5 minute freezer fudge is easy to make and is the perfect healthy treat. This recipe has only 4 simple ingredients – dates, nut butter, cacao powder, and butter.
Dates are a wonderful snack on their own, but, blended with all that other chocolatey creamy goodness – The Best! They are also rich in disease fighting antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, fibre, and even a little protein.
Being a fruit, dates are low in toxic chemicals that other parts of plants contain (like leaves, roots, stems…), making them a good snack choice for someone trying to reduce inflammation and heal. However, we are going to mix them up with nutter butter (I used natural peanut butter), which can trigger inflammation for some people. Check the substitutions at the end if you’d like to make this recipe nut-free.
You’ll also need some good quality cacao powder. It’s essential for that fudgey flavour. Cacao powder is different than cocoa powder, because it has not been roasted. You’ll see it labeled as raw, unprocessed, no-additives, vegan, etcetera. Cacao powder is again, high in antioxidants, calcium, zinc, copper and selenium.
You Will Need:
This recipe is made with a food processor. I don’t recommend trying it with a blender – it will be too think. To make a similar freezer fudge without a food processor, you can substitute the dates for 1 mashed banana, and mix it by hand.
We received a Breville Food Processor as a wedding gift and I love it. It’s an appliance I use often, and offers so many cooking and food prep possibilities. I would recommend investing in a good one.
Freezer Fudge in 5 Minutes – The Steps
Add the dates to the food processor and give them a spin.
Add the nut butter, cacao, and butter – and process until smooth. Scrape down the bowl as needed.
Press into a pie plate or cookie sheet, or roll into balls. Freeze for 20+ minutes (Ok, I didn’t factor the freeze time into the title – you got me).
mix
press
freeze, slice...
eat
Healthy Freezer Fudge Recipe
1 cup packed & pitted dates
1 cup nut butter
1/2 cup cacao powder
1/4 cup butter (more if needed)
Add the dates to the food processor and pulse it a few times to break up the dates. Add the nut butter, cacao powder, and butter. Process everything until it is smooth, adding more butter if needed. Feel free to give some a taste test.
Press into a pie plate, and freeze for 20+ minutes.
Slice it up and enjoy!
Store the extra, covered, in the freezer.
VARIATIONS & SUBSTITUTIONS
I highly recommend serving this with a bowl of Banana Ice Cream. Or chop it up into pieces and stir it right into the ice cream. Click here for the recipe.
Add a hint of your favourite flavours. Perhaps a drop of peppermint essential oil, some orange zest, vanilla, or a pinch of cinnamon.
Make it nut-free with homemade coconut butter. Simply, blend 4 cups of shredded coconut in the food processor until a butter forms, scraping down the bowl every few minutes. It can take a while, but it’s worth it.
Don’t have dates? Try substituting the dates for 1 banana.
Don’t have a food processor? Substitute the dates for 1 banana and mash everything together with a fork.
Don’t have butter? Use coconut oil instead. Or, skip it if you are making the nut-free version with homemade coconut butter.
Add some crunch by stirring in chopped nuts, shredded coconut, hemp seeds, raisins, cacao nibs, sunflower seeds, or puffed rice.
Cacao powder is essential, but the other ingredients are versatile. Have fun, and let me know in the comments if you tried this recipe! Did you have it with the Easy Banana Ice Cream?