Healthy Chocolate Recipe Round-Up!

Posted on December 20, 2013 by Jennifer FIsher

Have yourself a merry little Christmas and let all your treats be light. Dig into my favorite healthy chocolate recipes and your troubles will be out of sight. Troubles out of sight? Okay, there are still a few holiday headaches going on at my house (nothing major), but at least sabotaging all my hard work on the track and in the gym isn’t one of them. Now, if you’re looking for splurge chocolate recipes, check out my Best-Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies or Chocolate Mint Crinkle Kiss Cookies.

When friends and family gather near over the holidays, many of my delicious chocolate recipes are made as special requests – some I even package up in pretty wrappings to give as Christmas gifts. How can you not love holiday treats that are as healthy as they are heavenly tasting – it’s a win-win when your willpower is waning!

I don’t even need to rationalize making all my healthy chocolate recipes; research does it for me. Studies have shown that the flavanols (compounds found in cocoa) have antioxidant properties that help repair damage done by free radicals. The flavinols can also help reduce the risk for heart disease by relaxing artery walls and preventing blood platelets from getting clogged up.

The more cocoa in the chocolate the better it is for your health; this means darker chocolates are healthier than milk chocolates. Eating raw cocoa can be a bitter shock at first; ideally you should try to eat chocolate that is made from 70% cocoa – even this takes some getting used to. But, I think we’re all willing to hang in there when it comes to eating chocolate, right?! So, let’s get to the recipes!

It’s still pretty warm here in Austin, so we’ve been enjoying this frosty and festive Chocolate Peppermint Sorbet I created for the Core Power blog. Made with the Chocolate Light flavor of Core Power High Protein Shakes, it’s the perfect treat for recovery after a long run or hard workout.

If you have company coming and they are living the caveman lifestyle, you might what to whip up a batch of these Salted Pistachio Chocolate Cookies. The cookies are dairy-free, gluten-free with a sweet-salt addictive quality!

jennifer fisher - thefitfork.com - chocolate date candy bars

Craving a candy bar, but aren’t willing to give in? My recipe for Chocolate Date “Candy Bar” Bites makes a healthy and heavenly substitution. Also Paleo-friendly, these chocolate treats make a thoughtful gift packaged up inside a sparkly gift tin – that is, if you don’t eat the whole batch up front.

Power up a holiday breakfast with a handful of Chocolate Strawberry Protein “Donut” Holes. Protein powder giveS my baked doughnut holes a little extra oomph and will satisfy your hunger until lunch! I’ll let you in on a secret; I like to sneak a few as a bed time snack!

If you want the whole donut, then I’ve got you covered with these Baked-and-Better Chocolate Protein Donuts – ahh, the chocolate glaze is delish!

Another chocolate breakfast yum-yum (and fantastic healthy snack) is my Choco-Cherry Protein Granola. Eat by the handful right out of the container or sprinkle over Greek yogurt – this doesn’t last long at my house.

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread is great anytime of the year; have a piece with your salad, as a snack or a sensible addition to your morning cuppa Joe. Oh, and this one is paleo-friendly and gluten-free too!

And finally, check back next week and I’ll share my blog post for steamy, silky Chocolate Chai made with Core Power protein drink (and other healthful stuff) – they sell something similar at Starbucks, but this is way better for you!

Splurge-worthy! Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookie #Recipe

Posted on December 16, 2013 by Jennifer FIsher

Disclaimer: Butter and sugar were used in the making of these cookies, it’s not your typical recipe at The Fit Fork! But, when friends and family who are dear to me, gather near to me during the holidays, I loosen up the reigns a little. Trust me, these cookies taste as insanely delicious as they look – actually even better! The ~~mischief-makers~~ merry-makers at my house have voted them the best darn chocolate chip cookies EVER! You’ll need to to log some extra miles to earn a couple of these indulgent cookies . . . .or, just relax and enjoy some well-earned splurges of the season.

While I try to eat healthfully most of the time, I can’t say no to a treat every now and then – and especially around Christmas. I tried to give up chocolate once, but I’m no quitter! Last year, my no-holds-barred chocolate goodie was Mint Chocolate Crinkle Kiss Cookies, a bona fide hit with the kids, hubby and ole St. Nick. This year, Santa requested his old-school favorite cookie be waiting by the chimney – chocolate chip! Better than the cookies from Toll House or even grandma’s house, these Best-Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies will rock your candy cane socks off!

Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

2 sticks butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated white sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 12-ounce bag dark chocolate chips

Pre-heat oven to 350 F degrees.

Place softened butter in bowl of mixer. Add sugars and beat for several minutes until creamed. Add eggs, one at a time until incorporated.

