Almond butter fudge recipe

I have to admit, when I first tried this fudge, I wasn't all that into it. My husband made it after doing a 15-day juice fast, just trying out new, healthy recipes. If you're looking for the standard-tasting fudge, this isn't it. This one is made up mostly of almonds, which makes it really healthy, but also makes it--well--different. It's also sweetened with maple syrup instead of sugar, and not much of it. Simple, pure ingredients and no chemicals.

So I didn't love it when I first tried it, but every time I wanted something sweet, I would go for a cube of fudge in the fridge since we had it, and it was the perfect thing. In a few days' time I was starting to love it, and now I can't get enough. I've always heard that your taste buds have to get used to a certain flavor, and then you'll learn to eat and to like it, and I have experienced that myself so many times. You can literally teach yourself to eat almost anything that way. Not that I was trying to teach myself to eat more fudge, but you get what I mean. I've also found that this fudge is really filling and gives you a shot of energy whenever you need a pick-me-up.

Almond Butter Fudge

2 cups almond butter (fill up that standard container that you get at the grocery store to the very top)
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon coconut oil
1 tablespoon vanilla
pinch of sea salt
4 oz. 80% or more dark chocolate

Combine the almond butter, cocoa powder, maple syrup, coconut oil, vanilla, and sea salt in a medium bowl.  Melt the dark chocolate and add it into the mixture. Line an 8-by-8 pan with parchment paper and spoon mixture into it, flattening the fudge out well. You can sprinkle another pinch of sea salt on top at this point to make it pretty. Place the fudge in the freezer for one hour. When done chilling, pull the fudge out by the parchment paper, throw the paper away, and cut fudge into squares. Keep in refrigerator in an airtight container.

I should mention that in the pictures above, I poured the dark chocolate over the top of the fudge before freezing instead of mixing it in. This is similar to the original recipe, which says to drizzle it over the fudge once it's been in the freezer. I actually like it much better with the chocolate mixed into the fudge with the rest of the ingredients. My husband did this on accident the first time he made it, and it was a happy accident. The fudge wasn't so soft and squishy, and it had a really good flavor throughout, instead of tasting of chocolate on top and nuts on the bottom. Plus, it's much easier to cut that way.

xoxo,
Tanya