5 from 3 votes

This almond butter chocolate fudge is so decadent that no one will ever guess is good for you. No-bake, vegan, and gluten free! Check out my other fudge recipes for your next batch.

Chocolate fudge stacked on a distressed white surface topped with thinly sliced almonds

… and vegan, and gluten-free, and guilt-free. Oh yes, my friends. You don't need to clean your glasses or adjust your screen. It's true. It's real.

I'm always looking for a way to make the things I enjoy a little bit easier, a little bit more accessible, and a little bit healthier.

That's where this No-Bake Almond Butter Chocolate Fudge enters the room like Beyoncé – wind blown hair, lasers and spotlights, accompanied by a hype man and a sweet soundtrack.

Squares of chocolate fudge topped with sliced almonds strewn about a distressed white surface

If you've been following this blog for a while, you're probably already pretty familiar with my love for all things chocolate. It's one of the few foods that I just can't quit. It's just not an option – you could ask me to stop eating just about anything else, but the things I couldn't possibly give up are lobster and chocolate.

I'm pretty sure they're tied to my DNA in some form and by eliminating them I would just crumble or melt into a puddle and cease to exist. And one of my favorite chocolatey treats? Fudge.

Do you know how hard it is to make fudge healthy?! Not very, actually ;)

Squares of chocolate fudge topped with sliced almonds on a distressed white surface

Ingredients for no bake almond butter fudge

1 cup medjool dates, pitted
¼ cup almond butter
¼ cup coconut oil, melted
½ cup raw cacao powder
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Optional garnishes: Sea salt, shredded coconut, sliced almonds

How to make almond butter fudge

Prepare a sandwich-sized tupperware container (or something similarly sized) with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a food processor, combine dates and almond butter until mostly smooth.
Add coconut oil, cacao powder and vanilla and pulse until well combined and smooth.
Press mixture into prepared container and top with salt, coconut and sliced almonds. Place in freezer for at least 1 hour until firm.
Let sit at room temperate for 5 minutes before cutting into 16 pieces. Store in airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.

Making fudge healthier isn't just 1:1 swaps

I've found that the key to making your favorite decadent desserts healthier isn't to just make a bunch of one-for-one substitutes. Just swapping flour for gluten-free flour, or whole milk for skim milk… that's not what's going to do it. In my experience, it just doesn't work.

Or if it does, it just doesn't taste very satisfying because it tastes healthy. You know what I mean? You know what I mean.

You need to rethink the way you're looking at the recipe and get creative – that's where the fun comes in! And the dozens of failed recipe attempts that you force on your significant other… but we don't need to talk about those.

Raw cacao powder and dates are your friend

I won't bore you with my entire thought process, but I will share that the key to this particular recipe was to stop trying to put solid chocolate in the mix and swap it out for raw cacao powder. You may think that would be too bitter, but you'd be wrong, my friend!

The medjool dates make up for it with their natural sweetness – so no added sugar (or sugar substitutes) necessary!

The toppings are completely up to you – I just went with my favorites of the moment, but you could add just about anything your heart desires and I'm sure it would be amazing.

I'm thinking that next time I'm going to add some dried cranberries and walnuts. Mmmm.

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