Sometimes You Feel Like a Nut, Sometimes You Don't...Raw Almond Joy & Mounds Treats

Sometimes you feel like a nut…sometimes you don’t…and sometimes you need a little something sweet! I’m trying to cut down on the amount of agave I use in my recipes…it is basically just sugar after all, and it is somewhat processed, my friend Yuval recently pointed out too me. This little treat is made with nature’s candy…delicious medjool dates…and coconut. It really is reminiscent of a Mounds or Almond Joy bar, even though it is certainly not my most attractive recipe. Admittedly, it looks like, um, droppings, but looks can been deceiving! I’ve tried to do this a couple of ways, and this recipe is a good combination of very easy, and very tasty. You could drizzle on some chocolate syrup if you wanted it to be an extra special treat.

½ cup medjool dates, pitted

PLUS 6-8 dates for stuffing

3 tablespoons dried coconut (unsweetened, of course)

3 tablespoons coconut butter

2-3 tablespoons raw cacao powder (leave it out entirely, if you prefer)

1 or 2 raw almonds to stick in the middle, if you feel like a NUT!

In a food processor (I recommend a mini processor here, as the amounts are little), blend ½ cup dates, coconut, coconut butter, and raw cacao powder until very well combined. Taste for your desired sweetness and chocolatey-ness, and add more dates if you want it sweeter, more cacao for an extra chocolate kick. To assemble, slit whole dates down one side, to expose the pit. Pry it out, and open date with your fingers, so it is like a taco. Press a ball of the stuffing mixture together, and press it into the date. Stick an almond or two in the middle of the stuffing if you like. Unless it is a huge date, the stuffing will be exposed, but that’s okay.

For chocolate syrup, you can mix equal parts agave and raw cacao together, and either dip the whole stuffed date or drizzle the chocolate on top. I sometimes do 1 part raw cacao powder, 1 part agave, and 1/4-1/2 part coconut oil if I want the chocolate to be more rich & stiff. I recommend storing these in the fridge or freezer, and they’ll be nice and chewy when you eat them. Raw appétit!