Marbled Peppermint Bark

I have your new Christmas time addiction: peppermint bark. It’s dangerously simple, nothing is more Christmasy than cool peppermint, and nothing is more luxurious than dark chocolate and white chocolate swirled together in melty, delicious harmony. Now, these are not my usual refined sugar free treats because white chocolate has a lot of sugar, but making a few batches this holiday season won’t hurt! Eating “cheat” foods you enjoy without guilt, to me, makes living a healthy lifestyle honestly enjoyable! I love healthy food, and I love how I feel when I eat intuitively, and sometimes my intuition (especially when pregnant during the holidays) says to eat peppermint bark. No need to feel deprived this holiday season – enjoy your sugary treats if it feels good for your body! I hope this quick and delicious “recipe” (can’t even really call it that) hits the spot and brings holiday cheer!

• Servings: 6-8
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Ingredients

• 8 oz of dark baking chocolate
• 8 oz of white baking chocolate
• 6-8 drops of peppermint essential oil
• 4 candy canes, crushed or roughly chopped

Directions

1. Melt dark chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl; heating for 30 seconds and stirring after each interval.
2. Once melted, add peppermint oil and stir to combine.
3. Spread dark chocolate thinly on a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
4. Melt white chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl, stirring after each 30 second interval of heating.
5. Spoon globs (technical term) of white chocolate on top of dark chocolate, then create the “marbling” by running your spoon vertically then horizontally through both layers.
6. Top the bark with crushed candy canes.
7. Chill until solid (5ish hours in the fridge and 2ish hours in the freezer), then break into pieces using a knife. Enjoy the scraps before sharing with your kids 😉
8. Store in the refrigerator.

 

This Marbled Peppermint Bark, along with my Molasses Cookies, have been made every Christmas since my husband and I were married; it’s a sweet (literally and emotionally) holiday tradition. If you are looking for refined sugar free Christmas desserts, please try the cookies linked above, as well as Two Layer Paleo Fudge, and for Christmas sweet drinks, look no further than my Death by Hot Chocolate, Slow Cooker Apple Cider, and Dairy Free Eggnog. Whatever you end up making, I hope it brings some holiday cheer to you and yours! Spend time with your loved ones, indulge this holiday season…and enjoy your Pinch of Crazy!

This post contains affiliate links; if you purchase using the links, it is of no extra cost to you, just a small commission for me. Thank you for supporting A Pinch of Crazy!

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No Bake Cheesecake with Chocolate Crust

 

No Regrets Cheesecake

Recently, my husband and I shared a piece of cheesecake from that place with the 300 page menu. I’m sure you know where I’m talking about. It was delicious and extremely sweet…and I couldn’t even finish my half because I felt so sick. My husband selflessly sacrificed ( 😉 ) himself by finishing off the slice, yet I still suffered by listening to him burp all night. Wouldn’t it be great if there were a no regrets (no burp-inducing) cheesecake? Well I have it! A vegan, refined sugar free, gluten free, no bake cheesecake!

Read this in your best announcer voice: creamy, slightly tangy yet sweet whipped cream filling; atop a crunchy chocolate crust; all bathed in juicy, fresh strawberries. Are you drooling yet? Let’s get to this recipe!

No Bake Cheesecake with Chocolate Crust

Makes one standard 9-inch pie pan.

Ingredients:

For the crust:

• 8 medjool dates, pitted
• 1 cup of raw, unsalted nuts (I used 1/2 cup almonds, 1/2 cup walnuts)
• 1/2 cup of 100% cocoa powder
• 1/3 cup of coconut oil, melted
• Pinch of cinnamon

For the filling:

• 2 cans of coconut cream (my favorite brand because it doesn’t taste coconut-y!)
• 2 tbsp of honey or maple syrup
• Juice from a quarter of a lime

Topping ideas:

• Fresh strawberries (highly recommend!)
• Fresh blueberries
• unsweetened coconut
• chocolate syrup

Directions:

• In a food processor (this Cuisinart one is on sale!), combine all ingredients for the crust
• Pulse until it comes together in a ball
• Press out crust into a 9 inch pie pan or 9×9 square pan
• Place in the refrigerator while you prepare the filling
• Combine filling ingredients in a mixing bowl
  • Try and not get all the liquid from the coconut cream into the bowl, or it may thin out the mixture
• Whisk together until combined
• Pour filling over crust
• Freeze for about two hours
• Once solid, slice with a sharp knife and serve with desired toppings
• Store leftovers covered in the fridge for a week

For more no bake desserts, check out my Chocolate Banana “Nice” Cream, No Bake Chocolate Date Cake, No Bake Pumpkin Pie, Two Layer Paleo Fudge, or Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups. I have a strong love for all things dessert, and truly enjoy making classics healthier! I hope you enjoy them, too! Stay healthy while indulging a little…and enjoy your pinch of crazy!

This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase using the links, it is of no extra cost to you, just a small commission for me. Thank you for supporting A Pinch of Crazy!

Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

Classic Candy with a Healthy Twist

If you hear the words “peanut butter cup”, I am sure you think of that certain candy with an orange wrapper, AKA chocolate-coated-peanut-buttery-goodness. Ah yes. They are certainly delicious, but those candies have 16 grams (8 per cup) of sugar! I’m sure you know by now that I have a huge sweet tooth [monster], and I’m definitely a fan of the classic peanut butter/chocolate pairing. Before I discovered the effects of sugar on my anxiety, I could gobble up 2 orange packages (32 grams of sugar!) without batting an eye…then, when I was lying in bed wide awake at 2 AM, I would wonder why my chest was tight and my heart was racing. *face palm*

For Zemirah’s stocking this Christmas I…I mean, Santa…decided to make refined sugar free candies, and peanut butter cups were first on the list! I made them again for her birthday, and they were a hit! If you ask me, these peanut butter cups taste even better than the ones with the orange wrapper; they are vegan, no bake, gluten free, can be made paleo, and the best part (to me) is that they are refined sugar free! Sweetened only with maple syrup, these peanut butter cups will give you the nostalgia of opening one of those orange packages, with an even better taste, and won’t send your blood sugar soaring! These little treats would be the perfect things to pack in your kiddo’s lunch box for their Valentine’s Day treat; they will love them, and you will love knowing they will still be able to focus in school without a sugar crash! Chocolate-coated-peanut-buttery-refined-sugar-free-goodness for the win!

