Superfood Dark Chocolate Cups {vegan + gf}

Like most Americans, growing up, I always equated the holiday season to it being freezing outside.

Oh the weather outside is frightful…

Jack Frost nipping at your nose… 

Baby it’s cold outside… 

…We could go on & on with all of the frigid weather references in holiday song lyrics.

But then when I moved from the northeast to Southern California, Christmastime felt different to me because it was still pretty lovely outside. The summertime vacationers were gone and it was no longer bikini weather, but the sun still shines most wintertime days in San Diego, and I often would throw on a sweatshirt and head to the beach to walk my dog or read a book with my feet in the sand.

And while I absolutely love (and am missing) San Diego weather, Christmastime never seemed to really hit me until I flew back to the northeast and my teeth were chattering in the cold.

Boston’s SoWa Winter Market

Fast forward to this year, and it’s the first winter that I’m living in Connecticut. While I’m attempting to be a winter person (chances are slim that’ll happen, but I’m trying to make the most of it), I’ve found myself outdoors for all sorts of holiday season activities: Walking around Bryant Park and admiring the Rockefeller tree in New York City. Checking out the sites in the DC area. Just this past weekend, I explored Boston with local friends, and we found ourselves in the middle of Santa Con festivities one night, and spent the next day shopping at an adorable winter market.

Bryant Park’s ice skating rink

With my weekends packed with holiday fun amidst freezing temperatures, I’m finding myself to be feeling very Christmasy this year. It really feels like the holiday season to me when I warm up by my living room fire as I gaze at my decorated tree; sip peppermint hot cocoa; and can’t feel my face outside admiring the city Christmas trees.

Another thing that’s made me feel festive lately is all of the sweets that I’ve been making. I’ve been satisfying my sweet tooth with my kitchen experiments, and I’ve also been spreading the baking love with friends and family.

Since I’m all about eating deliciously and nutritiously, I’ve been mostly whipping up healthier treats, and today, I’m sharing one of those creations with you.

These chocolate cups are so fun! Besides being satisfying to eat, a couple of reasons why they’re awesome include:

• The star ingredient is…. you guessed it… heart-healthy dark chocolate! Research has shown that flavonoids, an antioxidant that is abundant in the cacao beans used to make chocolate, offer all sorts of health benefits, including that it can help lower blood pressure, improve blood flow to the brain and heart, fight cell damage and prevent blood clots.

Note: A higher percentage of cacao means a higher amount of flavonoids, so if you’re looking for those health perks, aim to use chocolate that has at least 70% cacao.

• They’re packed with other superfoods too: antioxidant-rich goji berries, omega-3 rich chia seeds, and nutrient-packed raw almonds.
• At 140 calories per serving, 1 cup is perfect for satisfying your sweet tooth in moderation.
• The recipe only contains 5 ingredients and can be prepped in just 15 minutes.
• They store well and make for a cute homemade gift idea.

Superfood Dark Chocolate Cups {vegan + gf}

Foodie Loves Fitness

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Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 10 mins

Total Time 15 mins

Servings 24 cups

Calories 138 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 14 oz dark chocolate at least 70% cacao
• 2/3 cup goji berries
• 1/2 cup raw almonds
• 3 TBSP chia seeds
• Himalayan pink sea salt for sprinkling on top of cups

Instructions

 

• Line a 24-cup mini muffin tin with muffin cups or coat the cups with cooking spray.
• Roughly chop the dark chocolate and set aside. Roughly chop the goji berries and raw almonds.
• Use a double broiler to melt the chocolate over low heat, adding in around 4 oz of chopped chocolate at a time. I do this by filling a small saucepan with 1-2 inches of water, then placing a heat-safe glass bowl that fits in the saucepan so that just the bottom of the bowl is close to touching the water. Stir the chocolate often as it melts.
• Add in the chopped goji berries and raw almonds, as well as the chia seeds. Stir well with a spatula to evenly combine the ingredients.
• Remove the mixture from heat and spoon the chocolate evenly into each of the mini muffin cups.
• Sprinkle sea salt on top of each cup.
• Refrigerate for 30-45 minutes, or until the cups are solid.
• Enjoy! The cups store well at room temperature once they're solid.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 138kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 2.5gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 5gFiber: 3.5gSugar: 6g

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Looking for other homemade holiday treat ideas? Check out some of my other healthy sweet tooth recipes:

• 5-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies, published via Shape {vegan + gf}

• Chocolate Peppermint Brownies {vegan}

• Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies {vegan}

• Maple Snickerdoodle Cookies, published via Shape

• • Peppermint Chocolate Chip Snack Bites {vegan + gf}

Tell me… What holiday baking treat have you made/eaten lately?