Natural Peanut Butter Fudge

I wasn’t really sure what to call these little bars of deliciousness! My niece, Amber, recently shared the recipe with me and it’s been a life-saver this month because it’s a “healthy” treat that I can actually enjoy because it’s all natural, with no refined sugars in it! (I’ve gone sugar-free this month (only natural sugar allowed), along with eating healthier in general too!) And while this fudge is healthy in that it’s sweetened naturally (honey), and contains healthy fats, with a kick of protein in it; it’s definitely not something you’d want to binge on the way you could a bag of baby carrots!  It’s a treat I try to eat only a couple times a week, just to get me through those really dark moments when cravings hit hard! 😉I first tried this at Christmas, when I hadn’t been eating very healthy, and thought, yea this “healthy” treat isn’t too bad; and probably if you’re eating really healthy, it’d taste amazing. A couple weeks later, Amber made it again, after I’d started my healthier eating plan and joined her in this crazy no-sugar January challenge, and yup, it’s amazing! 🙂 She so kindly shared her easy & simple recipe with me, which I adapted a bit to try to cut a little more fat out (I reduced the coconut oil), and had to add a little sea salt for that nice sweet & salty combo (I love it with the sea salt added!). You also could do a little less honey if your tastebuds are okay with that, and make it even healthier. I’m still learning to be friends with natural peanut butter, so I liked the little extra sweetness of more honey. You must use regular (solid) coconut oil though and keep it in the freezer at all times! The coconut oil will soften if it’s left out and you’ll be left with melty fudge. Probably still delicious though!Healthy Peanut Butter Fudge

1 cup creamy natural peanut butter (you want one with no sugar added!)
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
2-3 tablespoons honey
sea salt flakes

Line a 9×5 loaf pan with parchment paper, set aside (you can use any size, smaller, pan. It’ll just change the thickness of the bars). In a medium bowl, stir together the peanut butter, melted coconut oil and honey (you might want to start with 2 tablespoons, taste it, and see if it’s sweet enough, add more if needed). Stir in a small pinch of sea salt flakes. Pour into prepared pan. Place in freezer and allow to harden. Cut into small bars (1 to 2 inch size) and sprinkle with more sea salt flakes if desired. Store in an airtight container in the freezer.
This recipe yields approximately 15 bars, cut to 1 1/2 inch size bars, made in a 9×5 inch pan. 

Any favorite healthier treats you like to indulge in? (Don’t worry, I won’t be posting only healthy recipes from here on out – this girl still loves to bake, (with butter & sugar!), but I am going to try to add them in more often as I find good ones I like. Cause we all could do with a little healthier eating, right?!) 🙂

-Manda