The great thing about giving up egg whites is that I’m inspired to try new recipes for treats without eggs! This fudge is ridiculously easy to make and delicious (addictive really, I had to stop making it because I couldn’t help myself). It has a melt-in-your-mouth texture thanks to the coconut oil and can be eaten directly out of the fridge or freezer (which means that even keeping it in the freezer didn’t slow me down!). These can be a bit delicate to cut into squares. I remove the entire batch out of the pan onto a cutting board and cut in small squares rather than rows to keep it from cracking. It helps to pre-cut them in the pan before they are completely set (say after about 20 minutes in the fridge).
Ingredients:
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- 2 cups extra virgin coconut oil (this is a good time to break out the Gold Label)
- 1 cup raw or natural unsweetened Cacao Powder
- 1/3 cup Grade B Maple Syrup (you could also substitute Honey)
- 1½ cups Walnuts (Raw or Roasted), roughly chopped
(you could also substitute 
)
(Raw or Roasted), roughly chopped1. Whip coconut oil in the bowl of a standing mixer until fluffy (2-3 minutes).
2. Add cocoa powder and maple syrup and continue to whip until completely combined (about 1 minute, but you might need to scrape the sides a couple of times).
3. Add chopped walnuts and mix just to combine.
4. Spread into a 9”x9” baking pan. Chill in the refrigerator until set (at least 1 hour). Cut into squares and enjoy (store in the fridge or freezer).
Do you need help finding any ingredients? Check out Important Pantry Items for the Paleo Baker.
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Why give up eggs?
I don’t tolerate them well. When I eat eggs, my psoriasis gets very red and itchy. I also can’t eat any vegetables from the nightshade family. Actually, the same goes for nuts and seeds but I can handle a little (except almonds, which I’m very sensitive to). Wish I had discovered Paleo about 15 years earlier, then I might not have to be so crazy careful about everything I eat!
MADE IT! OMG it’s good. I used unsweetened ghiridelli cocoa powder and cashews. I also used paper lined muffin tins, so I can regulate portion size. These are awesome — thanks for sharing this recipe.
Yes, regulating portion size is definitely an issue! 🙂 I really need a “like” button from blog comments!
Did you use cashews instead of walnuts? I’m allergic to walnuts 🙁
Any other nut should work fine. – Christina, Sarah’s assistant
Taste was very good. Texture was a smooth chocolate which was good. I didn’t care for the melting on contact with the fingers and the oily mess.
Yes, that does happen with coconut oil. I enjoy the licking my fingers part myself. 😉
Have someone else lick your fingers 😉
Oooohhhh my goodness, the spoon from scraping the mixer is deluxe…. Even my fussy french dining chef boy who is super suss on Paleo, had a lick. Can’t wait for them to freeze. Nom nom nom, thanks super much. Xxxx
I LOVE this recipe, but I add a few drops of peppermint oil (it only takes 2-3 drops!!) and a tablespoon of vanilla. I also put them in small baking cups which makes it easier to serve. Thanks so much for your wonderful web site!
i use the silicone baking cups, then peel them off, and store in wax paper in the freezer till needing to be eater 🙂
Did you melt solid coconut oil to make 2 cups or was it 2 cups solid? I want to make this.
I guess if i had read the directions I would have known to use it as solid. LOL
I guess if I read all of my comments I would have noticed you already figured out the answer! LOL! 😀
2 cups solid, sort of smashed into my measuring cup.
Oh, man…what a fabulous way to ingest a bunch of healthy coconut oil! Can’t wait to try this when I attempt to re-introduce chocolate.
I don’t have a standing mixer-what can I use instead?
Thanks
A hand mixer or food processor should work as well. Or, just get a good arm workout and whip it by hand. 🙂
I substituted shredded coconut for the Walnuts and they taste like an almond joy!
can you substitute coconut oil for something else?
Lard would probably work, but I haven’t tried it.
I am allergic to coconut I am wondering if Earth Balance Butter would work?? Thoughts?
I don’t know.
Try cocoa butter, raw. I prefer to use it in raw chocolate recipes as I am not the biggest coconut flavor fan Earth balance would not be solid enough in my opinion.
Does the coconut oil need to be melted first?
no
I don’t like walnuts. Okay to substitute with cashews?
