This is the time of year when Chris and I fight about Halloween candy. I want to buy Sour Patch Kids and Skittles for trick-or-treaters because I hate Sour Patch Kids and Skittles. Chris wants to buy Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and Snickers bars because he loves Reese's and Snickers. So basically, I don't want to eat the Halloween candy and Chris does.
So I thought maybe this year we could compromise a little and I'd make some healthy-ish candy for us and we can hand out Skittles to the kids in the neighborhood. Compromise! That's what marriage is all about: compromise and me getting my way. I've never done a Halloween post before, but I had the idea to try to make a healthy version of Ice Cubes and I figured this was a good time of year to tackle it. You know those little German hazelnut chocolates that melt in your mouth? Chris loves those and when I was thinking about them a few weeks ago, I realized that they must be made with coconut oil--that was the only way to explain their melty yumminess. And after a little bit of Googling, I realized I was right! So knowing they were made with coconut oil, I figured it would be really easy to make them myself.
…and I was wrong! I couldn't figure out how to replicate the exact texture of Ice Cubes. But I did accidentally stumble upon the best vegan chocolate fudge I've ever tasted. I've had vegan fudge before, made with nut butters, and while they're good, the texture wasn't quite like fudge. And, of course, the fudge tasted like nut butter. This fudge is different--the texture is creamy and rich and it melts in your mouth, just like fudge made with dairy butter. It doesn't have that buttery finish that real fudge has, but it does have a faint coconut flavor that makes up for it.
I was super excited about this recipe and so was Chris, but he gave me the side-eye when I told him it was healthy. Okay! Fine! It's healthyish! It's not an apple or a head of broccoli. But the ingredients in this fudge are healthy. You shouldn't eat a whole slab of it if you're counting calories, but you're better off eating a square of this fudge than a square of traditional fudge.
Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup raw cacao powder
- ½ cup coconut oil room temperature, not melted
- ⅓ cup raw hazelnuts
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Fleur de sel or cacao nibs for topping optional
Instructions
- Combine all of the ingredients in your food processor and process until mixture is completely smooth. This might take several minutes, kind of like when you make nut butter. Be patient!
- Transfer the fudge mixture to a small rectangular baking dish that's been lined with parchment paper and use a spatula to spread it in an even layer. Sprinkle tops with fleur de sel or cacao nibs, if using.
- Refrigerate until solid, then remove the fudge from the baking dish and cut into squares.
Kristy says
Wow! This looks so rich and decadent! Totally putting this on my "must-try" list. 🙂
Averie @ Averie Cooks says
I used to make this in 2009 and 2010 on my blog. No, I won't provide the links. The photography....scary. LOL Mine was the same except I didnt use the nuts. Just coconut oil, cocoa powder, agave rather than maple, and vanilla. Yours is gorgeous!
Kiersten says
I reshot a lot of my old photos last year. They were that horrific.
Anne|Craving Something Healthy says
I buy sour patch kids and laffy taffy because I don't like them, but I still end up sneaking a few. This fudge looks amazing, and I just tried coconut oil for the first time. Maybe I'll make fudge instead of hand lotion with the extra...
Kiersten says
I do that too! And then I wonder why I did it because it's never worth it.
Laura (Tutti Dolci) says
Your fudge looks like the perfect texture and I love that it's dairy-free!
Kiersten says
The texture really is fudgy! I was surprised how similar it is to the real thing.
Tracy says
I love Ice Cubes so much I force my mind to suppress that fact! I could eat them all. So I eat one every 5 years or so. This fudge looks fantastic and I love your candy strategy. Smartie.
Kiersten says
They are SO good, aren't they?! Melty chocolate deliciousness. 🙂 It's a good thing they're so hard to find because they're dangerous.
Laura (Got Chocolate) says
Good grief! I want to eat the computer screen. You had me at "melts in your mouth".
Beautiful photo, as always!
Kiersten says
You would love this for sure! 😀
Grace @ FoodFitnessFreshAir says
Chocolate beats any other form of Halloween candy by a landslide. I'd love, love to swing by a house and receive fudge, especially a vegan version!
Kiersten says
I feel like I might risk our house getting egged if I answered the door and told the kids to help themselves to some vegan fudge! 🙂
Caitlin says
wow! this looks delicious! i love hazelnuts and chocolate, so this is definitely happening.
Liz @ A Nut in a Nutshell says
You sound like me with your Halloween methodology. I always buy stuff I won't eat! It's the only way to make it through!
