This "Secret Ingredient" Mint Fudge is an dairy-free fudge recipe that is colored with a surprise ingredient--can you guess what it is? This is a sugar-free fudge that you can for sure feel good about eating--all natural healthful ingredients, and no cooking involved either!

If you're like me, having healthy snacks around is a must to keep you on track with your special diet, and they need to be low carb if you are dealing with candida. Some of our favorites include my Homemade Protein Bars, Green Bean Chips, Almond Joy Bars, and "Dorito®" Popcorn, but this healthy fudge recipe is a fun new addition.

Coloring foods for special occasions is fun, but on a whole foods diet, regular food colorings just do not make the grade.

It's always hard for me to take my kids to the grocery store and see them ogle the multi-colored "foods" and feel like I'd love to make them something fun like that, but I just don't want all those mystery chemicals going into their bodies.

Healthy Fudge--a Naturally Healthy Treat

And we love fudge, but since regular fudge is loaded with white sugar and other things that aren't great for us, they leave me feeling less healthy than I'd like to once I've indulged.

What's the answer?

This Mint Fudge Recipe.

This healthy fudge is:

- loaded with healthy goodness and
- colored naturally.

See--God's provided plenty of colorful options for us creation so we don't need to lean on Aluminum Lake #3, Red No. 40 and the like :-(.

For Saint Patrick's Day this year (or for any day, for that matter), why not have some Dairy-Free Mint Fudge colored with-

parsley (and no, you won't taste it :-)!)

See? When you're a whole foody, you can have festive treats with added nutritional punch.

This mint fudge recipe is one that I adapted from a Grain-Free Foodies' recipe. It is extremely easy as is and if you have a high-powered blender, like the Vitamix, you can make it even easier.

Healthy Fudge Recipes

For more Healthy & Delicious Fudge Recipes, check out:

Both have special diet options and are sure to please! We have a non-whole-foodie friend at church who asks if we've made extra fudge every time we see him!

Mint Fudge Recipe - Vegan and Sugar Free with Natural Colors. Great for St. Patrick's Day

I've made this fudge with several kinds of nuts and/or seeds. While preparing to shoot these photos I made one batch with pumpkin seeds and the other with macadamias. Hence the macadamias in the photo :).

Recipe Notes

Coconut Oil Notes: Use organic expeller-pressed coconut oil if you wish to avoid the coconutty flavor
Seed / Nut Butter Options: For nut or seed butter, I used pumpkin seed butter as this adds natural green coloring. Substitute coconut butter for AIP (here's how to make Homemade Coconut Butter).
Sweetener options: Any equivalent sweetener, liquid or granulated to taste, will work instead of xylitol. You do, of course, have to reduce the amount if using stevia extract. One scoop = 1/32 tsp. See this post on How to Use Stevia. Use the healthiest sweetener you can.
Chocolate Alternative: You can melt my Homemade Chocolate Chips instead of chocolate.
Trim Healthy Mama: This recipe fits in as an "S" on the Trim Healthy Mama plan.

Mint Fudge with optional (though I think mint ALWAYS goes better with chocolate, don't you??) drizzle.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups coconut oil
1 1/5 cups nut or seed butter (soaked and dehydrated, if possible. See Recipe Notes)
1/2 cup xylitol (or other sweetener. See recipe notes)
1/2 cup dried parsley flakes (or more)
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp peppermint extract
1/4 tsp salt
melted chocolate (for optional drizzle)

Instructions

Melt coconut oil in small saucepan. Add remaining ingredients to blender, add coconut oil and blend until smooth.
Pour into an 8x8 baking pan and freeze until solid.
Store in refrigerator to prevent softening.

Notes

For [easyazon_link identifier="B008H4SLV6" locale="US" tag="whnemo-20"]Vitamix[/easyazon_link] (or Blendtec) owners, there is no need to melt the coconut oil. Simply place all ingredients in the blender and process until smooth. You will find that making it in the Vitamix yields a fudge with a lighter green color and a somewhat smoother texture.

I used ½ cup parsley when using pumpkin seeds. For a lighter nut or seeds you will likely need about ¾ cup.

Tried this recipe?Mention @wholenewmom or tag #wholenewmom!

This low-carb fudge is a nice sweet way to celebrate this holiday that is near and dear to my heart.

What is your favorite treat for Saint Patrick's Day?

Secret-Ingredient Mint Fudge - vegan and sugar free

Healthy Fudge--a Naturally Healthy Treat