My Healthy Chocolate Clusters Recipe (MY BEST RECIPE)

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HEALTHY CHOCOLATE CLUSTERS

My easy healthy chocolate cluster recipe 

In this post, I’m going to be sharing my number one favorite recipe with you – aka, my healthy chocolate cluster recipe.

This is (in my opinion, and in the opinions of Rob and my family) my best recipe.

I have so many recipes (on this blog, and not yet on this blog) that I absolutely adore (that I am obsessed with) – but there’s just something about this specific chocolate cluster recipe that is so deliciously simple and utterly more-ish (makes you want to eat more).

I think it must be the combination of the oats, coconut, coconut sugar and the cacao (obviously) that makes these little treats so tasty, and addictive. It’s the perfect flavor combination.

This recipe is 100% refined sugar, dairy and gluten-free. It’s also full of nutrients, antioxidants, fibre, healthy fats, good whole carbs, and some healthy protein too.

I hope that you LOVE this recipe as much as I do!

Liezl Jayne XO

PS. You can also see how easy it is to make these healthy chocolate clusters on my YouTube channel, in (this video).

THE STORY OF THE CLUSTER

When Rob and I first started dating a few years ago, he mentioned to me at some point that he loved chocolate clusters.

My sister and I had made chocolate clusters with my mom when we were little (once or twice), but they weren’t healthy – and I had no idea what ingredients we had used. I just remember using cocoa, coconut and oats (I have no idea what else we used). But I do remember LOVING them!

So I decided to surprise Rob by making him some healthy chocolate clusters (a way to a man’s heart is food), and attempted to come up with a healthier recipe (since we all know that I only like to cook and bake healthy foods, lol).

I LOVE creating healthy recipes, and healthier alternatives to regular “unhealthy” desserts – so I always enjoy this challenge!

I sat down and tried to imagine what the perfect chocolate cluster would be like (I’m so weird I know, but I’m just obsessed with food okay) – and I decided what combination of ingredients I would use, and how much of each ingredient I would need.

When I had the ingredients, I got into the kitchen, tried out my recipe idea (adjusted a few measurements here and there as I was going), and then I just had to wait for them to set in the fridge (I remembered this part from when I was little).

I am was so happy with how they turned out (and ate way too many from that first bat

ch), got them approved by my family, and then surprised Rob with a big box full of healthy chocolate clusters.

ROB LOVED THE CLUSTERS!!! And to be honest, is probably what made him fall in love with me (Lol). No but seriously, he really loves these chocolate clusters – he begs me to make them for him all the time (and loves to eat them first thing in the morning, before breakfast haha).

So that’s the story of how these healthy chocolate clusters were created. Just in case you wanted to know.

We (me, Rob, and my family) have loved this recipe for years, and I hope that you love it as much as we do!

THE RECIPE

Ingredients:

-1 cup dry rolled oats

-1/2 cup of desiccated coconut

-*1/3 to 1/2 cup cacao powder (raw unsweetened cocoa powder)

-*1/3 – 1/2 cup pure coconut sugar (or xylitol crystals)

-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

-1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

-a pinch of sea salt

-1/4 cup of unsweetened nut butter (almond, cashew, macadamia or hazelnut)

1/2 cup of melted coconut oil

(Makes about 30 chocolate clusters)

EXTRA NOTE

*1/2 cup cacao powder makes dark chocolate, but 1/3 cup will make it less rich (I use 1/2 cup)

*add sweetener according to you sweetness preference – I use 1/3 cup coconut sugar, but others may like it sweeter (1/2 cup)

THE METHOD

Instructions:

-To start, I’m adding 1 cup dry rolled oats to a bowl with 1/2 cup of desiccated coconut, the cacao powder, the pure coconut sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, and pinch of sea salt

-Next I’m adding 1/4 cup of unsweetened almond butter (you can also use another nut butter like cashew, macadamia or hazelnut) and 1/2 cup of melted coconut oil

-To melt the coconut oil, I add the measured out amount to a small bowl, and then to a larger bowl I add some hot water. I place the smaller bowl in the larger bowl for a few minutes and wait for the coconut oil to melt (just careful not to burn your hands when you’re handling it)

-Now you can add the melted coconut oil to the bowl, and then mix it all together

-Now I’ve already lined a tray with small muffin papers (I just used a wooden board), make sure you do this before you start, so that your batter doesn’t already set while you do this

-I’m taking about a Tablespoon amount at a time and spoon the mixture into one muffin paper at a time, and I’ll just keep doing that until all the batter has been used up

-Once all the mixture has been used, you can place the entire tray or board of clusters into the fridge

-Let the clusters set for 30-60 minutes, or until they are completely set

-After they have set, you can either leave them in the muffin papers or you can now take the muffin papers off (and serve or store them)

-If you wanna be super cute you can sprinkle a bit of extra desiccated coconut on top to make it look pretty, and if you’re serving these at a party or something like that you can serve them on a dish with some fresh berries (it’s the perfect combination and it looks really pretty too)

-These healthy chocolate clusters are filled with whole carbs, good protein and healthy fats (as well as lots of fibre and antioxidants), so they’re the perfect healthier alternative to store bought chocolate

-And also Just remember that they need to be stored in the fridge (so that they don’t melt)

MADE WITH LOVE BY LIEZL JAYNE XO

Photos by Liezl Jayne Strydom – for liezljayne.com