Chocolate Cherry Hearts are simple and delicious and perfect for you and your sweetie any day of the year. They’re vegan, plant-based, and mainly whole food. There’s a recipe video below which includes a bit of painting!
Start with dates. Dates are super healthy and sweetly delicious. Dates are nutritious, too! They’re full of fiber, antioxidants and potassium can calm inflammation, and are good for brain and bone health. I used pitted dates. Just be careful and check them for pits that may have been left behind.
Yummy dried cherries give these a distinctive sweet/tart/fruity flavor along with even more nutritious benefits like fiber and antioxidants. Did you know dried cherries also promote melatonin so may help you get a good night sleep!
Tasty cashews add their salty, fatty flavor and, you guessed it, are also not too shabby in the nutrient department. Cashews offer high protein, zinc and other minerals, and are good for your heart and bones.
Cocoa powder is high in magnesium and contains lots of antioxidants. It can reduce inflammation all while tasting absolutely heavenly. The Theobromine in chocolate is also energizing but doesn’t overstimulate the central nervous system.
Just whir up the first ingredients in a food processor until they start to stick together. Too much and the nuts will get oily.
Use a sprinkling of cocoa powder to roll out the date/cherry/cashew “dough” about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick.
Then use cookie cutters to make shapes. I liked the hearts!
The dipping chocolate is so simple. It’s made of only melted coconut oil, cocoa powder, and sugar. A little pinch of salt also goes nice.
Stir it all up.
Then dip the bottoms and up the sides of the “brownies.” Set on a parchment lined plate in the fridge or a cool place to set. The chocolate will harden.
Have chocolate left over? There is no such thing as too much chocolate! Just spoon it into candy molds or, if you don’t have any molds, just use ice cube trays. Set aside to cool/chill and get hard.
Since I did make these for Valentine’s Day, I also made a card to go with.
“I love you more than chocolate.” On the inside, it says, “And I really love chocolate.” Which is something anyone who knows me will say is true!
Watercolor.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge.
Enjoy!
Chocolate Cherry Brownie Hearts
Chocolate Cherry Brownie Hearts are a healthy treat for you or your sweetie any day of the year.
Ingredients
Cookie Ingredients
- 1 cup cashews
- 1 cup dates
- 1/2 cup dried cherries
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- pinch salt
Dipping Ingredients
- 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup finely ground coconut palm crystals or powdered sugar
- pinch salt
- pinch cayenne powder optional
Instructions
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Place all brownie ingredients into a food processor fitted with an “S” blade. Process until finely ground and the mixture begins to stick together.
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Sprinkle a little cacao powder on parchment paper and roll out the brownie “dough.” Use cookie cutters or a similar tool to cut shapes. Hearts are nice!
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Set cookies aside or in the fridge (or even freezer) to firm, and make the chocolate dip!
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Mix together all the chocolate dip ingredients.
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Dip the chilled hearts in the chocolate dip, coating the bottom, then place on a plate in the freezer to harden. Pour any unused chocolate into candy molds.
And … Here’s the recipe video below. If you’re getting this via e-mail and don’t see a video, please click through to watch!
XO Lisa
Want even more chocolate? Yeah, me, too! Try these!
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Chocolate Orange Truffles
Chocolate Orange Truffles may be the best dessert ever. These are so easy to make and they smell heavenly.
Chocolate Raspberry Smoothie
Mmm, chocolate raspberry smoothie … I’ll be short and sweet. This is delicious. It’s also super healthy and beautiful … and so, so easy.
Hello! I’m Lisa, a vegan artist, photographer, author, Vegan Life Coach Educator, and RYT 200 yoga teacher. I love showing others how simple and delicious a plant-based diet can be. I draw and paint, cook, write, take lots of pics, eat lots of chocolate, and practice gratitude daily.