It’s definitely too hot to bake at the moment, but I still feel like I need a little sweet treat every now and then, and my latest recipe has been hitting the spot. Chocolate Walnut Bites can be made in under ten minutes and are also fairly healthy, as well as being gluten free and vegan friendly!
You will need:
- 8 tablespoons of chopped dates
- 4 tablespoons of crushed walnuts
- 3 tablespoons melted coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
How to Make:
- Put everything in a blender, blend until everything is well combined.
- Press into a flat container or individual moulds (a flexible ice cube tray would work well but I used a takeaway container)
- Refrigerate for at least half an hour, overnight is better
- Slice into inch squares and serve! Remember to keep in the fridge in hot weather so they don’t melt!
Tweaks: You can add berries like cranberries, raisins, dried apricot etc, or add different types of nuts. If you fancy getting your fingers sticky then you can also roll them into balls instead of pressing them into a tin or container to set.
Walnuts are one of my favourite nuts, battling with peanuts for top spot. I have fond memories if being taught how to crack them open with a proper nut cracker at Christmas time, and love the way they nestle inside their shell. It always felt like a triumph to get one out in one piece! Californian Walnuts sent me a jar (ready shelled, hurrah!) and a few other bits to get creative with in the kitchen, and the next recipe I want to try is this one for Banana & Honey Walnut Muffins, and I think the kids would love them too.
Here are 10 reasons to love Walnuts:
1. Helps keep your heart healthy
2. Boosts your energy
3. Packed with plant-based Omega-3s
4. Protects your natural defences
5. Helps keep tiredness at bay
6. Supports brain function and vision
7. Helps keep your skin and hair nourished
8. Helps to keep your bones and teeth healthy
9. Packed with good fats
10. Nutritious snack
If you follow me on instagram you’ll know I’ve been struggling with dieting recently, I wanted to keep going with Slimming World but I think that really I’m just not that into it, or I’d be more enthusiastic about it, wouldn’t I? Instead of ploughing on with something I’m not happy with I’ve decided to just eat more healthily in general and to up my exercise when I can. All the ingredients for my Chocolate Walnut Bites are available from Real Foods, which is a website Sam uses a lot for all his keto-diet ingredients, and infact now I’m veering away from SW we will be able to eat more of the same meals together, which will make a change! His diet is mostly carb-free, which I will struggle with a bit but being able to snack on home made treats that are made from ‘good’ ingredients is a bonus!
There are some great no-bake recipe ideas here too! With a festive twist!
These sound delicious, I live the tweak ideas too especially adding cranberries