A hit of flaky sea salt balances the sweetness.
"Turtles hit all the notes: crunchy pecans, smooth chocolate, and gooey caramel," says New York City–based recipe developer Beth Lipton. This healthier version of the candy features fiber-rich dates instead of caramel, protein from nuts and nut butter, and dark chocolate, which has antioxidant properties. Use your preferred nut butter to fill the dates (perhaps chocolate-hazelnut spread and roasted hazelnuts).
Ingredients
Directions
Step 1
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a small bowl, stir together cashew butter, maple syrup, and fine salt. Fill the center of each date with ½ teaspoon cashew butter mixture and 1 pecan half; fold up date to close as best you can (don’t worry if there’s a bit of pecan peeking out). Place on baking sheet; refrigerate.
Step 2
Combine chocolate and coconut oil in a bowl. Set bowl over a pot of simmering water and cook, stirring occasionally, until melted and smooth. Remove bowl from over pot. Remove baking sheet from fridge. Working one at a time, dip dates into melted chocolate, using a fork to turn date and remove it, shaking off excess chocolate. Return to baking sheet and refrigerate for 5 minutes. Pour remaining chocolate into a small resealable plastic bag, snip off a corner, and drizzle over turtles. Sprinkle each turtle with a bit of flaky sea salt. Refrigerate until chocolate is set, at least 30 minutes.
Step 3
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Photography and prop styling by Julia Gartland. Food styling by Samantha Seneviratne.