Healthy homemade alternative to Ferrero Rocher

Are you looking for a healthy alternative to the indulgent Ferrero Rocher? If so, this recipe is for you. With very little sugar, and the use of raw nuts and seeds, this treat is quite nutritious.



These healthy alternatives are fairly bitter. To add sweetness without turning to sugar you can add a touch of cinnamon to the melted cocoa or use Stevia. I also found that the cashew nuts added a creamy sweet texture which softens the bitterness of the cocoa.

Ingredients





A bar of dark chocolate - 100% cocoa is of course the most healthy option but I was only able to get my hands on a 90% cocoa bar. If you are using 100% cocoa, you can add Stevia as a sweetener. You will also need a selection of raw nuts and seeds including hazelnuts. I have used hazelnuts, cashews, brazil nuts, almonds, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds.

Method

The first step is to crush your nuts and seeds. You can either do this by throwing your nuts and seeds into a blender or by placing them into a food bag, covering with a tea towel and using a hammer to gently crush the mixture. I used a blender and found that the hazel nuts were the toughest to blend and so I advise blending those first.



The cashews on the other hand blend quite quickly and turn into a powder. I would therefore add those for the last 5-10 seconds of blending. As I am moving towards a raw food diet, I used raw nuts and seeds. However, should you wish to dry fry or roast the nuts slightly, it will add to the flavour.



Once your nut mixture is ready, put them to one side while you melt your cocoa. (Try and avoid using a microwave as it is not only unhealthy but also disturbs the texture of the cocoa.) To melt the cocoa place a deep bowl of the cocoa into warm water. Once the cocoa has melted, carefully lift the bowl and place it on a tea towel. You can stir in some cinnamon at the point if you wish.

The next step is to toss the nut mixture into the melted cocoa and stir. You can add as much as you like. Stir well.



Next, is the messy part! At this stage it is fairly difficult to create Ferrero Rocher sized balls of the mixture. I would leave the mixture to cool so it become a little more solid and then spoon small amounts of the mixture into small squares of cling film. Use the cling film to shape the mixture into balls and place in the fridge for a couple of hours or over night. Carefully remove the cling film in the morning.



If your portions are quite large, you can slice them into smaller pieces once they have been left to cool in the fridge.



These treats are great for keeping in the fridge to help you through your sweet cravings. I have also used them at my “healthy tea parties” and given them as gifts to my health conscious friends and family.

Categories
#healthy_recipes
#vegan
#gluten_free


%healthyhints