“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!
Hi!
What can I use instead of almond butter? It’s not really easy to find here (italy)
Peanut butter would work fine! Or cashew butter!
Looks great, anyway to substitute the bananas?
Hmmm. Good question.. the bananas work as a binding ingredient.. you could try black beans, or possibly make a “flax eggs” – try 5 tbsp of ground flax seed mixed with 2 tbsp of water, let sit for a good half hour till it becomes a gel consistency, and try that in the mix! Good luck!
Thank you! I’ll let you know how they turn out.
These look soooo good – can’t wait to try them. Thank you !
You’re very welcome! 🙂
that looks amazing!!!
Oh they are!!
Hi Christal, I just found your blog through Foodgawker…these bars look amazing!!! I can’t wait to try them out! It’s always nice to find other health-oriented blogs. 🙂
Thanks Lauren!
These look lovely, but i wonder if i could soak the dates in rum, or cognac. Just for a bit of extra fun.
Sure!! These would make great “adult” treats too! What a great idea!
Also, could I use natural peanut butter instead of almond butter?
yup!
Three words… I. LOVE. YOU. Haha, thank you for such a delicious, chocolatey but healthy recipe!!
So Christal, one must own a food processor to make this recipe, correct? In other words, a blender won’t do the trick, will it? And where does one buy pitted dates?
A food processor would work best but you could do this in a blender as well – the dates are found in the bulk section at the grocery store with the other dried fruit! 🙂
Looks amazing! Your black bean brownies are a hit at our house, friends gobble it up and I watch them patiently and then ask, “guess what it’s made of?” and of course their jaws drop when I reveal the answer… Great fun 🙂 This will be tried soon, too! Thanks!
Love it!! 🙂 They should love these too then!