Chocolate lovers the world over look forward to Valentine’s Day. It’s a perfect excuse to indulge in crave-worthy candies and decadent desserts. If you’re living a paleo lifestyle however, Valentine’s Day can get a bit tricky. Here are two simple recipes adapted from the paleo food world that will put your heart aflutter.
Espresso Chocolate Hearts
These paleo-friendly espresso chocolate candies will melt your Valentine’s Day lover’s heart. If you appreciate the taste of coffee, you’ll adore these Espresso Chocolate Hearts. (You can usually find heart-shaped candy molds at most craft or cooking stores for under $2.)
- ½ cup Coconut butter (or organic, grass fed butter)
- 3 Tbsp. Cocoa powder, unsweetened
- 1 Tbsp. Espresso beans, ground
- 1 Tbsp. Coconut flakes, unsweetened
- 1 tsp. Honey
- 1 tsp. Cinnamon
- ½ tsp. Nutmeg
Put all the ingredients into a double boiler on the stove. (If you don’t have a double boiler, just use a metal mixing bowl on top of a saucepan with about two inches of water.) Warm up the ingredients, stirring constantly. Don’t expect this mixture to melt completely or to turn into a pourable liquid. Just warm and stir until it’s thoroughly blended into a uniform consistency.
Grease your mold with additional coconut butter. Spoon in the mixture to the rim and pat down with the back of your spoon. Place in the freezer and allow to set for at least two hours.
Crunchy CoCo Brownies
These gluten free and paleo friendly brownies get their name from two ingredients; coconut and cocoa. If you love the taste of coconut with the taste of chocolate (Almond Joy, anyone?), you’ll fall head over heels when you taste these brownies.
- 8 oz. Coconut butter, melted
- 1 Egg
- ½ cup Honey
- 2 tsp. Vanilla extract
- ¼ cup Cocoa powder, unsweetened
- ¼ tsp. Salt
- ½ tsp. Baking soda
- 1 cup Pistachios, chopped
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. In a mixing bowl, blend the coconut butter, egg, honey, and vanilla extract. Add the cocoa powder, salt and baking soda. Stir until thoroughly combined. Stir in the pistachios. Pour into a greased 8 x 8 baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Serve with love on a plate lined with a paper doily or red silk napkin.
