It is hard to deny the desire for chocolate. Apart from giving your taste buds a fair share of sweetness and melty goodness, it also offers several health benefits, such as improving heart health and brain function. With that being said, there is no reason to hate it. At the same time, if your chocolate cravings regularly kick in, you can’t help but pick one up from your local store. Therefore, this article features a list of homemade chocolate treats that not only satisfy your sweet tooth but offer a healthy kick as well. Let’s begin.
Top Healthy Chocolate Treats
1. Chocolate-Covered Stuffed Dates
The chocolate-covered stuffed date recipe only requires three ingredients. Plus, you can make it anywhere at any time without having to put in too much effort. Simply grab Medjool dates and stuff them with peanut or cashew nut butter while covering them with melted dark chocolate.
The signature taste of the dates, along with the bitterness of the dark chocolate, is going to be your top choice when it comes to healthy chocolate recipes. And since dates tend to be rich in fiber and one of the healthiest natural sweeteners, there is no reason you should not have them every day.
2. Protein-Packed Chocolate Milkshake
When it comes to milkshakes, you should not worry about calories and sugar, especially when chocolate and milk are involved. The protein-packed chocolate milkshake requires chocolate protein powder, almond milk, frozen banana, and nut butter. Don’t worry, it will not take a toll on your health. The best thing about this recipe is that almost everything is organic and healthy. Therefore, you are reaping multiple benefits by adding butter, banana, and milk. However, you need to balance each ingredient to not consume more of one or the other.
3. No-Grain Chocolate Chip Cookies
If you are having trouble sleeping, there is nothing that can outmatch milk and cookies. With that being said, No-Grain Chocolate Chip Cookies with a cup of almond milk will make your sleep even better than before. You simply have to combine 2 cups of almond flour, 1 cup of dark chocolate chips, 1 tablespoon of coconut flavor, ¼ cup of coconut oil, and ¼ cup of maple or honey syrup. Since the ingredients are light on your belly, you are going to have no problem eating an entire batch.
4. Hot Chocolate
Hot chocolate is the simplest healthy chocolate recipe considering that it takes only two ingredients at most and a few minutes to prepare. Grab some almond or coconut milk and heat it in a saucepan over medium-high heat until it boils. Once it boils, you turn down the simmer. Meanwhile, you should constantly be stirring while adding cocoa powder along with coconut sugar until you get your desired flavor.
Additionally, if you wish to make it an extra cozy beverage, you can add some nutmeg or cinnamon. These spices can help improve your metabolism and also keep your blood sugar maintained.
5. Chocolate-Covered Banana Pops
You might have never heard about banana pops before but they are delicious, especially when dipped in chocolate. However, you need to freeze them to treat yourself with the ultimate chocolate banana pops. If you wish to make things a bit more delicious, you can roll the pops in almond shavings, coconut flakes, or Goji berries before storing them in the refrigerator. The additional texture is guaranteed to have you coming back for more every day.
6. All-Natural Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup
Peanut butter and chocolate combination was made in heaven. This undeniable duo includes all-natural peanut butter with 70% cocoa-dark chocolate or more if you desire. You simply throw in the ingredients and stir to make fudge. Simply grab a greased muffin pan and pour some melted dark chocolate while allowing it to harden. Once it does, add a teaspoon of peanut butter. Then, use some more chocolate to cover the peanut butter and refrigerate for about an hour.
7. Chocolate Oats
You must have had oats at breakfast but what if you can add some chocolate as well? A perfect win isn’t it. To make chocolate oats, simply add a tablespoon of cacao, a tablespoon of chia seeds, and a tablespoon of hemp seeds. Apart from the oatmeal offering plenty of energy, the seeds are going to add some flavor and texture to the overall recipe. Chia, cacao, and hemp are powerful anti-oxidants that will keep your digestion in check and help the skin glow. If that is not enough, add some fruits to make it a bit more interesting.
8. Chocolate “Nice” Cream
If you have some bananas stored in the fridge, you can use them to make nutritious ice cream to cure a treat craving. You receive the same smooth and velvety sensation that ice cream gives you without added sugar and fats. You can add cocoa powder for additional flavor and taste, drizzle on melted chocolate, or top it with dark chocolate. Bananas are rich in fiber and combined with chocolate will make the treat both healthy and tasty.
9. Chocomole Pudding
Chocomole Pudding utilizes one tablespoon of coconut oil, one tablespoon of vanilla extract, one cup sweetened cocoa powder, one cup unsweetened almond milk or coconut milk beverage, three ripe avocados, 16 Medjool dates, and a pinch of salt. To make the recipe, you need to soak the dates in a cup of hot water until they turn soft. It should take around 5-10 minutes and then drain.
Next, shift and process the ingredients in a food processor until the mixture turns creamy and smooth. Then, store the mixture inside a refrigerator until it turns cold for about 3 hours.
10. Salted Chocolate Oatmeal Smoothie
The Salted Chocolate Oatmeal Smoothie is a powerful combination of nutrition and deliciousness. With ingredients like banana, salt, vanilla, plain low-fat yogurt, cocoa powder, chocolate protein, and old-fashioned oats, you can create a smoothie that will serve your taste buds just right at breakfast or lunch.
Simply place the ingredients inside a high-speed blender and blend them until they turn smooth. Add ice and other ingredients until you achieve the desired taste or flavor.
11. Chocolate Avocado Mousse
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When you think of healthy foods, avocado is bound to be among the first things that come to mind. You can combine avocados and chocolate to create a healthy treat. Many recipes combine these two ingredients.
One such recipe is chocolate avocado mousse. You can make this at home using an avocado, one tablespoon of maple syrup, and two tablespoons of cocoa powder. This treat is filled with nutritional benefits and does not have any artificial sweeteners.
12. Hazelnut Chocolate Dip
Chocolate dips go well with many healthy snacks. It seems they can be combined with any sweet or salty snack, but the ingredients in store-bought chocolate dips can often be unhealthy. They may contain a lot of sugar or other artificial sweeteners. This is why a healthy alternative is a much better option. The homemade hazelnut-chocolate dip is the perfect alternative to such unhealthy products on the market.
It is made using grounded shelled hazelnuts, maple syrup, and cocoa powder. Dates may also be added if preferred. This recipe is healthy and mouthwatering, allowing you to enjoy your favorite chocolate dip without worrying about hurting your body.
13. Chocolate-Dipped Fruits
Fresh fruits are among the healthiest options that you can eat. But you might wonder if there is a way to make fruits even more appealing, especially children. Thankfully there is an effortless and quick way to do so.
Chocolate-dipped fruits will quickly become your favorite treat once you try them. You need to pick a fruit you like – it can be a mango, strawberry, pineapple, apple, or whatever you want.
Next, dip the fruit in melted dark chocolate and allow it to cool down. The finished product will be tasty, healthy, and nutritional.
14. Chocolate-Dipped Sesame Nut Bars
This recipe utilizes natural ingredients alongside chocolate to create a healthy treat. A chocolate-dipped sesame nut bar is a healthier alternative to store-bought chocolate bars. The best thing is that they are easy to make at home. All you need to do is bake a mix of sesame seeds, honey, and nuts. Bake the mix until it becomes sticky and set.
Once this step is done, dip the sesame nut bars in melted dark chocolate. You can then enjoy the treat once the chocolate has hardened enough to your liking.
Final Word
Creating chocolate treats with a healthy kick is both easy and simple. It all comes down to experimenting with different ingredients until you are able to satisfy your treat cravings. Perhaps the best thing about these recipes is that there are no limits, and you are allowed to practice creativity to offer yourself something new and unique each day.