You can sub any nut you like!
Think Stevia (and some water or additional coconut oil) would work in place of the maple syrup?
I don’t know, I haven’t tried.
It seems you could consider a sugar free “maple syrup”.
Yes, Stevia powder works well. Can add a little coconut milk for the liquid, plus a little vanilla. Dangerously delicious!
Another recipe for you:
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup raw honey
1/2 cup raw cacao powder
1 1/4 cup raw cashews
1/2 tsp sea salt
optional: a few drops of your favorite high quality essential oil…I like wild orange, peppermint and cinnamon-not all at once 😉
Blend in food processor or good blender all at once. Pour on wax paper, freeze just until set. I store it in the freezer. YUM!!
Laura, your recipe sounds more affordable with my tight budget. I am not on any Paleo diet and can’t afford a lot of coconut oil so I think I will try one stick of BUTTER as a sub, half cup of organic maple agave syrup blend, (or 1/4 cup of honey and 1/4 cup of the syrup, cocoa powder, AND, what are your thoughts about subbing peanut butter for the nuts?? I don’t have a mixer or blender, may have to mix it by hand too. What size pan does this fit?
Kathleen, since I noticed a few people don’t want to use so much (pricey but good for you) coconut oil, I thought I’d post a low-carb fudge recipe I created a few years ago.
http://www.food.com/recipe/low-carb-chocolate-peanut-butter-fudge-xylitol-450257
Obviously it’s not Paleo, but it’s better than regular fudge. I think substitutions could easily be made. For example, instead of cream, you could use almond milk, coconut milk, coconut oil, or melted butter (anything to add liquid and make it more stirrable). Instead of peanut butter, you could use almond butter or another nut butter. I have also substituted cream cheese for the peanut butter. Instead of xylitol, you could use coconut sugar. Or, if you used honey or maple syrup for sweetener, you could skip the liquid ingredient.
I was quite surprised when I decided to just make up a recipe and it turned out good the first time. So I think this approximate ratio of ingredients will be forgiving and nearly always turn out edible. With “real” fudge, the trick is to cook your ingredients to the right stage (it depends on the properties of sugar) and then beat it until it “loses its gloss”…and it’s quite tricky, I recall from my childhood. I had so many fudge failures that I eventually gave up. But with these other recipes, like mine, Laura’s, and Paleo Mom’s, you’re just storing it in the fridge or freezer to make it firm enough to handle. There’s no sorcery required to try to create a chocolate candy that is firm at room temperature, as with regular fudge.
By the way, although my recipe calls for baking chocolate, the common substitute for a square of baking chocolate is 3 tablespoons of cocoa and 1 tablespoon of butter, oil, or shortening. So you see how flexible you can be about everything…if you don’t have baking chocolate or don’t want to use it.
Good luck finding your own perfect recipe!
I always heard coconut, oil since it hardens, is one of the unhealthy oils.
Nope, it’s actually one of the healthiest. It’s about 60% medium chain triglycerides, which are a very special saturated fat that is being used to treat Alzheimer’s and may lower cardiovascular disease risk!
Ok….I’ve read enough; I’m diving in! Can’t wait to try one (and hope I can stop at just one)!! 🙂
Oh wait! I only have Grade A maple syrup…will this work?
Yes, it will.
In your ingredients it list cacao powder but in your instructions it says cocoa powder. I have both… what should I use?
They’re the same thing.
Hello! ThePaleoMom responded to this saying “they’re the same thing.” I wanted to clarify more for you.
Cocoa powder is cacao – with sugars/sweeteners.
Raw cacao is healthier as the less it’s messed with, the more polyphenols and such you’ll get.
I wonder if this is something that varies from the US to Europe (or other countries). In the US, cocoa powder, or just “cocoa,” is the plain unsweetened powder that results (I suppose) from grinding up cocoa beans. It’s not sweetened.
If we wanted to buy something sweetened and ready to mix for a hot cocoa drink, it would be called “hot cocoa mix” or “hot chocolate mix (or powder),” or maybe “chocolate powder” or “chocolate drink mix” for a cold chocolate drink (added to milk).