Makes 6 large peanut butter cups. Could easily be doubled.

Ingredients:

• 6 oz of dark baking chocolate
• 1/2 tbsp of coconut oil  (my favorite because it doesn’t taste coconut-y)
• 1/4 cup of sugar free peanut butter (can be made paleo by subbing almond butter)
• 2 tbsp of coconut flour
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• Pinch of salt

Directions:

• Line 6 muffin tins with parchment paper cupcake liners
• In a microwave safe bowl, combine the baking chocolate and 1/2 tbsp of coconut oil
• Microwave in 30-second increments, stirring after each, until completely melted and smooth
• Combine peanut butter, maple syrup, salt, and coconut flour in a separate bowl
• Fill each liner about 1/5 of the way with chocolate
• Scoop a large spoonful of the peanut butter mixture on top of each, flatten with a spoon
• Cover each peanut butter scoop with remaining chocolate
• Chill in refrigerator for about an hour, until firm
• Keep leftovers covered, in fridge, for 5-7 days (though they will be gone in 2!)

For more nut butter/chocolate goodness, check out my Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookie Bars, Two Layer Paleo Fudge, Peanut Butter and Chocolate Overnight Oats, and Wholesome Chocolate Chunk Cookies. And for more no bake desserts (is there anything better?!) check out my Microwave Molten Lava Cake, No Bake Chocolate Date Cake, and Chocolate Banana “Nice” Cream. I hope you find a treat you love for this Love Day, and don’t forget to pin it (at the bottom of the page) so you can keep coming back to it! Celebrate this Valentine’s Day with some refined sugar free chocolate, keep your sugar monster silenced, your blood sugar regular…and enjoy your pinch of crazy!

This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase using the links, it is of no extra cost to you; just a small pantry fund for me. Thank you for supporting A Pinch of Crazy!

Two Layer Paleo Fudge

This post contains affiliate links; if you purchase using the links, it is of no extra cost to you, just a small pantry fund for me. Thank you for supporting A Pinch of Crazy!

Oh Fudge!

I made a big mistake this week. As I’ve written before, sugar greatly increases my anxiety and insomnia; however, for some reason, I thought it would be a good idea to eat some sugar-y, albeit tasty, treats literally right before bed. *eye roll* I woke up from a nightmare (which I never have) at 3 AM with a pounding heart, and couldn’t fall back asleep until 5 AM. Ugh! Why must my sugar monster haunt me so?! Especially at Christmas time…all the candies, cookies, sweet drinks, snacks, and fudge.

Growing up, fudge was always in ample supply at my house around the holidays; my sisters and I would always fight over who got to lick the spoon after my mom made it. To be honest, I will most likely enjoy some traditional fudge this season…but I will make sure it is not too close to bed time, and because I know how my body reacts to refined sugar, I will eat it sparingly. However, I won’t feel deprived because I’ll have my own vegan and refined sugar free fudge, too! This fudge is sweetened with maple syrup, which is high in antioxidants and nutrients, there is protein from the nut butter and dark chocolate, and plenty of healthy fats from the coconut milk and oil. I can eat a few pieces of this healthier fudge without feeling guilty… and it doesn’t hurt that it has a chewy and rich bottom layer topped with a melt-in-your-mouth chocolate layer. What can I say? I’m trying to stay healthy!

Two Layer Paleo Fudge

Makes one 8×8 pan.

Ingredients:

Bottom Layer:

• 1/2 cup unsweetened almond butter (you could also use peanut butter for a yummy classic flavor combo)
• 1/4 cup potato flour
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup

Top Layer:

• 4 oz dark baking chocolate (or you could combine baking chocolate with coco powder, but straight coco powder will make it lumpy…not that I speak from experience…)
• 4 tbsp full fat coconut milk
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• Optional: flaky sea salt for topping

Directions:

Bottom Layer:

• Grease an 8×8 baking pan
• Combine all bottom layer ingredients in a small mixing bowl
• Stir together until well combined
• Using a rubber spatula, spread almond butter layer out evenly in the pan

Top Layer:

• Combine all ingredients in a microwave safe bowl
• Heat for 30 seconds, stir
• Heat an additional 15-30 seconds if needed and stir again
• Once combined, the chocolate mixture should look like thick batter
• Using a rubber spatula, spread the chocolate layer on top of the almond butter layer
• Refrigerate for at least 2 hours
• Top with flaky sea salt, if desired, before slicing
• Store, covered, in fridge for a week

For more nut butter/chocolate combinations, check out my Peanut Butter and Chocolate Overnight Oats, Chocolate Banana “Nice” Cream, Wholesome Chocolate Chunk Cookies, and Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookie Bars. And for more Christmas-time recipes, I recently posted my Molasses Cookies, and Death by Hot Chocolate. It doesn’t get more Christmas-y than fudge, and this fudge is dangerously simple, but since it’s basically a chocolate coated vitamin, there’s nothing to worry about! 😉 I hope your home is full of family, love, and all the warmth that this season brings. Oh, and treats! Eat all the treats…and enjoy your pinch of crazy!