This chocolate is a taste of nostalgia for me – chunks of dried fruit & nuts in amongst some good old fashioned chocolate take me back to my Cadbury eating days. There was something about that classic Fruit & Nut flavour that fooled me into thinking it was a “healthier” choice over perhaps the caramello option. (Yes that’s all the convincing I needed to justify this indulgence.) Never mind that the fruit was probably treated and covered in sugar and the nuts; roasted. In those days my ignorance to what I was feeding my body was in a fact bliss.
Now that I’m a bit more clued in to the effects of refined sugar, milk and bad fats on the human body i’ve given candy bars the boot. But this doesn’t mean I should miss out on chocolate all together, especially types that make the child in me sing. So this is where the inspiration for my very own rendition of my childhood fav – Fruit & Nut Chocolate bars came from.
This recipe contains just a few ingredients – all natural and in their most raw state. The good fats from the coconut combined with protein from the nuts will assist in the slow release of the natural sugars from the fruit which means you wont get any quick spikes in blood sugar levels and you won’t be feeling that all too familiar sugar crash after enjoying a piece or 3 when the mid afternoon cravings hit.
What you’ll need:
1/2 cup cacao butter, gently melted
1/2 cup coconut oil, gently melted
1/2 cup raw cacao
1/2 cup rice malt syrup (or other low GI sweetener like maple syrup or agave)
1/2 cup mixed raw nuts and dried fruit (i used almonds, peanuts, cranberries, currants and raisins)
Pinch of Pink Himalayan salt
What to do:
In a food processor blitz together the cacao butter, coconut oil and sweetener until they’re incorporated.
Add the cacao powder and a pinch of salt to taste and process on high for 1 minute.
Mix through the dried fruit & nuts
Transfer mixture to a medium sized lined tupperware container, cover and place in the freezer for 30 minutes to set
Once the mixture has solidified, remove from the container, cut into small 2x2cm pieces and enjoy with family or friends
This chocolate is best kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks (if it lasts that long)
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