Heavenly Homemakers

Encouraging women in homemaking, healthy eating and parenting

Homemade Chocolate Bar

by 2 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

Want to make a Homemade Chocolate Bar?! And here’s a fun new treat recipe from Tasha!

homemade chocolate

Homemade Chocolate Bar

by Tasha Hackett

This homemade chocolate bar recipe is everything I ever thought it could be. I tend to eat it all and so I make it small batches. Apparently, I have the self-restraint of a two-year-old near a puddle. Which is none-at-all. In case you haven’t been around two-year-olds lately, they pretty much do what they want. Thankfully this homemade chocolate is a good source of calories and protein.

 

Yum

A now a word about our homemade chocolate bar sponsor.

Laura once shared a recipe about Fat Bombs and we all said, “Ew, no.” Every now and then she talks about how hungry she is and is she ever grateful for these amazing goodies and we say, “Ew, no.” Initially, she explained how fat is good for our bodies because woman cannot live on salad alone. Secondly, she tried to be sneaky and change the name of these treats to “Healthy Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups.” Nice try, Laura. I can still read and the recipe is the same and know it consists of butter, coconut oil, peanut butter, cocoa powder, and a drizzle of honey. And I said, “Ew, no.” 

And Laura shook her head and thought, “Oh ye of little faith.”

When I was literally starving after switching to a paleo diet (not for weight loss, but for other health reasons) she said, “Tasha, you have to make the chocolate peanut butter cups.” I can’t decide if that’s hyperbole or not about the starving. I was ravenously hungry all the time. If you’ve ever cut out sugar and grains, you know how your body freaks out for about a week. I’ve been eating a paleo diet for over four months and chocolate is life. Except, you know, after Jesus. Obviously. He’s literally life and light and I hope we know I’m speaking superfluously here. But figuratively . . . chocolate is life. I can honestly say that I’ve used significantly more cocoa powder the past four months than I ever have in my life before. 

Why buy the chocolate when I can easily make the chocolate? 

I confess, when Laura shares a recipe, I glance at it and then I take it cruising through the backroads. Is anyone else guilty of this? Therefore, keep reading Laura’s post if you want simple. If you want mostly simple and a heck of lot more ingredients, then also read my posts . . . Whew. Glad I got that off my chest. 

It is here. The chocolate bar that beats all chocolate bar cravings. Come one, come all, and enjoy the gluten-free, dairy-free, honey-sweetened granola chocolate snack thing that will make you wish I was your favorite aunt. 

I have been known to eat these in public and then share the bounty with my fellow mom-friends. (Living the dream over here. There are friends, and then there are mom-friends. #ifyouknowyouknow) This homemade melty chocolate bar has been met with surprise statements of, “This is really good!” As if they, clearly, didn’t think homemade paleo “sugar-free” chocolate would be any good. Oh ye of little faith.

Boy, we showed them! 

I mean, eh-hem, I am modestly pleased when others enjoy the food that I make. So how’s about it? You ready for me to quit gabbing and give you the recipe to my honey-sweetened granola chocolate bar thing?

Okay, it is practically Laura’s Honey Sweetened No-Bake Cookies. Except I took her recipe, skipped off the highway, and drove through the country roads and a few corn fields. Figuratively. Literally, my car would be ruined and there would be no chocolate. Maybe a huge fine. Possibly jail time. Is there chocolate in jail? If so, it wouldn’t be as wholesome as this one.

homemade chocolate bar

This is a huge batch I made to share.

A word about the ingredients in this chocolate bar:

I replace all peanut butter with almond butter. Thankfully, I find it at Sam’s Club for a reasonable price or I make it myself. I go through about a tub a week. Yet I continue to lose weight. Figures. Feel free to use a natural (thick) peanut butter.

Butter is not technically paleo. Use ghee or make your own ghee by warming the butter and scraping off the white foamy stuff. But I’m not concerned about butter. Also, ghee is expensive and I always have butter in the freezer because I buy all of it when it goes on sale. (That’s a hyperbole, I don’t literally buy it all. That would be ridiculous. And rude. And against the rules. I have a heart.)

Where to get Cocoa Powder

Remember that cocoa powder is not all created equally. I buy Better Body Foods Cacao Powder from Amazon and it’s yummy. Actually, I subscribe to it and it shows up on my porch. *Voila* But I’m not going to tell you how many bags I’ve used since January. Mind your own business, mmk? Whatever you do, do not buy the cheapest store-brand variety, it’s not as good. Laura recommends this kind and it’s her favorite. (<— use the code home to get 15% off your purchases at Olive Nation!)

