Want to indulge in chocolate without jeopardizing your nutritious diet? These healthy no-bake dark chocolate almond bites contain no refined sugar, take just minutes to make, and taste amazing. Plus, they’re vegan, gluten-free, egg-free, dairy-free, and guilt-free.
I’m always a little scared to declare a chocolate treat “healthy.”
I fully recognize that this is dangerous territory. A very subjective world, prone to opposing opinions and passionate feelings.
Since I don’t consider myself a healthy recipe blogger, I thankfully haven’t had to delve into this territory very often (these “healthier” no-bake chocolate cookies are probably the closest I’ve come to it).
I’m not craving chocolate pudding made with avocados or brownies with black beans.
If I’m going to have a brownie, I’ll have a brownie, thank you very much.
But sometimes, having a little chocolate treat to pick me up around 3:38 p.m. makes all the difference in my mental sanity and happiness when I’ve decided to embark on a personal healthy eating challenge for the month of January.
{My splurge of five or more chocolate chips allowed each day during this month of hardship (I mean, I mean healthy eating) is often being replaced by one of these healthy dark chocolate almond bites, and I feel pretty good about that decision.}
What makes these chocolate coconut bites healthy?
First, they contain no refined sugar.The soft, pitted dates are the only source of sweetness.
And if that scares you (they’re not the prettiest food on the planet, I know), fear not!
Not only are dates a fantastic source of natural sweetness (and fiber! and vitamins!), but their sticky texture helps bind the no-bake mixture together.
Admittedly, I usually reserve the humble fruit for date caramel pudding cake (the best dessert ever), but that’s definitely a topic I’m not in the mood to talk about until January is over.
Protein-dense almonds, unsweetened cocoa powder, a tiny bit of extra virgin coconut oil, and unsweetened shredded coconut are added to the dates.
Give that mix a whirl and you’ve got a rich, slightly sweet, nutty mix that may not look like much, but ends up being the tastiest snack (healthy eating or not).
The chocolate and almond mixture will look a little crumbly; you can process it for as long as you like, depending on how coarse or fine you want the texture.
The more you blend it in the food processor, the easier it will be to form balls.
I test a little of the mixture by pressing and rolling it in my hand (and if it’s still a little crumbly, adding a tablespoon of water or a little more melted coconut will help it stick together).
Actually, in about 20 minutes or less, you can have a nutritious, chocolatey snack right in front of your eyes.
Do you decide to eat all 24 and probably negate all the healthy benefits? Well, that’s up to you.
I am simply the recipe provider.I assume no accountability for your actions moving forward.
These healthy dark chocolate almond bites have definitely saved me this month.
And in case you’re thinking “of course you think they taste good, you’re not eating any other candy or obvious carbs!” Over the past week, I’ve given several to my kids and friends, and they have all adored them.
In fact, my friend Beth declared that these treats could change the world. Yes, they are that good.
It was actually another friend of mine (hi, Kristin!) who texted me the recipe several months ago telling me I had to make these ASAP.
She’s a huge fan of these Dark Chocolate Granola Bites from my blog, so she obviously already has good taste.
When I made them, I understood why she was so passionate about making these healthy Dark Chocolate Almond Bites a part of my life.
I’m pretty sure I’ll be making these for the rest of my life (they keep really well in the fridge or freezer).
And I’ve already decided that at 6 a.m. on February 1st I’m going to make a batch of these and then cover them in dark chocolate. Doesn’t that sound amazing?
It seems like just the right thing to do to celebrate my {hopefully} successful month of healthy eating.
They’re so quick to make that they’re the perfect healthy snack for anytime, anywhere. I hope you love them!
Healthy almond and dark chocolate bites
Yield: 24 bites
Prep time: 20 minutes
Total time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
- 6 ounces (170 g) Medjool dates or other pitted soft dates, about 1 cup or 10-12 dates
- 1 cup (114 g) whole unsalted almonds (roasted is fine)
- ½ cup (43 g) shredded coconut, sweetened or unsweetened
- ½ cup (43 g) natural, unsweetened or Dutch-processed cocoa powder (I use half of each)
- One to two tsp extra-virgin coconut oil,do not heat
- ½ tablespoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt, optional
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until finely chopped and the mixture has a crumbly consistency (the exact amount you should mix depends on how coarse or fine you want the mixture to be). The mixture should hold together when you press or stretch a small amount. If the consistency is too crumbly, blend it once more with a tablespoon of water (or warmed coconut oil) until it comes together more readily.
- Roll the mixture into tablespoon-sized balls (I use a #60 cookie scoop for easy portions). Savor it right now or keep it covered in the fridge for up to a week.
Notes
Coconut: I always use unsweetened shredded coconut in these bites (from Trader Joe’s or this brand online). You can definitely substitute sweetened shredded coconut (obviously, they’ll be a little sweeter when all is said and done).
Almonds: You can probably use flaked or sliced almonds instead of whole almonds—just scale back a bit if you’re measuring by volume, since they’ll pack down into the cup more than whole almonds (the weight measurement will stay the same no matter what type of almonds you use).
