Those that know me know that I am a HUGE fan of chocolate. Not just any old chocolate, though—I prefer darker varieties, which are rich (rather than sweet) and made with very few ingredients.

While I can’t deny I eat it for the flavour, it’s also nice to know that the cocoa offers an array of health benefits: its polyphenols, for example, have an anti-inflammatory effect [1].

This is a sort of chocolate-fudge hybrid. It’s brimming with healthy fats from the coconut oil and the nuts, which make it very satiating. You don’t need much to satisfy that chocolate craving.

Ingredients
Makes 36 pieces

100g coconut oil
50g organic cocoa powder
1tbsp almond butter
100g lightly roasted mixed nuts
3tbsp maple syrup
Sea salt

Method

1. Line a small baking tin (roughly 20cm x 20cm) with parchment.

2. Roughly chop the nuts, and sprinkle evenly across the bottom of the tin. You can buy pre-roasted mixed nuts (just make sure they’re roasted dry, rather than with sunflower oil). If you can’t find any, simply roast raw nuts at 160˚C for 5–10 minutes, or until they turn a light golden colour. Leave to cool slightly before chopping.

3. Melt the coconut oil, either in a small bowl in the microwave or in a pan on the hob.

4. Add the almond butter, cocoa powder and maple syrup, and stir with a wooden spoon until smoothly combined.

5. Pour the chocolate mixture over the nuts in the tin. You may need to tap the tin a little so it settles evenly. Sprinkle with a generous amount of sea salt.

6. Pop the tin in the fridge, and leave to set for an hour. When it’s set, take the chocolate block out of the tin, peel off the parchment and place on a chopping board. Cut the block into 36 even pieces (6 pieces lengthways and 6 pieces widthways).

Tip: keep the chocolate pieces in the fridge, as they can melt at room temperature. They will last for up to a week (though they’re rarely around that long…).