Looks like an awesome recipe! I’ve made Paleo fudge before with lard and it’s rock hard. I do keep it in the fridge. Is that why? Will this be rock hard if kept in the fridge. To me, fudge is soft and rich,and yours looks great!
Just want to make sure the texture is what I’m looking for before I use up all my coconut oil.
Thanks so much, loving your recipes!
Keep it in the fridge if your indoor temperature is warmer than about 70F. It will be firm but then melt in your mouth… you can actually eat this directly out of the freezer.
Taste was delicious and creamy but I couldn’t get it out of the baking pan. Any idea of what I did wrong? It just crumbled when I tried to lift it.
No idea. Mine came out in one giant piece.
will it be the same if I use melted coconut oil?
It’s similar… It doesn’t quite fluff up at much, but it still works.
PaleoMom,
I just found your site thanks to Facebook – someone posted your fudge.
I have a Vitamix and tried another cacao recipe but it wouldn’t mix – there wasn’t enough liquid. I don’t have a mixer or food processor. Will the coconut oil and syrup (I like low glycemic coconut nectar) in this recipe provide enough liquid for the mixture to blend in the Vitamix?
Thanks!
Maybe if you melted the coconut. If you sift the cocoa powder, you could also do this by hand.
Thank you, but I thought “whipping” the coconut oil could be done in the Vitamix. It’s much more forceful than a mixer. I’ll call Vitamix and ask them. I’ve been a health nut for decades but the simpler the better. As an international prosperity teacher and speaker – my focus is not in the kitchen 🙂 I will find a way to make this work. We women must have a drug – chocolate.
Could I use Stevia extract or Truvia in place of the Maple Syrup/Honey? Any suggestions on how much?
Probably. I don’t use stevia, so I don’t know.
I wouldn’t think so, since the maple syrup and honey are liquid, and stevia wouldn’t add the same bulk and liquid to the mixture–it’s too concentrated and usually dry. I’d try to find another liquid sweetener that works for you. Or just use one of these and eat only very small pieces. =) One-third cup is not much sweetener for a recipe this size, so it wouldn’t be any worse for your blood sugar than a small piece of fruit, IMO.
Diane, you didn’t mention why you wanted to use Stevia (no sugar, calories, etc). If you don’t mind a few calories, I use raw coconut nectar because it is low glycemic and very healthy – doesn’t cause the sugar spikes like sugar/syrup/honey. And I really like the taste. Sometimes when I need something sweet, I just take a spoonful. There’s also agave nectar, but there is so much negative controversy about it from the health gurus, I stopped using it.
is it crunchy like chocolate bar, or fudgy?
fudgy
Sorry…
Chocolate
Walnut
Freezer
Fudge?????
The only thing in this recipe related to prehistoric humans is walnuts. Paleolithic man had no way of deriving cocoa powder from beans, or using a FREEZER to make FUDGE of any kind.
Sarah believes in Paleo “treats”, people can still enjoy a special dessert while eating a Paleo diet. You can read more about this topic here: https://www.thePaleomom.com/2013/07/is-a-Paleo-treat-really-Paleo.html — Tamar, Sarah’s assistant
I only had just over a cup of the coconut oil left in the house, so subbed in palm shortening for the other cup, also added a dash of vanilla. In the fridge setting now but the bowl/spatula would lead me to believe the sub worked out just fine 🙂 Thank you for sharing this one!
Oh this looks so easy and so yummy. Will try to make it this weekend. Thank you! 🙂
Does anyone know the carb or sugar content for this per serving? Thanks!
You can use Nutritiondata.self.com or cronometer.com to determine the nutritional information, by entering each ingredient. — Tamar, Sarah’s assistant
These sound lovely and I am ready to try, especially since I love homemade sweets and baked goods! Just curious, how does all that “fat” work on the digestive system? I know I wouldn’t be eating an entire pan at once, but it seems like the percentage of coconut oil would “clean me out”. A little too much bacon has also had this effect on me since I started Paleo over a year ago. Sorry if TMI!!!!
