Easter is a time for treating yourself with lots of chocolatey yummy treats. It has always been one of my favourite times of year; Spring is here which is just the most beautiful season AND you get to indulge with chocolate for four whole days straight – win win!

My love for chocolate and Easter has inspired me to make some delicious, raw refined sugar-free salted caramel chocolate mini eggs for you guys to enjoy. These bad boys are seriously yummy and somewhat addictive, with an irresistibly gooey date caramel centre and a crisp chocolate coating.

I’m using raw cocao powder as the main ingredient for my raw choc Easter eggs. Raw cocao is such an amazing and diverse ingredient to have in your cupboard, I use it all the time! It gives dishes that rich chocolate flavour without all those naughty hidden sugars you find in most chocolate bars, as well as being super healthy.

THE FACTS behind the ingredients

• RAW COCAO is an amazing feel good food laced with magnesium, antioxidants and good fats when paired with cocao butter.
• PURE MAPLE SYRUP is a mineral dense, natural and non-refined sugar alternative which is perfect for sweetening cakes or drizzling on pancakes.
• DATES are high in dietry fibre, potassium and copper; such an amazing natural sweetener! Magnesium has amazing anti-inflammatory benefits, while potassium is great for regulating blood pressure and preserving bone mineral density.
• PURE ALMOND BUTTER. Almonds are one of the most nutritionally charged foods; loaded with antioxidants, Vitamin E, healthy fats, magnesium, protein and fibre! I know, wow right?

Ingredients

Chocolate:

90g of cacao butter

60g of raw cacao powder

80g of maple syrup

Pinch of sea salt

Date caramel:

1 cup of dates

1 heaped teaspoon of almond butter

2-3 tbsp of maple syrup (depending on how sweet you like it)

You will need: Mini egg molds, I found mine on Amazon. Alternatively you can use and shape mold you have lying around the house.

Method:

•  Melt down the cacao butter over a low-medium heat.

• Once all the butter has melted take off the heat and gradually sieve in the cacao powder stirring continuously. Then add the maple and salt and combine.
• Carefully spoon the mixture into the egg molds before placing in the freezer to harden for 20 minutes.

•  Add the dates, almond butter and maple syrup to a food processor and pulse until smooth.Alternatively, if you do not have a food processor, soften the dates by simmering over a low heat with a drop of water, stirring continuously until the dates are soft enough to mash. Mash together the dates, almond butter and maple using a fork until smooth.

• Take the moulds out of the freezer and add a small amount of caramel mixture to each egg ensuring that the caramel is completely filling the molds.
• Then using the remaining chocolate mixture, carefully cover the caramel filling with chocolate.

Freeze for 30 minutes before taking the chocolate eggs out of the molds.