Healthy “Kitchen Sink” Candy (Lower Carb, Gluten Free)

Posted: December 18, 2016 | Author: Becky Johnson | Filed under: Uncategorized |Leave a comment

I love Reeses. But I’ve been trying to tame my loves and make them lower in sugar and higher in protein and good fats and nutrition.

And so, I invented this easy, no-cook, nutritious and delicious candy — just in time for Christmas sweet cravings. So tasty, you will savor the indulgence. So healthy, you won’t mind if your kids have them for a snack, or even for breakfast. Each candy has little bitty mini Reeses in the middle — and they add two carbs each to the recipe, but I really do think those two carbs are worth it. Still, the candy can be even lower in carbs and very tasty if you prefer to leave them out, or maybe top with a pecan or sugar-free chocolate chip instead.

This basic recipe can be played with dozens of ways, with pretty much whatever you have on hand in your pantry! Everything but the “kitchen sink” — thus, the name. Have fun, and let the kids help to make the job go fast.

Healthy Kitchen Sink Candy

1/2 cup nut butter (I like peanut butter)

1/2 cup coconut oil

1 t. vanilla

Stop and mix the above together with a whisk until until the coconut oil is melty and the mixture is smooth.

Then add in:

1/2 cup fine grated, unsweetened coconut

3/4 cup super-healthy stuff (I used a combo of hemp seeds and ground chia seeds and sunflower seed kernels. What you do you have in your pantry? Sesame seeds? Wheat germ? Whatever you’ve got that is tasty and looks healthy and you need to use up — dump it in!)

1/2 c. chopped nuts (I used pecans)

1 to 2 T. cocoa (depending on how dark you like your chocolate candy)

2 to 3 T. of sweetener (I used 1 T. of agave nector and 1 T. of xylitol. It was sweet enough for me. Use whatever you like from sugar to maple syrup to stevia or any other sugar substitute that works for you.)

*optional — I added about 1/4 cup of Lilly’s stevia sweetened chocolate chips. Have some left-over dark chocolate bar? You can chop it into fine pieces as well, and add to the candy. Again, just make this fun — using add-ins that fit your diet and taste.

Stir all this goodness together and put in the fridge until the mixture resembles a thick cookie batter, so you can roll it in the palms of your hands into balls.

Roll a heaping teaspoon of the mixture in your hands into a ball and then drop into small bowl of unsweetened coconut or ground nuts (or a mixture of both) and coat. Put on a plate, flatten just a bit, and make a little indention with your finger into the middle of each candy. Gently press a mini Reese’s candy in the middle. I like both the white chocolate and regular versions.