Christmas cookies seem to get all the love this time of year, but I personally think that fudge is the often forgotten sweet. I have a feeling Santa would be extra good to any house that left out for him this delicious, rich and creamy peppermint fudge.

Traditional fudge can include tons of dairy and sugar, oftentimes even corn syrup. While I don’t think the holidays should be all about going without or depriving yourself, I also firmly believe if you have to be mindful of your health and your ongoing path towards healing, indulging a bit too may leave you sorry, come January 2nd. Besides all the less than stellar ingredients, most traditional fudge also requires heating and many tedious steps, including keeping the chocolate at specific temperatures and all that complicated stuff. This simple fudge recipe requires a food processor or high speed blender and that’s it. No heat.

The best part about crafting and reimagining classic recipes, is that I can indulge in the classic flavors I love, while also bringing an extra nourishing element to them. A little sneaky sweet, if you will. This fudge is exactly that. Rather than dairy and corn syrup, this fudge relies on a creamy, rich Hemp Heart butter to bring the decadence. With all that rich decadence, the Hemp Hearts also bring a surprisingly large serving of plant based protein, you get an ample sized and properly balanced serving of Omega 3 + 6 essential fatty acids. Per a 30 gram serving of Manitoba Harvest Hemp Hearts, (approx. 2 heaping tablespoons) you get 10 grams of protein and 10 grams of Omega 3+6s.

Of course coconut oil, raw cacao and raw honey are all superfoods in their own right, so this fudge is basically the most perfect dessert ever! You’re welcome. Oh and for those with nut allergies this fudge is a great option for you.

For a little extra festive feel, I make this fudge in a silicon candy mold, like this one, though any shape will work. You can also use small square silicon ice cube molds or simply set the fudge in a 5×9 glass baking pan and hand cut into tiny bite-sized squares.

This fudge is best stored in the fridge as it will get soft the warmer the coconut oil gets.

[print_this]Hemp Heart Peppermint Chocolate Fudge {Dairy-free, Grain-free, Nut-free}
makes approximately 20 pieces of fudge, depending on how mold or you cut and serve

• 1/2 cup coconut oil, room temperature, not melted
• 1/2 cup Manitoba Harvest Hemp Hearts
• 1/2 cup raw cacao powder or cocoa powder
• 1/3 cup raw honey (or maple syrup)
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
• Pinch of sea salt

• Optional: 1 naturally sweetened candy cane, crushed

Instructions:

Add the coconut oil and Hemp Hearts to your high speed blender or food processor. Blend until it comes together in a creamy butter. This will take a couple minutes. You will want to stop it to scrape down the sides, once or twice.

Once the creamy Hemp Heart butter is created, add the cocoa powder and continue mixing. Then add in the honey, vanilla extract, peppermint extract and a pinch of sea salt. Blend until it comes together into a thick and creamy mixture, that resembles a thick pudding or a frosting.

Pour the mixture into your molds or into your glass baking pan, sprinkle the crushed candy cane on top. Cover with wrap or a lid and place into the fridge. Refrigerate until the fudge is set and hard, approximately 2 hours. Pull the fudge out of the molds or cut the fudge into squares and serve. Enjoy. Store leftover in the fridge.

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This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Manitoba Harvest. All content, ideas and words are my own. Thanks for supporting the sponsors that allow me to create new and special content like this for Tasty Yummies.