I'm thinking since it's healthy-ish, I can have two squares!
Kiersten says
You can definitely have two squares. 😉 It IS hard to stop at one...
Natalie says
Looks so amazing for a vegan fudge, yum!
Mallory @ Because I Like Chocolate says
This is almost cruel it looks so good!
Purabi Naha | Cosmopolitan Currymania says
Lovely! I love hazelnuts and this looks so so good! I experiment with fudges often and so this is something I would love to try!
Johanna says
I made this today, and loved it. It, however, gets really soft if left out too long, and tastes more like ganache, which is okay, but it tastes better more firm.
Kiersten says
Yes, it needs to be stored in the refrigerator or freezer. I added a note to the recipe!
Johanna says
As I said, I wasn't complaining per se, however if, say, I brought these to a party, as they sat out they would get pretty soft, and even picking them up would be questionable. No worries, really. I think they're great, and I am going to make them again without altering the recipe. I like that they're just sweet enough with so little sweetener.
Kiersten says
Yeah, I think the only way you could bring them to a party is if you refrigerated them right up until the time you served them!
Richa says
look at all that fudgyness!
Sommer @ ASpicyPerspective says
This looks so yummy! And I love that it's dairy-free!
Alicia@ eco friendly homemaking says
This fudge looks amazing and I am excited to make it for my husband real soon. He is a chocolate lover!
Nichole @ Green Cuisine Queen says
I was oh so close to making this tonight, but turns out I don't have hazelnuts! This sounds soo good and I love that it is dairy free. I'm making some Halloween treats and may have to do something like this!
Kiersten says
I think you could do a lot of variations on this same idea with other ingredients. I want to try making it with pumpkin too!
Jennifer @ My Sweet Sanity says
This is the exact same debate my hubby and I have. Right down to the candy choices... scary. That fudge looks fantastic though. Completely drool worthy.
Kiersten says
That's so funny! I guess it's good that we're not alone. 🙂
Genevieve says
I know what you mean about nut butter fudge! I just tried making a small batch of pumpkin "fudge" that was made with almond butter and all it tasted like was chewy almond butter haha...I'm not a big chocolate person but this fudge looks pretty authentic and decadent, even though its made with healthy ingredients!
Kiersten says
Yes! And chewy almond butter is good, but it's not fudge. 🙂 I was wondering if I could use this method to try to make a pumpkin fudge...
Natalie @ Once Upon a Cutting Board says
I miss not getting trick or treaters at our apartment but it's also nice not to have Halloween candy around - I don't even like candy or chocolate but I know I'd still eat it all if it was there. This looks so much better though!
Kiersten says
Yes! That's my problem too. I don't even LIKE Reese's PB cups because they're way too sweet for me, but if they're around, I'll eat 10 of them. Why?!
Katie @ Produce on Parade says
OooOooooOo! Fudgy deliciousness! 🙂 I love that there's "clean" ingredients. Thanks for sharing!
Shirley says
I don't want to eat the Halloween candy either! I'm not even a big candy fan, and I get annoyed when we don't get enough trick-or-treaters and we have this big pile left. But fudge, I'm always a fan of fudge. And hazelnuts. I like how easy this looks too!
Kiersten says
Yeah, I'm big on GOOD chocolates, but regular candy doesn't really tempt me. But when it's in the house, I want to eat it...
Freda Love Smith says
i made a batch of this fudge this week and it was simply amazing! this one will be in regular rotation forever, i think. thank you thank you thank you!!
Kiersten says
Woo hoo! I'm glad it was a hit. 🙂 I've been keeping a batch in the freezer at all times myself!
Diana says
This fudge is so incredibly delicious!!! I scoured the web for a vegan chocolate fudge recipe because I watched my mom make fudge for my dad and I really wanted some that I could eat... This recipe is so easy and now I always want some in the fridge! I used macadamia nuts and also chopped up extra macadamia nuts to add some crunch. Amazing! Thank you! 🙂
Kiersten says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it! I usually keep a batch in the freezer at all times--fudge is something everyone should have on hand always, right?! 🙂
Mike says
Fudge looks great, but I noticed the ingredients only have maple syrup as a sweetener. I am hesitant to make due to the fact that I have tried online recipes before that didn't turn out like they claimed, sometime due to leaving out an important ingredient, like liquid or sugar or salt, etc. So is it really sweet enough compared to "the real thing"? Thanks.
Kiersten says
No, that's no mistake--there's no sugar in the recipe. If you add the maple syrup and think it's not sweet enough, you can add in more.