Chocolate Dipped Strawberries (Healthier Version)

by Lydia Marshall

The warm weather and beautiful produce inspired this Wellness Wednesday featured sampling and recipe.

We have GORGEOUS strawberries in this week at 2 cartons for $5...great price!

These little delights are perfect for dessert, a gift or a snack for both kids and adults. They are easy and quick to make, economical, look beautiful and will impress all of your family and friends =)

To give these beauties an extra nutritional boost...they are made with a chocolate sauce that includes coconut oil (read all about it here), whey protein powder (read all about it here & scroll to the bottom of the page), and natural and unsweetened 100% Cacao at a great price of $1.79. 

This is Hershey's all natural, non-alkalized cocoa powder. What is non-alkalized you ask? This is a form of processing the bean. This type of cocoa powder is made from pure beans that have been roasted, and bonus...have much of the fat removed because of that. The bean is then ground to a beautifully fluffy powder to be used in cooking and baking.

Being that this cocoa bean has not been chemically processed (like alkalized or Dutch processed), it is closer to the true flavor of the bean. It is really a "concentrate" of the cocoa bean.

The flavor because of this ALL NATURAL process will thus have a hint of tartness (from the acidity), making this a perfect choice to have with sweet strawberries.

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Chocolate Dipped Strawberries (Healthier Version)

Makes 16 to 20 strawberries

1 carton strawberries (ripe)

3 tablespoons coconut oil (melted)

1 scoop vanilla protein powder

2 tablespoons Hershey's Naturally Unsweetened 100% Cacao Powder

3 tablespoons agave or liquid Stevia drops to taste*
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Water

Combine the protein powder and cocoa powder together in a medium sized bowl. Add the coconut oil and agave and start to mix. Next, add a tablespoon at a time of water until you get the consistency of a thick hot fudge, but so that it is still easily flowable...you should just be able to dip the strawberries in without struggle. 

Next, dip each washed and dried strawberry in to the sauce and set aside on wax paper. Place strawberries in the refrigerator for up to 15 minutes, or until chocolate is set. Serve at just below room temperature for complete fullness of flavor to come through. 

* Keep tasting for the flavor that you want and determine if you need to add more agave or Stevia. Agave will not affect the flavor of the chocolate as much as the Stevia will...so only go a drop at a time with it and taste as you go.