4.0 from 12 votes
Chocolate Peanut Butter Pumpkins
SPECIAL TREAT | Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Soy-free, Egg-free, VeganThese healthy Halloween treats are naturally sweetened with dates and covered in dark chocolate for a gluten-free and dairy-free dessert.
Prep Time
15 mins
Total Time
15 mins
Servings: 20 pieces
Calories: 74 kcal
Course:
Dessert
Cuisine:
American
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Medjool dates , pitted and tightly packed (4 ounces)
- 1/2 cup peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds
- 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (or homemade coating)
- coarse sea salt (optional; for topping)
Instructions
- Place the pitted dates in a food processor fitted with an "S" blade and process until broken down into smaller pieces. (You can use a mini vegetable chopper for this, too.)
- Add in the peanut butter, flax, and salt, and process again until a relatively smooth and sticky batter is formed. It should be easy to press together with your fingers, without crumbling. If the batter is too dry, add a teaspoon of water, and if the batter is too moist, add another tablespoon of ground flax and process again until easily moldable.
- Transfer the batter to a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper and use your hands to press it out into 1/2-inch thickness. (You can use a rolling pin if you want to, but it's not necessary.)
- Press your favorite cookie cutter shapes into the dough, making 20 or more pieces. (You'll have to re-press out the dough several times as you run out of room for your cookie cutters.)
- Arrange the cut-out shapes on the lined pan and place it in the freezer to help them firm up as you make the chocolate coating.
- Make a homemade chocolate coating, or simply melt the 1/2 cup of dark chocolate chips in a double boiler until smooth.
- Remove the cut-out shapes from the freezer and quickly drizzle the chocolate coating over the top of each one. You can place the shapes on a wire rack if you want the excess chocolate to drip off of them, or you can simply do it directly on the pan. I only coat one side of each piece, because I think that's a good chocolate-to-peanut butter ratio, but feel free to do the second side, too.
- If you'd like to add a sprinkle of sea salt, do it right away while the chocolate is still melted. Then transfer the coated peanut butter shapes to the freezer to set, about 10 more minutes.
- You can eat these right away, or store them in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to eat. They should last in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, but I wouldn't know for sure because we always eat them before that!
Cup of Yum
Nutrition Information
Calories
74kcal
(4%)
Carbohydrates
6g
(2%)
Protein
2g
(4%)
Fat
4g
(6%)
Saturated Fat
1g
(5%)
Sodium
49mg
(2%)
Potassium
98mg
(3%)
Sugar
4g
(8%)
Vitamin A
5IU
(0%)
Calcium
20mg
(2%)
Iron
0.2mg
(1%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 20pieces
Amount Per Serving
Calories 74
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 74kcal | 4% |
| Carbohydrates | 6g | 2% |
| Protein | 2g | 4% |
| Fat | 4g | 6% |
| Saturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Sodium | 49mg | 2% |
| Potassium | 98mg | 2% |
| Sugar | 4g | 8% |
| Vitamin A | 5IU | 0% |
| Calcium | 20mg | 2% |
| Iron | 0.2mg | 1% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.