Left it until the last minute to plan your Mother’s Day celebrations? Don’t panic!

This Mother’s day why don’t make your mom a gluten-free and dairy-free chocolate dessert made with raw ingredients. This homemade healthy chocolate recipe contains superbly nutritious ingredients — heart-healthy foods that can improve your health rather than harm it.

Yield: 24 balls (1 Tablespoon per ball)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of cashews (can substitute with walnuts and/or almonds)
• 12 pitted dates
• ½ cup of unsweetened cocoa powder
• 4 Tablespoons canola oil
• ¼ cup of pure maple syrup
• 1 tsp of vanilla
• 1 pinch of salt
• Optional coatings: shredded unsweetened coconut, unsweetened cocoa powder, chopped pistachios, chopped dried cherries

Directions:

• Place the cashews in a small bowl and add enough water to the bowl to just cover the cashews. Let the cashew soak for at least 2 hours.
•  Once the cashews have soaked, microwave the dates for 1 minute. Add all the ingredients into a food processor/blender and mix until a smooth consistency.
• Form 1 Tablespoon size balls and cover each ball in a coating of your choice. Put the coated balls onto a baking sheet and place into the freezer.
• Remove balls 30 minutes before serving.

Nutrition Information Per Serving:

Calories: 78 kcals
Fat: 5 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Carbohydrate: 8 g
Dietary Fiber: 1 g
Protein: 1 g
Sodium: 13 mg

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