Healthy Chocolate Turtles

© Sweets You Can Eat by Megan Matthews and Patricia Schroeck 2021

Ingredients

1 cup pitted, chopped dates
1 teaspoon coconut oil, melted
1 teaspoon water
pinch of salt
1 cup toasted pecan halves
Chocolate
1 cup dark chocolate chips*
1 tablespoon coconut oil
large crystal salt 

Makes 16 turtles

*To stay 100% refined sugar-free I recommend using chocolate chips that are sweetened with coconut sugar – like Hu Gems or Kakaozon’s 85% chocolate chips

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Instructions

1.  Add chopped dates along with melted coconut oil, water and a pinch of salt into a blender or food processor. Pulse well until the dates form a sticky puree. Pinch off 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces and roll into firm balls. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
2.  While date caramel is chilling, toast 1 cup pecan halves in a 350ºF/180ºC oven for 6 minutes, do not brown, just lightly toast pecans.
3.  Lay out the turtle legs in rows of 4 splayed out like a turtle. Place on top of each set of legs one date caramel ball. Press gently so the date balls lightly flatten to stick to the pecan legs. Place each turtle pecan on parchment paper or cooling rack and freeze 20 minutes
4.  Melt chocolate chips in microwave with coconut oil, heating in 30 second increments, stirring gently at every 30 seconds until fully melted.
5. Drizzle melted chocolate over each pecan turtle date-ball-body and cover fully with chocolate. Then sprinkle each turtle chocolate shell with large crystal salt before the chocolate hardens. Enjoy at cool room temperature.

Photos by Milkshake Creative

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