Vegan Fudge

I love a good vegan recipe, even though I haven't been vegan for years. This one is adapted from Mary Vance who is not only an amazing holistic nutrition consultant but also a powerhouse of knowledge. I’ve changed it slightly to appeal to my son’s palate. Since he has food sensory issues and some aversion to nuts, I make this recipe a little sweet. He has enjoyed it for years, and even renamed it “baking fudge” because vegan and baking apparently are the same word, and I sure as hell ain’t gonna be the one correcting an adorable recipe name.

​At any rate, I know sugar per se is not ideal, but I use raw local honey and dates, which are nutritious and delicious. Now, in fairness I don’t take sides in the great vegan-honey debate so I offer two sweetener options—honey (not vegan) or real dark maple syrup (vegan). Take your pick, but add it slowly to make it just sweet enough. Sometimes I add hemp powder and flax seed meal to make it more nutrient-dense.

Once the consistency is bulky, Spread evenly over a dish lined with aluminum foil and press down with another piece of aluminum foil to make it as flat as possible. Freeze until hard, about 2 hours. Remove from the aluminum foil and slice it in pieces. Keep it in the freezer or fridge.

Vegan Fudge
Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 2 mins
Total time: 17 mins
Serves: 50 bite-size pieces

Ingredients

• 1½ cup almond meal
• ½ cup organic virgin coconut oil, melted
• ¾ cup cocoa powder, unsweetened
• 1 tsp vanilla
• ¼ tsp cinnamon
• 4 dates, pitted
• 3 tablespoons or to taste: real maple syrup (dark) or raw honey (not vegan if you use it)
• 2-4 tablespoons hemp (optional)
• 2-4 tablespoons flax seed meal (optional, grind at home)

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Instructions

1. Measure and combine ingredients in a food processor.
2. After processing them for a couple of minutes, the consistency should be thick and bulky. If the mixture is too wet, try adding more almond meal slowly to bulk up.
3. Spread evenly over a dish lined with aluminum foil and press down with another piece of aluminum foil to make it as flat as possible.
4. Freeze until hard, about 2 hours.
5. Remove from the aluminum foil and slice it into pieces.
6. Keep it in the freezer or fridge.