Add vanilla, salt and baking soda and mix until incorporated. Add flour 1 cup at a time, beating until mixture is cohesive. Add chocolate chips and mix in with spatula.

Shape into 1 ¼” balls and place on ungreased baking sheets. Bake in 350 F degree oven for 12 – 13 minutes or until turning light golden brown.

Remove from oven and place cookies on cooling rack.

Makes approximately 6 dozen cookies.

Sweet Rewards – Chocolate Date “Candy Bar” Bites (Recipe)

Posted on April 28, 2013 by Jennifer FIsher

My major food weakness is that I have a sweet tooth, especially for anything chocolate. I can’t pass a bowl of M&Ms without stuffing my mouth (and pockets) and know through extensive experimentation that truly “there is no wrong way to eat a Reese’s.” When I thought it would be a sneaky idea to hide chocolate chips from myself in the freezer, I realized the next morning they taste better frozen! There is no keeping me from chocolate. Period.

While I am focused on eating healthy most of the time, I’m definitely not a food denier. What’s the point in living? However, since chocolate, in some form or fashion, will probably continue to be part of my (daily) life for the next 50 years, I decided to search around for some healthier options that I could indulge in every so often. I love me a batch of these Chocolate Date “Candy Bar” Bites; a recipe based on a friend’s treat and tweaked to my tastes. These fudgy bites are packed with no-guilt, wholesome ingredients and are raw, gluten-free, vegan and Paleo-friendly, if that matters to you. They also taste completely dreamy and make a great workout reward — and that matters to me!

Chocolate Date “Candy Bar” Bites Recipe

1 1/3 cups pitted medjool dates
¼ cup organic cocoa powder
2 teaspoons coconut oil, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon water
1 cup almond flour
6 ounces Enjoy Life® Semi-sweet Chocolate Mega Chunks, chopped (reserve 2 tablespoons for sprinkling on tops) *

Place pitted dates, cocoa, melted coconut oil, vanilla and water into work bowl of food processor; pulse until well combined. Add almond flour and chocolate chips; continue to pulse until mixture creates a cohesive ball.

Roll dough into three ropes approximately 12” long. Press remaining chopped chocolate chips into the top of rolls. Cut each roll into 8 pieces.

Serves 24

*Note you can use whatever brand of chocolate chip you like, but if you are trying to keep a vegan diet or a dairy, gluten, and/or soy-free diet, please read the manufacturer’s ingredient label.

Mom-Approved Chocolate Protein Pudding Pops Recipe (Good for Grownups, Too)

Posted on August 21, 2012 by Jennifer FIsher

Whew, it’s crazy time! Just got back from a beach vacation with just enough turn-around time to accomplish 7 loads of laundry, take the kids to the dentist and restock my pantry for the hungry boys I’m leaving behind. Oh, where am I going? To the Pacific Northwest, where I will run on a Nuun Hydration sponsored team in the Hood to Coast Relay; you might have heard me mention that before! If you didn’t it’s just a little 198 mile jaunt from Mt. Hood to Seaside, Oregon that I split up with 11 other teammates No biggie!

Needless to say, I’m so pooped I could pop . . . literally! I’m leaving behind some homemade Chocolate Protein Pudding Pops for the kiddos as my way of saying “remember your dear old mother as she’s hauling butt down a mountain.” If you’re as old as me, you probably remember similar frozen confections hawked by that famous Huxtable in the 1980s. Back in the day, my brother and I convinced my mom (aka “the sugar sheriff) to hook us up with these tasty treats because they “contained wholesome milk and all the goodness of pudding frozen on a stick.” In my version, I’ve added whey protein powder to round them out nutritionally, an “ah-ha” discovery from the recent extraction of oldest son’s wisdom teeth. Enjoy!

Chocolate Protein Pudding Pops Recipe

1 box (4-serving size) instant pudding, chocolate
2 cups fat free milk or milk alternative
1 scoop whey protein powder, chocolate
1 cup fat free non-dairy whipped topping

In medium bowl, whisk together pudding mix and protein powder until combined. Whisk in milk until smooth. Pour approximately ¼ of mixture into another bowl; fold in whipped topping until combined with pudding mixture. Fill frozen pop molds about 2/3s full of pudding and top off remaining space with the pudding-whipped topping mixture. Add stick tops to the molds and set in freezer overnight. Makes about 6 pops, depending on mold size.

Note: You can use any type of molds you like, even empty yogurt cups with wooden sticks. However, I double love this fun star-shaped set by Tovolo:

Also, don’t forget to stock up on your Nuun Hydration tablets, summer is still going strong and you need to drink lots! In the promo box, type in “bloggerslovenuun” for a 15% discount off your total order.