This Easter satisfy your sweet tooth without the guilty conscience, by trying one of these sugar free chocolate recipes. These clever and simple recipes are every bit as indulgent as their sugary counter parts, and will see you through the temptations of the Easter long weekend without breaking the diet.
From pistachio and cranberry chocolate bark to salty caramel chocolate eggs and classic brownies, you’ll love these sugar free chocolate recipes.
Chocolate Bark
(serves 2)
Ingredients
250g sugar free dark chocolate melts
50 g pistachio nuts
50g dried cranberries
Edible glitter (optional)
Method
Fill a small saucepan with enough water so that it is 1/3 filled.
Place the saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer, not a boil.
Take a glass bowl and rest it over the saucepan, ensuring that the bowl does not touch the water. You have now created a double boiler.
Place 2/3 of the chocolate into the glass bowl and reserve 1/3 for later use.
With a wooden spoon, gently stir the chocolate as it melts. Place a cooking thermometer into the chocolate and melt chocolate to 45 degrees Celsius.
Remove the bowl from the heat and place on a bench top.
Add the remaining 1/3 of the chocolate to the melted chocolate mixture and stir constantly with your wooden spoon until the chocolate’s temperature comes down to 32 degrees Celsius and the chocolate has melted. You should have glossy melted chocolate ready for decorating.
Line a baking tray with baking paper and pour the chocolate mixture onto the paper. Move the tray from side to side to ensure that the chocolate covers the base of the tray evenly.
Sprinkle the chocolate with the pistachio nuts, cranberries and edible glitter and then place in the fridge to set. This should take no more than 30 minutes.
Salted Caramel Easter Eggs
(Makes four large eggs to serve 8)
Move over Mars Bar. This is the best raw vegan caramel you’ll taste anywhere! Raw chocolate eggs filled with raw caramel made with the goodness of raw honey, lucuma and coconut oil. These Easter delights are rich in nutrients and so satisfyingly delicious.
Raw Medjool Lucuma Caramel
2–3 tablespoons raw macadamia or pecan butter
4 – 6 medjool dates, pitted
2 tablespoons raw honey
2 tablespoons raw organic coconut oil
2 tablespoons lucuma powder
½ teaspoon Himalayan pink salt
Classic Dark, for coating
Classic Dark Raw Chocolate Coating
40g raw cacao liquor, finely chopped
30g raw cacao butter, finely chopped
1 tablespoon raw organic coconut oil
¼ teaspoon vanilla powder
1½ tablespoons raw dark agave
1–2 tablespoons raw cacao powder
In the food processor, whiz together all Caramel ingredients until super fine and tacky. It will begin to clump into a ball when done. Mould raw caramel into four large egg-like shapes – may use cling wrap lined Easter egg moulds to achieve a more perfect shape. Set in freezer to harden while preparing Classic Dark coating.
Melt finely chopped cacao butter and cacao liquor with coconut oil in a glass bowl over boiling water. Remove from heat. Whisk in all other ingredients, adding raw cacao powder last. Allow to sit at room temperature to thicken 5-10 minutes. Remove Caramel from freezer, placing on a greaseproof paper lined flat board and drizzle with raw chocolate. You may wish to do this in stages, returning the Caramel Eggs to the freezer for 1 minute then repeating to achieve a beautiful drizzled-chocolate result. Chill in the fridge or freezer until completely firm and serve. Fresh strawberries or your favourite fresh fruit makes a lovely accompaniment.
20 minutes to prepare. 30 minutes setting time.
Chocolate Brownies
(serves 6 adults)
12 dates, pitted
¼ cup cocoa powder, plus extra for dusting
1 cup almonds
1 cup macadamia nuts
1 tsp vanilla extract
45g sugar free dark chocolate melts
Punnet of raspberries
Using a high powered food processor, combine all of the ingredients except for the raspberries. Blitz until you are left with a thick paste.
Transfer the mixture to a small baking tray lined with baking paper. Spread the mixture out evenly to ensure that the top of the brownie is nice and smooth and it is evenly spread across the tray.
Place in the fridge and allow to set for 20–30 minutes.
Remove from fridge just prior to serving and dust with cocoa powder. Serve with 3 or 4 berries per brownie.
Chocolate Brownies and Chocolate Bark recipes by Tanya Bartolini for Well Naturally, for more visit: wellnaturally.com.au
Salted Caramel Easter Eggs recipe by Abigail O’Neill, for more visit: abigailoneill.net/