If you’re a rule-keeper and legalistic, there is sugar added to dried cranberries and cherries. If you can find some without sugar, the more’s the merrier. Dried cherries are my all-time favorite, but they’re expensive. I hoard them. Therefore, I share less frequently with my children. Literally. 

Always buy unsweetened coconut flakes. There are tons of varieties all over. (Figuratively. There are literal tons of coconut flakes. But only a figurative ton of brand varieties because brand names cannot be weighed.) I subscribe to Terrasoul on Amazon and get six bags at a time and they’re squirreled away in the basement pantry. 

A homemade chocolate bar blessing

May your homemade chocolate be as delightful as watching your toddler march his new rubber boots into a puddle.

Go ahead, bless your neighbors, your friends, your family, and your mom-friends.

chocolate blessing

Typing this out at the library and chuckling to myself every now and then has been a delight. But now I’m going to mosey around the bookshelves and look for a new historical romance to enjoy. Before I go to bed tonight, I will make myself another batch of homemade chocolate because somebody ate the last of it a few days ago and now that somebody is going to do something about it. Literally. 

chocolate bar recipe

Homemade Chocolate Bars

5.0 from 2 reviews
Homemade Chocolate Bars
 
Save Print
Author:
Ingredients
  • ½ - ¾ cup honey
  • ⅔ cup natural almond butter
  • ½ cup butter or coconut oil
  • ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3-4 cups total of a combination of dry ingredients such as: pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, chopped pecans/walnuts, dried cranberries/cherries, unsweetened coconut flakes.
  • Suggestion: 1 cup pumpkin seeds, 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes, 1 cup dried cherries, ½ slivered almonds, ¼ cup sunflower seeds
Instructions
  1. In a medium-sized saucepan, stir together honey, almond butter, butter or coconut oil, salt, and cocoa powder,
  2. Melt and stir ingredients over medium heat until well combined and slightly bubbly.
  3. Remove from heat.
  4. Add vanilla extract and dry ingredients and stir until coated.
  5. Scoop 1-2 Tablespoons of mixture onto a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet OR pour into a parchment paper lined 9X13 for a granola bar OR pour into one or two parchment paper-lined cookie sheets for chocolate bark.
  6. Chill Homemade Chocolate Bars in the refrigerator until they are set, about 1 hour. Cut into bars.

Go forth and make a homemade chocolate bar!

Thanks for sharing and blessing others with this recipe! Finally, be sure to let us know when you take a recipe and cruise through the backroads. Take us on the scenic route with you.

Tasha HackettTasha Hackett is a friend of Laura and author of Bluebird on the Prairie, a Christian historical romance releasing Spring 2021. Sunshine, homemade chocolate bars, or hot chocolate—whichever is more readily available is her fuel. While she often pretends to be a ballerina while unloading the dishwasher, her favorite thing is writing with hope and humor to entertain and encourage women. Most of her time is spent with four chatty children and an incredibly supportive husband. They give her the kind of love people write books about. You can connect with her at www.TashaHackett.com or Instagram @hackettacademy

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

Almond Orange Paleo Salad Dressing

by 2 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

Tasha’s here again with an awesome new recipe just in time for spring!

Almond Orange Paleo Salad Dressing

by Tasha Hackett

What’s with the Paleo, Tasha? Okay! Sorry, just read this instead: Sugar-Free, Dairy-Free, Soy-Free Salad Dressing that will make you and your family cry tears of joy. Better? Hmm. But really, I can hardly describe the level of happiness this paleo salad dressing makes me. I never knew a salad dressing was capable of bringing forth such an emotion. Almond butter and orange juice? Who knew! Don’t be scared. This paleo salad dressing is delicious on, wait for it, SALAD, but also works great as a veggie dip. In fact, it is even edible straight from the table as pictured below. Not recommended. But acceptable.

toddler messes

Yum

My salad dressing is better than your salad dressing.

The original recipe that I adapted had a few more ingredients and it only made one tiny serving of dressing. I don’t know about you, but if I’m going to go through all the trouble of making a salad dressing from scratch to eat with my paleo food . . . I’m making more than one tiny serving. Clearly, the chances are high that I will be eating salad again in the near future. I’ve made some version of this dressing at least 5 times in the last month. If you’re drinking your salad, skip the dressing and add some fruit. **Insert puking face if you just envisioned drinking a garlic and olive oil flavored smoothie.

