Vegan Chocolate Bars with Dried Cherries and Vegan Marshmallows
We all get a chocolate craving now and again, and the good news is that you don’t have to give up on your chocolate treats just because you’re vegan! These deliciously decadent chocolate bars are so moreish, they’ll have you sneaking back for just one more over and over again!
To make these particular bars, I used store-bought vegan marshmallows as a rare treat. However, you can omit them entirely or replace with your favourite nuts, which give a beautifully crunchy contrast to the soft, sweet cherries.
Store them in the fridge and enjoy with a cup of tea…perfect!
To start, combine the following ingredients in a glass bowl:
¾ cup of coconut oil, room temperature
1 cup of cacao nibs or cocoa powder
Stir until a paste is formed, then place the bowl over a large pan of simmering boiling water (the pan has to be slightly smaller than the base of the bowl so that it fits snugly on top) and keep stirring until the mixture is thin and smooth. Do not let it boil.
Then take the bowl off the heat and add:
2/3 cup of coconut cream
1 tsp of pure vanilla extract
1 cup of date syrup •
Stir the mixture until it is totally smooth
Next:
Line a medium size baking tray with foil, dull side up. Pour out a layer of chocolate (using half the total amount) and spread evenly.
Then sprinkle the following ingredients on top:
½ cup of chopped dried cherries
½ cup of chopped vegan marshmallows (or nuts)
Finally:
Pour the remaining chocolate on top, then place in the fridge to set.
Once set, cut into chocolate bar size pieces, serve, indulge and enjoy! :)
•To make this recipe a little healthier, you can replace the date syrup with a cup and a half of pitted dates. Put them into the food processor/vitamix along with the coconut cream and vanilla essence and pulverize until totally smooth. Then add to the chocolate/oil mixture.