Chocolate Coconut Walnut Fudge

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Sometimes I come home from work and do a face plant into a box of CheezIts.   And eat giant bowls of cereal with honey drizzled on it.  If I have a big bowl of chocolate ice cream, sometimes I throw a giant spoonful of peanut butter on top.  I drink beer(s).  And sometimes, if I’m tired, I’ll eat a frozen pizza.  And I like fudge.

I’m telling you all this because there’s this little pet peeve of mine that I’ve had for a while.  And it’s this: just because I have a food blog which features (mostly) healthy-ish stuff, it doesn’t mean that I eat healthy all the time. I mean, yes, I try to, because when I eat right, I feel/sleep/think/exercise better. But I’m a pretty normal eater, too.  It makes me a little sad when people automatically assume that I’m judging their meal choice or what they made to bring to the potluck…like they really need to apologize to me if they order the steak or if they think their potato salad is bland.  I don’t really care what you put into your body at all, honestly.  That’s totally your decision.  I just need to worry about what I put into my own…and sometimes, I just need a little fudge.  And I’m really not judging your potato salad, by the way.  I’m probably thinking that it’s delicious and finally I can enjoy something that I didn’t have to make.

(This world would probably be a much easier place to live in if we all just stopped assuming we knew what everyone else was thinking.)

The bottom line is this:  I really really love food.  I love purchasing it, prepping/cleaning it, making it, photographing it, and then talking about it.  I love the whole process.  Even if that means I eat a microwave-friendly burrito every now and then.

And now for the fudge.  Ah, glorious smooth and creamy chocolate fudge.  It’s completely vegan, too, if you are looking for a nice vegan-friendly treat.  Now, if you aren’t a coconut fan, you might want to take a pass here-there is a lot of coconut flavor, even if you omit the flaked coconut on the top.

Here’s to everything in moderation.

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Chocolate Coconut Walnut Fudge

Servings:  about 24 pieces (depending on how you cut it)

 

Ingredients

1 (13.5 ounce) can light coconut milk

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup coconut oil

2 (12 ounce) packages semisweet vegan chocolate chips

2/3 cup toasted coconut flakes

1 cup walnuts, toasted

 

Instructions
1. Line an 8×8-inch square baking dish with aluminum foil.

2. In a medium saucepan, combine the coconut milk, sugar and coconut oil.

3. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

4. Remove the mixture from the heat.

5. Add the chocolate chips and stir until the chocolate is melted and smooth.

6. Transfer the chocolate mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer or your standing mixer and beat on medium-high speed for 3 minutes.

7. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and sprinkle with the toasted coconut and walnuts.

8. Refrigerate the fudge until firm, at least 8 hours or overnight.

9. Cut the fudge into squares (I got about 24 pieces). Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

 

Source: Barely adapted from Whole Foods.

September 26, 2013 - 7:32 am

Mary Beth - Vegan fudge? Coconut milk? I think I’m in love.

September 26, 2013 - 8:18 am

Christina - That is one delicious looking plate. I love fudge. It’s been a long time since I’ve had any! My husband would go crazy for this. We all need to treat ourselves every now and then!

September 26, 2013 - 2:19 pm

Kelli @ The Corner Kitchen - Amen!! I’ve a HUGE believer in enjoying everything we eat, and enjoying everything in moderation. I think a lot of people have trouble with the moderation part. I probably eat ice cream every single day…sure, some days, on occasion I might have 6 scoops, but most days I’m satisfied with 1 or 2 spoonfuls.

Also, what is it about CheezIts?!?!? Love them!

September 26, 2013 - 6:04 pm

KerryCan - I, for one, will never judge you because you eat unhealthy sometimes. . . . as long as you keep sharing the recipes! This looks terrific!

September 26, 2013 - 10:18 pm

Joanne - People do that to me all the time and it’s really frustrating! No one should ever apologize for their food choices (at least not to me!). I am all about the dessert and fudge love. And i’m super into all the coconut in these. It’s one of my favorite flavors at the moment.

September 27, 2013 - 8:25 am

Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar - This sounds amaaaaazing! Yum!

September 30, 2013 - 3:22 am

Colleen ~ - Looks amazing, and love the whole entry’s vibe. Cheers! 🙂

November 7, 2013 - 4:33 pm

Joy //For the Love of Leaves - First off, this looks amazing.
Secondly, I hear ya on the whole eating thing/ people assuming I judge them. I get that all the time. I recently off-handily mentioned to my sister that I had finished off a whole jar of salsa and she said “glad to hear you can still pig out like the rest of us!” And I just laughed, of course I can! I probably love food more than the average person. People’s perceptions make me laugh. Glad someone can relate.