Chocolate Walnut Fudge (V/GF)

Happy V-Day lovers!

Oh Valentine’s Day… I’ve always disliked it to be honest. To me, it’s just another consumer holiday created by Hallmark to generate some extra revenue. However, it’s usually celebrated with candy and chocolate so, I am all for it! Any excuse to indulge in some chocolate, right?

To make this already sweet day extra sweet, I give you my Chocolate Walnut Fudge recipe! To me, fudge is the perfect valentine’s treat because they’re the perfect bite sized, chocolate dessert to indulge in without feeling guilty or sluggish afterwards.

This fudge is rich, dense, chocolaty, sweet, filled with crunchy walnuts and protein-packed! Where does the protein come for, you ask? BLACK BEANS! Don’t worry, the chocolate definitely overpowers the black beans in flavor. If you’ve ever tried any of my black bean truffles, you’ll know how deliciously well black beans do in chocolate desserts. They give this fudge the perfectly fudgy, dense, yet light texture.

The toppings are totally optional, sense they don’t necessarily add to the flavor. They do add to the aesthetics though! So, if you do want to jazz it up, I suggest topping them with sea salt flakes, cacao nibs and/or homemade sprinkles. Would you believe that these sprinkles are made from coconut shreds and beets?! It’s true! Fudge made out of black beans and sprinkles made out of beets… I’m suddenly questioning if I’ve emphasized the deliciousness of this recipe enough…

But you’ll never know how tasty they are until you give them ago! Just don’t forget to let me know about it! Drop a comment, rate the recipe and find me on Instagram and Facebook!

Enjoy everyone!

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Chocolate Walnut Fudge (V/GF)

This fudge is rich, dense, chocolaty, sweet, filled with crunchy walnuts and protein-packed! Where does the protein come for, you ask? BLACK BEANS! Don't worry, the chocolate definitely overpowers the black beans in flavor.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Author Bunny

Ingredients

• 2 15 ounce cans cans black beans drained and rinsed
• 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 1/4 cup natural nut butter (nut or peanut butter)
• 2 medjool dates pitted
• 3 tbsp coconut oil
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp sweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup crushed walnuts
• Optional Garnishes: sea salt, cacao nibs, homemade sprinkles *see notes

Instructions

1. Place the black beans, maple syrup, nut butter, dates, coconut oil and vanilla extract in a food processor and process until smooth (not all of the black bean skins will break down, that’s okay!).

2. Using a spatula, scrape the mixture into a medium sized bowl. Add the cocoa powder and mix with rubber spatula until fully combined. Then, fold in the optional walnuts.

3. Transfer mixture to a parchment paper lined square baking dish, pressing down to form an even layer. Place in the freezer until somewhat firm, about 1 hour.
   

4. Remove from freeze and let thaw for 5 minutes. Cut into squares, top with optional garnishes and enjoy!
   

5. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Recipe Notes

Notes: To make homemade sprinkles, blend a cooked beet and a tbsp of water together until it becomes a smooth paste. Add just a touch of the beet paste to a small bowl of coconut shreds. Mix until coconut shreds are evenly coated.

Want more bite sized treats? Check out my Homemade Twix Bars, Spirulina Truffles and my Fig Newtons!