chocolate to melt without burning it. Once water is boiling, turn down to a simmer.

With a spoon or a toothpick, place each ball into the chocolate and coat. Return each truffle back to the parchment paper and put back in the freezer to let the chocolate set, about 15 minutes.

Store in the refrigerator or freezer.

Quick notes:

*Any nut or seed butter would work here. Coconut Cream Concentrate would be an option as well.

Recipe and photo submitted by Kate, Highlands Ranch, CO.

Submit your recipe here!

“Caramel” Fudge

Servings: 12
Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup sunflower seed butter
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
• 2 tablespoons Coconut Cream Concentrate
• 1 tablespoon raw honey
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4–1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Directions:

Grease a small pan. Place all ingredients (except chocolate chips) in the food processor (or if you don’t have one, you could combine it all on low on the stove) and combine until smooth. Pour your mixture into the pan and stick it in the fridge for about 5 minutes. Pull it out, add some chocolate chips, then throw it back in until it’s set!

Cut up into 12–16 squares. These should be kept in the fridge; they get a little melty.

Recipe and photo submitted by Sarah, Abilene, TX.

Submit your recipe here!