Chocolate Date Easter Eggs

vegan, gluten-free, grain-free, nut-free (potentially)

Adapted from a recipe on Nourishing Amy

I love making egg-themed things for Easter without actually using eggs - I'm sure we can all agree that they've become expensive and maybe you'll also agree with me that the egg industry is cruel. But there's something about the symbolism of an egg that's enticing for springtime: renewal, potential, and the dawn of life! So let's celebrate the season with the symbol of an egg without the cruelty! For other egg-inspired recipes, check out Deviled Potatoes and Egoless Egg-Free Salad.

​Filled with fiber, protein, and antioxidants, these chocolate eggs make a tasty, nourishing treat. And with only four ingredients (plus optional decorations), they're pretty easy. Why make yourself sick eating sweets when you can have these for dessert? 

Yield: 30 chocolate "eggs"*/ Active time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 30 medjool dates, pitted**
• 30 small tsp nut butter***
• 300g dark chocolate chips
• 1 Tbsp coconut oil

For decorating (OPTIONAL, choose one or a combination):

• coarse sea salt
• cacao nibs
• dried rose petals
• use your imagination!

Directions:

1. Find a flat plate or baking sheet that can lie flat in your freezer and line it with parchment paper.
2. If the dates have pits, be sure to remove those and then squish each date into an egg shape,
3. Spoon the nut butter on top of each date, and set onto the prepared sheet with space between each.
4. Place the sheet in the freezer for 30-60 minutes so that the nut butter hardens.
5. Add the chocolate and coconut oil to a heatproof bowl and warm over a pan of simmering water, stirring constantly until it melts.
6. Remove the dates from the freezer and plop a few at a time into the chocolate. Use a fork and a spoon to coat each date, and allow the excess chocolate to drip off before placing back on the parchment. OPTIONAL: While the chocolate is wet, sprinkle with decoration of choice!
7. After all the dates are coated, place them in the fridge to harden for 30 min or more. Then they can be enjoyed immediately or placed in a container.
8. The chocolate eggs will keep for 1-2 weeks in the fridge in a sealed container or 1 month in the freezer.

*Feel free to adjust if you want to make a smaller quantity.
​**This would also probably work with the smaller, firmer variety neglet noor dates, but I haven't tried that yet. They are a little less sweet than medjools, but they have a nice honey-like flavor.
***Use whichever nut butter you prefer: cashew butter, almond butter, peanut butter, or sunflower butter (for a nut-free option)