Sarah has a few posts about fat. You can read them here: https://www.thePaleomom.com/2011/12/which-fats-should-you-eat.html and https://www.thePaleomom.com/2011/11/what-about-fat.html Good fats are an important part of the Paleo diet, but like anything if you overdo it you may experience some sensitivity. — Tamar, Sarah’s assistant
I have this setting up in my fridge now (no room in the freezer). Used the nuts i had on hand & added shredded coconut, a dash of vanilla, and cocoa nibs – because i bought them but dont know what to do with them. Hopefully its so loaded with stuff its like a mini candy bar. Either way its fudge!
I was so excited to try, because it sounded similar to Magic Shell and I couldn’t imagine anything better than eating a whole chunk of Magic Shell. It wasn’t a good idea though, all the oiliness made me feel sick and I had to lay down for awhile:( Would be great as a topping or fruit dip though.
My family wanted to like this, but no one cared for the oiliness. I’m going to repurpose it, though, especially since it was sort of an expensive thing to make when no one liked it 🙂 I think it will be good mixed in with one-ingredient banana ice cream, or melted over the top.
Wondering if avocados could be used in place of some of the coconut oil. We make a fabulous dark chocolate pudding with avocado!
I haven’t tried it, but I suppose so! – Christina, Sarah’s assistant
Looks nice! Will try this 🙂
I can’t eat much Coconut, due to severe ‘die off’ (herxheimer reaction) 🙁
So will try substituting with half Cacao Butter, half Ghee or maybe half Cacao Butter half Butter..
Do you think Gelatin would be too soft to substitute (with half something else)?
Yes, I don’t think gelatin would yield the right consistency. You’d need something about as hard (and meltable) as coconut oil. – Christina, Sarah’s assistant
Is this fudge chewy? I miss the chewy texture. Any idea how I could make it chewier? Thanks.
It’s somewhat chewy, depending on how long you let it thaw. – Christina, Sarah’s assistant
I mixed it well but the coconut oil became too liquidy, After storing it in the fridge all the honey accumulated at the bottom of the fudge so most of the chocolate didn’t taste sweet. I was thinking to melt the mixture in the microwave a little bit and remix it to see if the honey mixes better this time, do you have any other suggestions on how to mix it well?
I had the same issue, Teona! This fudge tasted disgustingly bitter. So I melted it back down in a pot and then added one cup of coconut sugar. Then another. It still sucked. And the sugar melted somewhat but it made a mess. I don’t know how to fix this bitterness issue.
Why not raw cacao. It’s healthier!
Have you tried Date Syrup in this? Date Lady has organic date syrup which is only made with dates (which is a fruit), and would take the place of maple syrup.
Hi. Can I substitute the maple or honey with rice malt syrup?
Hi! Love your website! I’m not understanding something and I’m not finding the answers in the previous posts. All of my coconut oil is…well, oily. it’s not creamy. I’m new to pale. Am I missing something? Where do you get hard coconut oil? Thanks!
Coconut oil hardens when cooled, so if you want hard coconut oil, keep it in the fridge or in a cold room. – Christina, Sarah’s assistant
I got a bee in my bonnet after reading this and eventually made it at 9pm 3 days later. Delicious and kids love it too. Hubby doesn’t but that’s ok with us. Mini cupcakes holder was a good move.
Divine! Made it for a dinner part dessert and it was loved by all!
I live in sunny Arizona – my coconut oil is always liquid! Can I put it in the fridge to make it solid?
Now I just need a stand up mixer…
have just made this i halved all the ingredients , i used honey, i did end up adding more honey as tasted bit bitter but the mix now tastes lovely can’t wait for it to set…. i lined a loaf tin with cling film to set it in and still looks like ill get plenty.
Just wondering if you could substitute carob for the cacao in this recipe?
My daughter is allergic to all nuts …can you leave them out altogether or will that make the texture wrong?
This beats any other chocolate! I don’t whip the coconut anymore as it didn’t change. I’m not sure if the coconut here in Australia is any different. I have swapped the walnuts for toasted almonds and added a single shot of espresso per half batch.
Has anyone ever tried to use coconut sugar?
These are amazing. I made the mistake of adding up calories for one recipe…6,000. I’ll be freezing these in small portions to help me control myself. 😉
Hi Sarah,
I have your book The Paleo Approach, as well as the accompanying Cookbook, and I’m trying to figure out if cacao/cocoa is allowed on the diet. It seems to have been left out of the food index. Is it allowed/no/in moderation/maybe ?