Chocolate Peanut Butter Stuffed Dates (AKA Moose Tracks Candy)
Mamas and papas! I am on a mission to create healthy treats for your kids. Candy is EVERYWHERE we go and I’m getting so pissed at how much is thoughtlessly just handed out to our children. Rewards at school, rewards for basically doing anything- it just seems people are handing out candy (without permission) to young kids. Don’t shoot the messenger here, but sugar is responsible for so many health problems in young children and I’m so tired of the lack of care/education we have around this issue. I could write a whole blog post on this topic but instead, I’m just going to share this delicious recipe for “Moose Tracks Candy” that my kids absolutely love. And heck- this is probably my favorite sweet treat at the moment. As a kid of the 80’s and 90’s my go-to’s were peanut butter cups and snickers. This treat is basically a combination of those two candies and if I don’t say so myself- I think even better!
Now, before I get to the recipe I’ll state the obvious, this is still a treat. It’s made with dark chocolate, dates, peanut butter, and crushed peanuts. It’s whole food ingredients but I still consider this a treat. My kids and I have been enjoying one of these for our after dinner dessert this week and teeth brushing immediately follows because the dates are a bit sticky! What I love most about this treat is that my kids still feel like they’re getting “candy” even though I trust and feel good about the ingredients.
This recipe could honestly not be easier. These puppies are delicious and hit the sweet tooth spot for sure! I have a recipe in my children’s cookbook for “Moose Chocolate” which is a chocolate mouse but my toddler thought that chocolate mouse meant that a moose eats chocolate. So now any treat that is chocolate heavy we have a moose theme going on. Enter- Moose Candy! I hope you and your kids love these as much as we do. Get your kiddos involved in the process of making these. It’s so fun to make these togtether!
Happy candy eating everyone!
Chocolate Peanut Butter Stuffed Dates (AKA Moose Tracks Candy)
PREP TIME: 15 minutes COOK TIME: 0 minutes SERVES: 10 pieces
10 dates, sliced in half and pitted
2 Tablespoons natural peanut butter (unsweetened)
1/4 cup finely chopped peanuts
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Preparation
Place all of the sliced dates on a parchment lined baking sheet. Have your toddler spoon a little peanut butter into each slice. Sprinkle with a pinch of the crushed peanuts then “sandwich” the sliced date back together.
In a double boiler set over high heat, melt the chocolate, whisking with a wooden spoon to keep things smooth. If you don’t have a double boiler you can use a heat-proof bowl set over a saucepan of gently simmering water.) Add the vanilla extract and pinch of salt.
Using tongs or a toothpick dip each date into the melted chocolate. Then place back on the parchment lined baking sheet and sprinkle with more crushed peanuts.
Place the dates in the fridge to let the chocolate firm. Store in a sealed container in the fridge for 2 weeks or freezer for 3 months.