Almond Orange Paleo Salad Dressing

Make as directed for a typical dressing consistency. Though if you want it thicker, just add more almond butter. My salads are usually quite epic. I will rarely just eat lettuce, but this dressing has enough going on, that I have eaten it on plain old leaves before. My kitchen hack with this paleo dressing is to make it in my almond butter jar when there’s about half a cup left. Saves times scooping almond butter AND I don’t have to wash any jars just yet. Sometimes I’m pretty smart like that.

My new favorite salad includes the following:

  • Mixed greens (heavy on the spinach)
  • Chopped romaine hearts
  • Pumpkin seeds
  • Sunflower seeds
  • Chopped avocado
  • Slivered almonds
  • Dried cranberries or cherries
  • Chopped cold meat of some kind (ham, chicken, salmon, tuna, or even boiled/scrambled eggs, etc)
  • Chopped dill pickles (tricks me into feeling like I’m having a sandwich)

Yes. My toddler eats salad. What can I say? I think it’s the dressing.

Toss it all with Almond Orange Paleo Dressing and my kids fight for the last serving.

I’ve been serving my family made-from-scratch salad dressings for years and I absolutely love how freely we use them. No worries here about what we’re smothering our vegetables in. As a result, we don’t skimp on the dressings for health reasons. Everything in this dressing is Food. For. Fuel! Go make ya some and tell all your friends about how amazing it is and then invite them over for salad. I dare them to go home hungry.

Salad for dinner! Again! #paleohasmelike #sorrynotsorry #iheartsalad

Almond Orange Paleo Salad Dressing
 
Save Print
Prep time
Total time
 
Author:
Recipe type: Dressing
Serves: 2 Cups
Ingredients
  • ½ Cup Almond Butter
  • ½ Cup Red Wine Vinegar
  • 1 Cup Olive Oil (Can use part MCT oil or other oils)
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • ½ tsp Black Pepper
  • ½ tsp Granulated Garlic Powder (Or two fresh cloves, minced)
  • Juice of two Oranges
Instructions
  1. Mix all ingredients and stir or shake vigorously.
  2. Taste and adjust to preference.
  3. For a thicker dressing, add more almond butter.
  4. For a sweeter dressing, add a splash of apple juice.
  5. Store in the refrigerator.

 

Quick! What’s your go-to salad dressing? Store-bought or make your own?

Lastly, be sure to check out some of the other dressings on our site.

Tasha HackettTasha Hackett, friend of Laura and author of Bluebird on the Prairie, a Christian historical romance releasing Spring 2021, is fueled by sunshine, paleo pudding, or hot chocolate—whichever is more readily available. Though she often pretends to be a ballerina while unloading the dishwasher, her favorite thing is writing with hope and humor to entertain and encourage women. Her time is spent with four chatty children and an incredibly supportive husband. They give her the kind of love people write books about. You can connect with her at www.TashaHackett.com or Instagram @hackettacademy or for Laura @heavenlyhomemaker.

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

How To Make Almond Butter

by 44 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

Almond Butter recipe? Yeah, I’ve got an Almond Butter recipe. I think.

Confessions of a scatter-brained homemaker:

On Monday, I decided to try making a new variety of No-Bake Cookie Bites. I was out of Almond Butter, so I considered that it was probably as easy to make as Peanut Butter, which I make all the time. Heading to my computer to search for how to do it, I realized: I think I have done this before and maybe even already have a post written about it. So I searched my own website. Sure enough. I told us all how to make Almond Butter back in 2012.

This makes me wonder what else I’ve already taught us how to do that I don’t even remember. Maybe I’ve told us all how to save thousands of dollars or how to save hours of time. What else have I forgotten?!?

Well anyway. I am loving the No-Bake Cookie Bites so much that I will be actually using homemade Almond Butter more often, which will likely help me remember that I know how to make it. In case you also forgot that I have already taught us how to make this easy spread, I am re-posting the tutorial for us all here today. May we all remember and use these instructions often. May our brains be for us instead of against us. May we never forget when we walk into a room, what in the world we walked in to get.

Homemade Almond Butter

Yum

So here we go, loud and clear so that we don’t forget:

Here’s How to Make Almond Butter!

