Naturally-Colored “Fun” Easter Fudge – low carb with AIP option

Having fun with food can be a little hard when you’re on a special diet.  So many other moms just get slice and bake cookies, colored sprinkles, and jars of frosting to make treats for their kids.  Me?  I have to be a little more industrious, making Natural Blue Food Coloring, Homemade Marshmallows, “Dorito®” Popcorn Seasoning, and now this low-carb, vegan fudge, otherwise known as Fun Fudge.

I originally developed this recipe years ago as a way to have some fun naturally-colored treats for Easter.  I called it Easter Fudge and then later made the fudge into little egg shapes for use in these Chocolate Easter Nests.  But really, this vegan fudge is a fun treat all year round.

This Vegan Fudge is Loaded with Healthy Ingredients too.

Coconut Oil: antimicrobial, might help with metabolism, support for heart health (source)

Nut or Seed Butter: Whatever nut or seed you use, there are fabulous benefits in them. Here is a link on how to make your own, and below are some examples of the benefits of different options, as well as links to options for purchasing them:

Almond Butter: good source of biotin, vitamin E, manganese, and copper
Sunflower Seed Butter: good source of vitamin E, magnesium, copper, and selenium, and might help with cholesterol (source)
Pumpkin Seed Butter: loaded with zinc, vitamin E, antioxidants, and antimicrobial
Cashew Butter (not as low-carb as the other options): good source of copper, manganese, magnesium, zinc, and phosphorous

Coconut Butter: source of antioxidants, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and electrolytes. Here’s how to make your own.

Sweetener (for low-carb, use xylitol or erythritol)

Stevia Extract (powdered or liquid)

Stevia Scoops

Vanilla

Salt (I recommend Real Salt)

Parsley, blueberries, or finely chopped beets (beet powder is an easier addition) depending on which color fudge you are making.

Recipe Notes

• Sweetener: This recipe is very forgiving so you can substitute for the xylitol to your heart’s content. Any healthy sweetener, liquid or granulated, will work. You may need to use a different amount if using a liquid sweetener, though, so see Substituting Sweeteners. Another low-carb option would be about 1/3 more organic erythritol.
  If using stevia, start with a small amount and work your way up slowly, tasting after each addition. If you would like to use liquid stevia, this brand is excellent. I recommend starting with 20 drops of liquid stevia or 4 scoops of stevia. Here is a great brand of stevia scoops, and here is a post with some great info on stevia. For AIP, use around 1/3 cup honey or maple syrup (see this post for tips on where to buy it).
• Coconut Oil: For owners of high-powered blenders like the Vitamix (you can also get it Amazon), there is no need to melt the coconut oil before blending. Simply place all ingredients in the blender and process until smooth. Blending will give you a smoother texture. (If you don’t yet own a Vitamix, speaking as someone who put off purchasing one for a number of years, I strongly suggest that you consider this amazing machine.)
• Coconut Butter: Use extra coconut butter instead of nut or seed butter for AIP. Here’s how to make your own coconut butter.
• Pink/Red Fudge: For pink/red fudge, beet powder is an easier addition than beets – start with about 1/8 cup and add ’til you get the desired shade.

Naturally-Colored "Fun" Vegan Fudge - low carb with AIP option

Have fun in the kitchen with this healthy vegan fudge -- naturally colored fun fudge! Your kids can have a special colored treat without all the chemical ICK!

5 from 2 votes

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Course: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: AIP, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Keto, Low-Carb, Paleo, Vegan

Ingredients

• 2 cups coconut oil
• 1/2 cup nut or seed butter (note - cashews are not as low carb as the other options)
• 1/2 cup coconut butter
• 1/4 cup xylitol (or to taste)
• 1/16 tsp stevia extract (or 2 scoops)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 tsp salt

For Green Fun Fudge

• 1/2 cup dried parsley

For Purple Fun Fudge

• 1/2-3/4 cup blueberries

For Pink/Red Fun Fudge

• 1 cup beets (finely chopped)

Instructions

• Melt coconut oil and nut / seed butter in small saucepan over low heat.
• Add remaining ingredients to blender, add coconut oil, and blend until smooth.
• Pour into an 8×8 baking pan, or mold (other sizes can work as well; larger pans will yield a thinner fudge.) and freeze until solid. To make clean up easier, you can even shape the fudge “free form” on a baking sheet into whatever shape and thickness you like.
• Store in refrigerator or freezer to prevent softening.

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

I just made a batch of the Purple Fun Vegan Fudge last night and put it in flower molds that are something like these so my boys had a fun treat of colored low-carb fudge to snack on today.

The plain blocks are fun enough because of the colors, but the molds are extra special.  My boys ate them up super fast.

And of course, you can use the molds for all kinds of things like my “Almost Reese’s” Candy, or this Paleo Fudge.

What fun healthy foods do you enjoy?