Pecan-date turtles

Serving Size

Makes 12 turtles

Time

30 minutes (plus 30 minutes to chill the turtles)

Date

02.09.20 More info+

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

2 tablespoons

unsweetened cashew butter

½ teaspoon

maple syrup

Pinch fine sea salt

soft pitted dried dates

pecan halves, toasted

6 ounces

dark chocolate (at least 70 percent cacao), chopped (use a refined-sugar-free chocolate, such as this one)

1 teaspoon

coconut oil

Flaky sea salt

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.