Vegan Fudge! And it isn't too, too bad for you either! :) Tahini has a lot of nutritional benefits and can aid weight loss. I've listed a few of the benefits at the end of this post. You could also add coconut, cacao nibs, nuts, raisins, seeds and so much more to this vegan fudge! I also put one of the pieces of fudge into my oatmeal this morning and it was delicious!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup tahini (could possibly sub 1/4 cup for peanut butter)
• 1/2 cup vegan butter (Earth Balance)
• 2 tbsp cacao
• 1/4 tbsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tbsp maple syrup (add 1/4-1/2 tbs more if you want it to be sweeter)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• tiny pinch of cayenne, optional
• Ice Cube Tray / Heart (or whichever shape) chocolate molds

Directions:

1. Melt the butter in a small pot on the stove on low heat. Add in the tahini and maple syrup and stir until everything is smooth and fully mixed.
2. Add in the rest of the ingredients (cacao, cinnamon, vanilla, cayenne) and stir again until all the ingredients are mixed together. Remove from heat and take a tablespoon and spoon the mixture into an ice cube tray. This amount of ingredients made 8 cubes of fudge, so adjust the recipe to your preference of how many you’d like to make. Place the ice cube tray in the freezer and freeze for an hour or two until the fudge sets.
3. Store fudge in the freezer or fridge. Yum! You can opt to make fudge in little silicone chocolate molds instead, which would actually be easier to remove the fudge once it sets. :)

xox --Clare

TAHINI BENEFITS!

• It’s rich in minerals
• Good source of calcium
• High in vitamin E and vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5 and B15.
• Helps to promote healthy cell growth.
• Helps to maintain healthy skin and muscle tone.
• It has 20% complete protein, making it a higher protein source than most nuts.
• It's easy for your body to digest because of its high alkaline mineral content, which is great for assisting in weight loss.
• It is high in unsaturated fats, which are the good kinds!

photo courtesy of creative commons on Flickr