Step One: Pour 2 cups of almonds into a food processor. I have found that 2 cups of almonds creates one full cup of almond butter. I don’t recommend putting more than 2 cups of almonds into your food processor at one time. The process takes a while, and the more almonds you have, the longer it will take.

Step Two: Place lid on food processor and turn it on. Plugging it in is always a plus as well. This will be very loud at first, so warn your household.

Step Three: After processing almonds for two to three minutes, use a spoon to scrape down the sides of your food processor and shift around the almonds.

Step 4: Continue to process, but stop and scrape and stir almonds around from time to time to aid in the butter making process.

Step 5: You’re getting closer! Process, scrape, stir, and process some more. Continue until the almonds have become the almond butter you’ve always dreamed of. Because yes, we all do spend much of our time dreaming of perfect almond butter, do we not? (Not me, apparently, because I forgot the stuff existed.)

And there you go – lovely, smooth and creamy almond butter.

What other nut butters have you made? Did you remember that I’ve already told us all how to make this three years ago? I sure hope your brain works better than mine.

P.S. I order organic almonds from Braga Farms. They are a wonderful company to work with and offer high quality nuts. Almond Butter will stay fresh in the refrigerator for several weeks.

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

Low Sugar Almond Fudge Bars

by 15 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

Low Sugar Almond Fudge Bars

almond butter fudge bars 1

I hadn’t spoken to my friend Emily in weeks. This is not because we aren’t getting along (because, grown adults, hello?). This is because I was in the thick of finishing a tough semester with my kids and preparing for graduation for our oldest, not to mention we had to finish our bathroom remodel before all the grad company came (and try to squeeze in this thing called blogging). Emily, as well as many of my dear friends, recognized that if I happened to have any spare time on my hands I should use it to take a shower or scrub the crusted bits of leafy greens off the bottom of my crisper drawer – not answer emails, talk on the phone, or answer questions in the church foyer.

But here and there, I would get a meaningful email or card from Emily. She would start it by saying something like “don’t answer this right now” or “I’m praying for you” because she knew. She knew. (Oh, look at me, tearing up just a little.)

Well one such email – actually – I think it was a quick holler across the church foyer conversation went something like this:

Emily: You know your Coconut Fudge Bars? I really like them but it would also be fun to figure out how to make them a little less peanutty. I wonder if almond butter would work?

Laura: {blank stare}

Emily: Carry on. Maybe I’ll play with it and get back to you.

It’s actually amazing that I remember that conversation at all. God bless all my friends who put up with me during this school year. I am not even kidding. (And all of them nodded in unison as if to say, “Really. She is not even kidding.”)

Not many days after that conversation, I got this email from Emily with the subject line, “Stop the presses!” Here’s what she said,

Okay, you really don’t have to stop anything but I was really excited about this. I felt like it was my DUTY to test out the coconut fudge bar recipe using almond butter instead of peanut butter. Technically I’ve only licked the spoon so far but oh my goodness, it is so good! It really does taste a little like a crunchy almond joy, but more grown up since it’s not too overly sweet. Can’t wait to have one after lunch!

How great is it that she did my recipe experimenting for me? Our family tried the almond butter fudge bar idea on a morning I hadn’t made anything for breakfast and we needed to eat quickly. I mixed these up and found that Emily was very right. These are awesome!

Almond Fudge BarsYum

Low Sugar Almond Fudge Bars
 
Save Print
Author:
Ingredients
  • ½ cup almond butter
  • ¼ cup honey
  • ¼ cup coconut oil (or another oil of your choice)
  • ½ cup cocoa powder
  • 1½ cup rolled oats
  • 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
Instructions
  1. In a medium sized saucepan, melt together almond butter, honey, coconut oil, and cocoa.
  2. Remove from heat and stir in oats and coconut flakes.
  3. Spread mixture into a 9×9 inch pan.
  4. Chill for 2 hours before serving.
  5. Makes 8-16 bars, depending on how big/small you cut them.

Honey Sweetened Almond Fudge Bars

Hooray for great friends, hooray for a snack/breakfast/treat that can be made in about five minutes, and hooray…just hooray.

How excited are you over this almond butter version of Coconut Fudge Bars? Leave a comment to tell Emily “thank you,” because I can take no credit for this (except for the fact that she’s my friend, which is, of course really because of God, so be sure to tell Him “thank you” as well.)

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!