Healthy Russian Fudge

Prep Time 5

To set 1

Servings

Calories 155kcal

Author Buffy Ellen Gill

Ingredients

1/2 c hulled tahini softened
3 tbsp coconut oil melted (+ optional 1 tbsp cacao butter, melted)
3 tbsp brown rice syrup
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp sea salt

Toppings (optional)

Freeze dried berries
Goji berries
Sesame seeds
Edible flowers
Flaked sea salt

Instructions

Mix all ingredients in a bowl until combined. If your tahini is particularly hard (ie has been in the fridge), you may want to soften/warm it slightly before starting so it will mix well and become super smooth.
Pour your blend into ice cube trays, and place in the freezer for around an hour or until set.
Remove from the moulds, sprinkle with toppings if desired, and devour immediately (before they melt!). Or store in the freezer in a sealed container for up to two months (although I promise you, these won't last more than two days...).

Notes

I love using coconut oil here for a silky smooth melt-in-the-mouth texture, but for a firmer result you could use an equal measure of cacao butter instead. Alternatively simply add 1 tablespoon of cacao butter along with your coconut oil to help it set firmer (I've included this in the instructions above). If you use the coconut oil only option, note that these treats do start to melt fairly quickly, so are best enjoyed straight from the freezer (on a plate, of course...).
Alternatively, you can also use coconut butter instead of coconut oil for a super creamy fudge that will be a little firmer than the coco oil version, and a little softer than the cacao butter one - you can either buy that on our online store here, or make it yourself with this recipe here if you've got a hardy blender!
I made this particular batch with whole tahini (made with unhulled sesame seeds) as was out of the hulled stuff, but it definitely does have a more bitter taste. If you're not used to tahini, I definitely recommend making these with hulled tahini first, or for an even sweeter/less bitter result, use a half/half blend of hulled tahini and almond butter.
I've only made these very modestly sweet (as wanted to give some to Mila too), but if you prefer a sweeter more traditional fudge, feel free to increase the sweetener to 4-5 tablespoons. I've used brown rice syrup which is lovely, but any liquid sweetener will work well - coconut nectar, yacon syrup, maple syrup - all will just impart slightly different flavours (brown rice syrup and coconut nectar are the most neutral).
You can also try making these with medjoul dates instead of liquid sweetener, which has a fabulous result in terms of taste (sweet caramelly goodness!). You'll just need a strong blender (I love this one here) to do so, and it will work better if you make a double quantity batch so you have enough mixture in your blender to get it super smooth. Simply swap out the 3 tbsp of brown rice syrup for 1/2c medjoul dates (~5 dates), so in a double batch, that means you'll be using 1c of medjouls (instead of 6 tbsp of syrup). Try out both versions (syrup vs dates), see what you like best. I love using dates and whole fruits as sweeteners wherever I can, but it does mean you need equipment to blend them up. Pre-squeezed syrups/nectars are easy in that you can just whisk everything in a simple bowl. Take your pick (and let me know in the comments below what you try!).
To make these keto, use your favourite keto sweetener - ethyritrol should work well here.
I've also made my fudge quite salty, so again if you prefer not too much salt, feel free to reduce to 1/8 tsp. Although sea salt is very good for you (full of minerals, we're not talking about the bleached iodised stuff), and if you're eating a largely plant-based whole foods diet, you'll probably need the extra!
I've made quite a small batch here, with just 8 fudgey bites from these quantities (also because my ice cube tray only has 12 spots). However, if you like you can easily double the recipe to make twice as many (they store so excellently in the freezer, why wouldn't you!).
These fudges are naturally nut free if you use tahini, but of course won't be if you use the almond butter option. They'll also be raw if you use a raw tahini or nut butter, although note that most pre-purchased butters are lightly roasted to bring out the flavours of the nuts or seeds (and also it makes it easier to make them into butter). Either way, both options taste fabulous.

Nutrition