What if I told you there is a way you can get an amazingly delicious, sweet and indulgent dessert or snack — and that every bit of it is very good for your health?
You probably wouldn’t believe me and assume that if it doesn’t contain some sort of added sweetener it can’t be that tasty. Well, prepare to be amazed because this recipe delivers on all the promises and you only need three ingredients. What’s more, each of those three ingredients comes with proven health benefits. So not only is it not bad for you, it’s actively improving your health as you eat it.
I stopped eating ultra-processed foods in January 2024 and haven’t consciously eaten any UPF more than a handful of times in the 18 months since. In reality, this also meant cutting out most foods with added sugar as they were often UPF too because, sadly, the vast majority of cookies, cakes, biscuits and chocolate bars available to us in shops and supermarkets are UPF.
But I missed sweet treats, especially chocolate. Luckily, the more I learned about eating healthily without UPF the more I realised that it was possible to still enjoy sweet treats, including chocolate.
And this is one of my best recipes. The combination of chocolate and peanut butter is divine, as anyone who has eaten a Snickers, Reeses Peanut Butter Cups or a peanut butter Kitkat Chunky knows only too well. And the chunky Medjool dates bring loads of sweetness.
You don’t need an oven. You just need to layer each ingredients on top of the other by hand. And you can make as much or as little as you want. I tend to use a standard chopping board as a guide, lay some greaseproof paper over it, then start building the recipe on that. It works a treat (you can look at the pictures with this article as a guide to size too). You could also easily make half that amount (or even less) to start.
Ingredients
This should make enough to be able to cover most of a standard-sized chopping board.
- 80g dark chocolate (I use 85% cocoa but try to aim for minimum 70%)
- Jar of peanut butter, smooth or crunchy (you won’t use it all but you can keep spooning it on depending on how it’s going and how much you like)
- Medjool dates (about 25 should do it)
Method
1. Place a piece of greaseproof paper on a flat surface like a chopping board.
2. Remove the stones from the dates, open them out then lay side by side on the paper and push down flat (a good tip here is to put more paper or cling film on top of the dates and go over it firmly with a rolling pin).
3. Spoon peanut butter generously over the dates and spread to cover them all.
4. Melt the chocolate in a bowl above a pan of boiling water. Once melted, pour it over the peanut butter and spread it around until it’s all covered.
5. Place it in the fridge or freezer until the chocolate has hardened. When you’re ready to eat it, you can cut the size you want with a sharp knife.
Dark, minimally processed chocolate in moderate amounts can be beneficial for your health. It’s rich in polyphenols, antioxidants and micronutrients found in many plant-based foods that are believed to help protect against chronic health conditions including heart disease, cancer, stroke and diabetes.
However, to reap these benefits from chocolate, you need a high cocoa content (health firm Zoe recommends you “look for good quality dark chocolate with 70 percent or greater cocoa content for the highest levels of polyphenols”).
Good peanut butter is made only from peanuts, which are healthy and nutrient-dense. They are packed with healthy fats, fibre, antioxidants and plant protein which, again, lower your risk of several chronic, life-threatening illnesses.
Dates also have an excellent nutrition profile and are also high in fibre and antioxidants and may even help to improve brain health.
So, in summary, you are eating an all-natural snack or dessert packed full of things that are beneficial for your health, with none of the added sugar or chemical ultra-processed ingredients that scientists increasingly believe are harming our health.