“Mmmmmm… they totally taste like Eatmore Bars!!” said my hubby, and the name was born. Healthy ‘Eatmore’ Fudge Squares, because that describes them perfectly. A chewy, yet crunchy, sweet, chocolaty bottom, topped with a rich, fudgey (is that a word?!), decadent, chocolaty layer, cut into a perfect little four bite square. YUM.
This recipe is a perfect ‘I-need-a-little-treat-but-don’t-want-to-actually-have-a-bad-treat’ treat! The squares are made with minimal ingredients, all natural and all good for you; nuts, unsweetened cocoa powder, dates, pure raw honey, almond butter, and banana. That’s it, that’s all – no flour, no refined sugars, no chemicals, no additives, no CRAP! Just good whole food to put you in a really good mood! 🙂
I made these squares in about 15 minutes flat, after letting the dates soak for about half an hour (this step is optional but makes the bottom layer come together easier), and then popped the tray in the freezer for about 30 minutes.
I still have some hanging out in the freezer, even though I made this batch a couple weeks ago, and they still taste as good as they did the day I made them – they don’t actually freeze solid, they stay nice and firm, but easy to bite into, and soften up in about a minute at room temperature.
The only drawback of these squares, is that at room temperature for too long they will melt and become a bit of a mess – so keeping them chilled is the key!
The hubby ate about 6 the night I made them, so be careful, they are really tasty, and although made with whole, unprocessed ingredients, they still do have about 140 calories a pop! Keep moderation in mind and enjoy one or two at a time 🙂
It’s so awesome to know that healthy desserts CAN be made, and enjoyed, and still taste amazing. I love seeing healthy alternatives to typical unhealthy dessert ingredients!
No more do cakes, cupcakes, brownies, pies, and squares need to be made with white sugar or white flour, shortening, or other processed garbage!!! The internet has a plethora of healthy baking alternatives… so no excuses!!
Ok, I will step off my pedestal… so you can go make these!!
- 1 cup pitted dates
- ½ cup almonds, unsalted
- ½ cup walnuts, unsalted
- ¼ cup + ¼ cup raw cocao powder
- 2 ripe bananas
- 4 tbsp natural almond butter
- 4 tbsp unpasteurized honey
- Put dates in a bowl with warm water, allow dates to soak for 30 minutes, then drain.
- Mix together dates, almonds, walnuts, and ¼ cup cocao powder in a food processor until well blended.
- Spread mixture in a 9x5 baking pan until evenly distributed, and press down gently with a spoon.
- Mix together bananas, almond butter, honey, and other ¼ cup cocao powder in the food processor until well blended.
- Spread mixture over bottom layer until evenly distributed.
- Place in freezer for 30 minutes.
- Cut into 16 squares. Re-freeze whatever you don’t eat and enjoy at another time!
I would substitute maximum 1 tablespoon of the cocoa powder for ground coffee powder! It will definitely lend a kick!! 🙂
Alright, thanks! Now onto the hunt for cacao powder…
These look amazing! I’ll make them as is, but alas, my dear hubby is allergic (sensitive) to chocolate/cocoa. Is there a proper substitute? Almond flour? Regular flour or a GF blend? (He’s not GF). Adding a different extract too perhaps? He LOVES nuts and bananas so I thought it’d be fun to make something like this for him. Thanks for the help — I love your site!
Have you tried Carob powder before Joan?? It’s a bit smoky in flavour but a great cocoa substitute!
Christal, these are delicious!!! The fudgy, firm pudding like texture achieved with the top layer, combined with the yummy taste of banana, pb and chocolate is AWESOME!! That combined with them being so easy to make makes this recipe a definite keeper 🙂 Thanks!
You are very welcome! 🙂
What could I use instead of honey?
You could try agave or maple syrup but it may make the topping of the squares runny!
Just wondering what could be used instead of bananas in the Fudge recipe please?
Honestly.. nothing 🙁 They just wouldn’t turn out the same!! … well actually, mashed plantain could work, but that’s very similar to banana!
Is this meant to be a frozen dessert? Only I made them and the top is wet and watery at room temperature. Someone else had the same problem and you mentioned using a thicker honey, but then another post you mention maple syrup would written great? Surely maple syrup would be just as runny as what I made today with ‘thin’ honey. Can I add some sort of starch to thicken it up?
It is a frozen dessert! 🙂