Fab Fudge

Do you ever feel like you could eat an entire jar of peanut butter? I do. I am seriously always craving it. I put it in my smoothies, on my fruit, and eat it plain. Whenever I'm in the mood for something sweet, it's the first thing that comes to mind. That, and chocolate. I started making this treat a couple of weeks ago after searching around on pinterest all day for paleo type cookies and energy bars. I was in the mood for something sweet, but not super sugary and life ruining. I chopped up some nuts, toasted them, melted peanut butter and coconut oil, threw in some chocolate and froze before slicing into bars. It was so easy I wondered if this random concoction would be good or if I'd just wasted $20 worth of groceries. Of COURSE peanut butter chocolatey goodness can't really be messed up...and this was DELICIOUS. 

Now I'm going to give you the nutrition facts, but before you freak out, remember that there are good calories (fuel) and bad (empty), healthy fats (nuts, avacado, coconut, oil, flax, hempseed) and not healthy fats (snickers bars, fried food, anything packaged/processed). If you divide this out right, it's basically just like eating two scoops of PB, only tastier and and feels like you're having more of a treat.

Here's what you need:

1 cup almonds

1/2 cup walnuts

1/2 cup pecans

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

2 tablespoons golden flax meal

1/2 cup peanut butter (if you want this to be paleo, use almond butter)

3 tablespoons coconut oil

1 tablespoon honey or 1/2 tablespoon agave

2 tablespoons chocolate chips, preferably dark chocolate (not pictured)

Here's what you do:

Turn skillet to low heat and toast almonds, pecans, walnuts, and coconut flakes until coconut starts to turn light brown

Transfer to blender or food processor and chop (see picture below, you want them to be chopped really finely but not quite into a powder...a course chop if you will)

Heat coconut oil and peanut butter in skillet over low heat until melted

Remove skillet from heat

Add nuts and flax to the oil/PB and stir

Add chocolate chips, mix well

Transfer into either a pie pan or onto a cookie sheet. My cookie sheet was a little too big but it was easy to only spread the mixture onto part of it. If you use a pie pan your pieces will be smaller, but thicker and odd shaped. I liked having the odd shaped pieces because it was more like fudge. 

Freeze for at least 25 minutes before cutting into 20 pieces

When you cut, try to keep the pieces around the same size so you know how much you are consuming.

Line a tupperware with paper towel, and store in the freezer. 

Nutrition Facts Per Serving (If you slice into 20 pieces per batch):

13 grams of fat, 145 calories, 4 grams protein, 5 grams carbs

This is a really satisfying snack, dessert, or energy bar. It's also great with a piece of fruit for breakfast and perfect for taking the edge off while you're cooking dinner. It feels like you're indulging but it's actually good for you....just don't go crazy and eat the entire batch!! These are one of my new favorite things to make and have in the house for when my sweet tooth starts acting up...pretty much every day!