Healthy Holiday Fudge

This is the BEST Gluten-Free Vegan No-Cook Healthy Holiday Fudge recipe ever! You only need 5 clean, real food ingredients and it takes less than 5 minutes to prepare.

Vegan Holiday Desserts just can’t get any easier than this!

How about a classic holiday fudge recipe that’s healthy, easy and only needs 5 clean ingredients to make it? I’ll take it!

It’s the perfect holiday treat to be able to enjoy and share, especially since it takes less than 5 minutes to prepare.

Is this Gluten-Free Vegan No-Cook Holiday Fudge Healthy?

In my opinion, yes!

You can make this Gluten-Free Vegan No-Cook Healthy Holiday Fudge with only 4 clean, real food ingredients: cacao powder, coconut oil, maple syrup and almond butter.

Compare that to the typical ingredients you will find in store-bought and homemade fudge recipes:

S.A.D. (Standard American Diet) Russell Stover Walnut Fudge Candy Ingredients:

Ingredients: Sugar, Cream Dairy, Walnuts, Corn Syrup, Chocolate (Sugar, Chocolate Processed with Alkali, Cocoa Butter, Butter Fat, Soy Lecithin, An Emulsifier, Vanilla, Vanillin, An Artificial Flavor), Sugar Brown, Palm Kernel Oil Partially Hydrogenated, Sorbitol, Salt, Potassium Sorbate, Flavors Natural 

S.A.D. (Standard American Diet) Traditional Homemade Fudge Recipe Ingredients:

Typical Ingredients:  2 3/4 cups sugar, 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, 3 tablespoons butter, 1 cup half-and-half, 1 tablespoon corn syrup, and 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

I’ve even seen versions using these highly processed ingredients:

• an entire jar of marshmallow cream (corn syrup, sugar, water, egg whites, artificial flavor, cream of tartar, xanthan gum, artificial blue color 1
• margarine (liquid and partially hydrogenated soybean oil, water, buttermilk, contains less than 2% of salt, soy lecithin, potassium sorbate (preservative), mono and diglycerides (emulsifier), lactic acid, natural and artificial flavor, vitamin A palmitate, beta carotene color) 

Do people really still use margarine?!

These store-bought and homemade recipes are made with highly processed ingredients that contain GMO’s, refined sugars, preservatives and food colorings.

And if the ingredients aren’t bad enough, you still have to heat, cook, boil, use a candy thermometer, etc. to make traditional fudge.

My healthy version is made with real food and is raw, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, paleo-friendly, no refined sugar and there is no cooking involved!

Want more healthy dessert recipes? Check out Clean Eating Chocolate Crunch Bars, Healthy Peanut Butter Cups, Raw Snickers Bars or my Clean Eating Cookbook with healthy, clean eating recipes just like this one that you will love!

What Ingredients Do I Need To Make Gluten-Free Vegan No-Cook Healthy Holiday Fudge?

5 Fast Facts About Raw Cacao Powder:*

• contains over 300 compounds including protein, calcium, copper, zinc and iron
• super high in anti-oxidants
• promotes cardiovascular health
• contains essential fats
• can help to decrease blood pressure

5 Fast Facts About Coconut Oil:*

• super high in lauric acid
• rich in antioxidants
• contains natural microbial and anti-bacterial agents
• helps to improve metabolism
• improves cholesterol levels

5 Fast Facts Maple Syrup:*

• contains manganese and zinc
• super high in anti-oxidants
• helps with inflammation
• 1/4 cup contains more calcium than the same amount of milk
• 1/4 cup contains more potassium than a banana

5 Fast Facts About Almonds (Almond Butter):*

• helps to regulate cholesterol and blood pressure
• energy booster
• loaded with calcium and fiber
• 1/4 cup contains 8 grams of vegan protein
• high in anti-oxidants

*These statements have not been evaluated by Food and Drug Administration.  This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

How Do You Make Gluten-Free Vegan No-Cook Healthy Holiday Fudge?

It’s really easy to make healthy no-cook fudge and all you need is a mixing bowl and a baking dish!

1. Prepare your baking dish. This isn’t mandatory, but lining your baking dish with parchment paper will make the fudge easy to remove and will make clean up easier too!
2. Mix all ingredients together. Super easy…just add all 5 ingredients together in a mixing bowl. You’ll want to make sure the coconut oil is melted before adding it with the other ingredients. I add mine to a small saucepan and melt it on the stove top on lowest heat.
3. Customize the recipe. This is optional. This is a basic, classic chocolate fudge recipe, but you can customize it by adding pecans, walnuts, macadamia nuts or even mint or orange extract for different varieties.
4. Transfer to baking dish. Here you have two options. Option 1: Use a 9 x 5 loaf pan and the following recipe which will make about 18 small, thick squares of fudge. Option 2: Use a 8 x 8 baking pan and the following recipe which will make more servings, but they will be thin squares. Or, you can double the recipe in the 8 x 8 pan and you can have more servings and thick squares.
5. Put in freezer. Once you’ve poured the fudge mixture into the baking dish of your choice, place it in the freezer for approximately 60 minutes, or until the fudge hardens. You’ll need to store it in the freezer until ready to serve because it will get soft and lose it’s shape if left out at room temperature and will be a big mess. Keep this in mind if you will be traveling with them or will be somewhere that they couldn’t be refrigerated.

Gluten-Free Vegan No-Cook Healthy Holiday Fudge Ingredient Substitutions and Tips:

Raw Cacao Powder: I use organic raw cacao powder for my chocolate in all my recipes, especially to keep them “raw”, but feel free to use regular cocoa powder.

Coconut Oil: Coconut oil is used in this recipe in place of butter. I like to use “refined” coconut oil instead of “unrefined” coconut oil because it doesn’t taste or smell like coconut.

Maple Syrup: I used maple syrup as a natural liquid sweetener, but you could also use organic date nectar, coconut nectar or a sugar-free liquid sweeter to make this recipe keto-friendly.

Almond Butter: I used almond butter because it has a neutral flavor, but you could also use another neutral flavor nut butter like cashew butter. Or, if you want a chocolate + peanut butter combination, use peanut butter(yum!) or try my Peanut Butter Fudge recipe!

Gluten-Free Vegan No-Cook Healthy Holiday Fudge

Yield: 18 small squares

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

This is the BEST Gluten-Free Vegan No-Cook Healthy Holiday Fudge recipe ever! You only need 5 clean, real food ingredients and it takes less than 5 minutes to prepare. { raw | vegan | gluten-free | dairy-free | no-cook | paleo-friendly | no refined sugar | medical medium* }

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Ingredients

• 1 cup organic coconut oil (melted/liquid)
• 1/4 cup organic cacao powder
• 1/4 cup organic maple syrup
• 1/4 cup organic almond butter
• 1 tablespoon organic pure vanilla extract*

Instructions

Prepare a 9x 5 loaf pan with parchment paper. Set aside.

1. Add all ingredients to a medium-sized bowl and stir until well combined.
2. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and spread it evenly.
3. Transfer the pan to the freezer for approximately 60 minutes, or until the fudge is hardened.
4. Store in an air-tight BPA-free container in the freezer until ready to serve because it will get soft and lose it's shape if left out at room temperature.
5. Enjoy!

Notes

*Medical Medium: Use non-alcohol vanilla extract

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 18 Serving Size: 1 square
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 149 Total Fat: 14g Cholesterol: 0mg Sodium: 1mg Carbohydrates: 5g Fiber: 1g Sugar: 3g Protein: 1g

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist's advice.