Mini Chocolate Peanut Fudge Tarts
Looking to indulge in a dessert that combines creamy fudginess, rich peanut butter, and a luscious chocolate, caramel topping?Well, today you are in luck as I am sharing this delicious healthy recipe! I first made this as one large cheesecake but I actually much prefer eating and making mini tarts.Mini desserts are my favourites as they can be stored easily in the freezer and I can portion control and avoid over eating a lot more (as you do!)They are also easier for children to eat so that’s a win win.If I can, I like stocking my freezer with some of these little delights to have on hand when I have guests over or when feeling like a sweet treat.This recipe is a ‘healthified’ take on a snickers chocolate bar which consists of nougat, salty peanuts, caramel with a chocolate coating. In other words, calories. This all really means: calories. A mountain of delicious calories. There is something so delicious in the flavour combination of peanuts, caramel, chocolate and vanilla. I also love the different textures, a chewy base, a smooth creamy vanilla layer, a sticky caramel, rich chocolate and crunchy peanuts. Yum!But the trick is having the deliciousness of something really naughty and calorie dense but making it healthy and guilt-free so we can enjoy it without having to worry about that mountain of calories from the loads of unhealthy sugars and fats. These babies are great for gifts, dessert platters, or any time you want a piece of deliciousness. They are so pretty and are a must-make for anyone who loves the timeless combination of chocolate and peanut butter. It’s a comforting, healthy dessert and great for a treat any time! But c’mon – I don’t have to tell you how delicious chocolate and peanut butter is together. These types of recipe exist for a reason. They are so darn satisfying that if you keep a few of these in the freezer they will put an end to those “something sweet” cravings once and for all. Guaranteed! 😊
Servings 12
Ingredients
Base Crust
- 1 cup almonds or walnuts
- 1 cup desiccated coconut
- 1 cup dates, soaked 30 minutes and drained
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Creamy Vanilla Filling
- 1 1/2 cups cashews, soaked 3+hours and drained
- 1 13.5 oz can coconut cream, full fat (solid part only) *see note below
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
- 1/4 cup honey or maple syrup
- 1-2 lemons, juice and zest (depending on how lemon-ey you like it)
Peanut Butter Sauce
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
- 1/2 cup water
- dash salt, optional
Chocolate Topping
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 2-3 tablespoons peanuts
Instructions
Base Crust
- Note: Place the can of coconut cream in the fridge or freezer for at least 1-2 hours before making these tarts to allow coconut cream to separate.Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners, or use silicone baking cups or a silicon muffin pan.Place almonds and coconut into a food processer and process until broken down and crumbly. Add dates and vanilla and continue to process until mixture is sticky and well combined.Be careful not to over process as its nice to have texture and different sized “bits” in your base crust.Spoon teaspoons of the mixture into cupcake liners and gently press down with the back of the spoon until smooth and even.Refrigerate while you prepare the filling.
Creamy Vanilla Filling
- Open chilled can and scoop out the cream that has separated and set hard on the top. Save the remaining coconut water to use in a smoothie, drink, or discard.Place all filling ingredients, cashews, coconut cream, coconut oil, honey, lemon juice and zest into the food processor and process until smooth and creamy. Depending on the power of your blender this might take a few minutes. Stop blending to scrape the sides if necessary and continue to blend until very smooth. Taste test add more honey or lemon if you think it needs it.Pour the filling over the chilled mini crusts and spread evenly with a spatula or the back of a spoon, then place back in the refrigerator.
Peanut Butter Sauce
- Mix together the honey and water in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil; boil for one minute.Remove from heat and stir in the peanut butter until melted. Add additional water as needed to get the right consistency. A dash of optional salt enhances the flavor.Drizzle the peanut butter sauce on top of the vanilla filling.Melt the chocolate topping.
Chocolate Topping
- Place chocolate chips and coconut oil in small dish and microwave at 50% power with 30 second bursts stirring between each one until melted and smooth.Or use double boiler method - (pot of boiling water with a bowl resting on top) melt the chocolate chips and the coconut oil together.Once smooth and melted, drizzle chocolate on top of peanut sauce on your mini tarts then top with peanuts.Place them back in the freezer and leave to set for 2-3 hours. Take out 30 minutes before serving.