Chocolate Covered Strawberry Healthy Hearts {and Giveaway!}
February has a bad rap for being the time of year when New Year’s resolutions dwindle and Valentine’s Day chocolate is excessively consumed. But it doesn’t have to be that way – I’m so excited to share a recipe that my kids (and everyone else) absolutely love. Chocolate Covered Strawberry Hearts seem like such an indulgence, but they are actually guilt-free! Cacao is a superfood – packed with antioxidants and even protein – but turns into something unhealthy when sugar is poured into it. Here’s how to make adorable and healthy chocolate covered strawberry hearts.
Start with a package of luscious berries. Larger berries work best here, but if you only have small ones, that’s fine too – I’ll share an alternate method later. Dole is looking to inspire Americans to eat more fruits and veggies in 2015, especially during Heart-Health Month. I love this mission and have teamed up with them here to provide a healthy alternative recipe to keep everyone on track and eating heart-smart!
Cut lengthwise slices of strawberry down the widest side of the berries. Use a 1 1/2″ heart shaped cookie cutter to punch out hearts as shown in the photo above. Save the excess strawberry to add to a salad. My preschooler’s favorite salad happens to be baby lettuces with strawberries and sunflower seeds.
Melt some stevia-sweetened chocolate chips, or make your own sugar-free chocolate. Dip berries in the chocolate to coat, and refrigerate. These beauties are so healthy you can have as many as you want.
- 1 (16 oz.) package Dole fresh strawberries
- 1 cup stevia sweetened chocolate chips (available at most natural foods stores or online)
- Wash and dry strawberries.
- Cut lengthwise slices of strawberry down the widest side of the berries. Use a 1 1/2″ heart shaped cookie cutter to punch out heart shaped strawberries. Save the strawberry scraps to add to a salad.
- Melt stevia-sweetened chocolate chips in a glass bowl at 30-second intervals, stirring between intervals, until just melted. Using a fork, dip hearts into the chocolate to coat. Place on wax paper or parchment paper and refrigerate.
No Sugar Added Chocolate Recipe
If you don’t have stevia-sweetened chocolate chips, you can make your own!
In a small bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup melted coconut oil, 9 drops liquid stevia (I use Trader Joe’s), and 2 tablespoons unsweetened cacao powder. This chocolate will be very thin and you will probably need to dip your berries two or three times. The chocolate will thicken as it cools.
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