A Valentine’s Day Recipe We Love

Looking for something sweet for your sweetie (or a way to treat yourself!) this Valentine’s Day?

Here’s a dessert that makes a great gift and is also packed with ingredients that are good for you. This decadent Layered Almond Fudge is not only delicious, but also vegan, gluten-free, grain-free and soy-free, and the best part is that it doesn’t have to be cooked.

Created by Julia Deppe (aka Nomad), a chef on our team who has been certified by the Natural Gourmet Institute, this fudge is easy to make and uses only six ingredients, all of which have health benefits, to boot. Almond butter, almond flour, coconut oil, cacao and maple syrup are combined to make a dense, chewy fudge that isn’t sugary but still feels special.

Nomad came up with this tasty treat on the final day of our Rogue River kayaking program. “It’s fun to share a unique dessert for the final night of programs, and we like to clear out the pantry as best we can,” she says. “I had enough almond butter and almond flour to spare, so the layered fudge was ideal.”

Layered Almond Fudge

Plan this one ahead, because it needs a good 6 hours to set. It will keep in the refrigerator for 3-5 days in a tightly sealed container. Try to find a fairly runny almond butter, which will ensure that it melds with the rest of the filling ingredients. You can also substitute tahini or sunflower butter. This recipe is easily cut in half, as well.

Yield: 24 square portions or 48 small bites

Base layer
4 1/2 cups almond flour
3/4 cup cacao powder
3/4 cup maple syrup
9 tablespoons extra virgin coconut oil, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
Sea salt to taste

Filling
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 cup extra virgin coconut oil, melted
3 cups raw, unsalted almond butter
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/4 cup cacao powder
1 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Directions
Line a 13 x 9 baking pan or dish with parchment paper and lightly grease the sides with coconut oil. Alternatively, this can be made in a tart pan or raw-cake pan (with removable bottom).

Mix crust ingredients in a large bowl until dough is formed. Press evenly into the pan and set aside. Combine filling ingredients in a high-speed blender and puree until smooth. Pour onto the crust layer, cover and set in the refrigerator until the filling solidifies, approximately 6 hours.

Slice into squares or bite-sized pieces and serve.

Know what else makes a great gift? Our Out Cooking It cookbook! Purchase a hard copy in our FD Store, or you can download the free e-book edition we’re happy to share with our community.