I don’t know about you, but Autumn is the time when I start to struggle with eating all the things that aren’t the best for me. When the first candy corn hits the shelves, I want to buy a bag for my friend Tami (whose birthday is in October and for whom I always bought the first bag I saw!) and a bag for our house. I want to drink all the sugary pumpkin-y, apple-y drinks in a mug and bake allll the cinnamon-y, bread-y things. And sometimes I do; balance. BUT, there are ways to make sweet treats that also have nutritional value and aren’t full of weird additives. Take, for instance, these “better than snickers” dark chocolate cashew bites. And by “take,” I mean make them, share them, and have a couple yourself. Because YUM.
I used to be so intimidated by anything that involved dipping or coating. Don’t you be. Just let the messy part go and enjoy the process. Get your chocolate nice and melty, use parchment, and dip or drizzle away. No one is looking for perfection; in fact, I think these are way prettier because they’re kind of messy.
If I remember right, Snickers was my mother’s favorite candy bar when I was a kiddo. I didn’t even like chocolate when I was younger, but I think that’s partly because I only remember tasting milk chocolate. Then, when I was pregnant with my second son, suddenly I had a massive sweet tooth. I soon discovered that dark chocolate had the most satisfying flavor (and notably, good quality dark chocolate has health benefits!), and as great chefs have discovered, the right amount of crunchy salt brings out the dark sweetness in the best way, preventing these dark chocolate cashew bites from being cloyingly sweet (and yes, in my humble but accurate opinion, making them better than Snickers).
So, I photographed these babies a year ago, and I’m just now sharing them. Which makes me feel guilty but also, I think the snap of fresh fall breeze in the air means now’s the perfect time to make and enjoy them.
And are you not dying to sink your teeth into that little nugget of sweet, salty, dark chocolate goodness?
Here’s something cool: because we’re not adding any additional sweetener (aside from what comes in your choice of chocolate), these dark chocolate cashew bites are also Paleo-friendly, clean sweet treats. Now if you can just keep from eating the whole batch at one sitting…
Even in a rich, decadent sweet treat, there are some nutritional perks here:
Cashews/cashew butter (did you know cashews are actually seeds?):
- fatty acids (great for your heart health)
- antioxidants
- protein
- magnesium and copper (great for your nerves, bones and joints)
- fiber
- selenium (great for your skin and an antioxidant)
Dark chocolate (be sure to check ingredients for less desirable additives like soy lecithin, sugar, and dairy, and choose 70% and above cacao content):
My very favorite dark chocolate Hu Chocolate. I love every flavor, and I buy mine from Thrive Market. If you can’t get Hu, this Alter Eco is a great choice, too (though it does have organic cane sugar!).
- fiber
- magnesium, copper, iron
- antioxidants (more than many other foods!)
- can actually reduce insulin resistance
- some studies indicate it can help with heart health
Flaky salt (see this awesome post from Jean at What Great Grandma Ate!):
I LOVE Maldon flake sea salt and buy mine at Thrive Market. This Himalayan Pink Flake Salt is also a great choice. For a little more magic, try my favorite Maldon SMOKED Sea Salt!
- important for hydration (I encourage our parents to remember salt is important in their diet!)
- minerals like calcium, magnesium, potassium
- so helpful for our adrenal glands (many of us need work in this area!)
Medjool dates:
- protein
- A, B, and C vitamins
- selenium, manganese, magnesium, and copper (all great for bone health, among other benefits)
- iron (great for countering fatigue)
- fiber
- calcium
Ok, time to make these Dark Chocolate Cashew Bites!
Sea salt, cashew butter and dark chocolate join with dark chocolate to make a treat that's better than a candy bar.
- 12 medjool dates pitted
- 1/4 cup cashew butter
- 1/3 cup cashews, chopped or whole
- 1/2 - 3/4 cup melted dark chocolate
- 1 tablespoon ghee or coconut oil optional
- 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt
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Using a butter knife, carefully peel open dates and set on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
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Carefully stuff each date with cashew butter and press in a few cashews or cashew pieces. Place in freezer to chill while preparing chocolate in the next step.
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Using a double boiler or a microwave (in a microwave-safe container 30 seconds at a time), gently melt chocolate. If needed, add coconut oil or ghee just to bring chocolate to liquid.
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One at a time, gently close dates and set on parchment; drizzle with melted chocolate.
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Allow chocolate to harden and turn, drizzling again with remaining chocolate.
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(Alternatively, use a toothpick or small tongs to dip dates into melted chocolate.)
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While second coat of chocolate is still soft, sprinkle each date with flaky sea salt; chill in refrigerator until hardened.
Looking for more date recipes?
- These Goat Cheese Stuffed Dates from Eating Bird Food look like a PERFECT autumn appetizer!
- Try my pumpkin spice grain-free granola (with an option to add oats!)
- Fancy-pants Chocolate Date Caramel Tarts from Rachel at Bakerita – well, these would grace any table!
- I’m dying to try these savory roasted stuffed dates from Food52! I may try swapping the goat cheese with Violife dairy-free feta.
(Ok – are you craving chocolate now?)
Try these chocolate recipes:
- Wicked Dark Chocolate Flourless Cupcakes are worth every step to get to their glamorous goodness!
- Paleo Buckeyes (including a nut-free option) are so simple and chocolatey-good!
Did you love this recipe? Please consider leaving a review below! Want to make it later? Click and pin this image and save it to your favorite board! ————->
Enjoy all the goodness!
Inspiring (dark-chocolate, naturally-sweetened) welcome,
Angela
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