CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT COLLAGEN FUDGE
Oh fuuudge! No holiday dessert roundup seems complete without it. This Chocolate Peppermint Collagen Fudge is rich and melty with a delightful white chocolate peppermint layer. It’s also gluten-free, low in sugar and carbs, and high in protein! This fudge can be made dairy-free using vegan white chocolate, or Paleo if you omit the white chocolate peppermint layer. It’s definitely a treat to be enjoyed in moderation being higher in calories, but it’s much lower in sugar than traditional fudge with the added benefits of collagen (more on that here).
Did you know? Type I collagen accounts for 90% of your body’s collagen and provides structure to skin, bones, tendons, fibrous cartilage, connective tissue, even teeth! (source) Marine collagen is especially rich in Type I.
Collagen substitutions
For protein and extra health benefits, I used LIV Body Flavorless Marine Collagen powder in this Chocolate Peppermint Collagen Fudge. It’s highly bioavailable, easily mixed, virtually flavorless, and great in baked goods. Use my code NOEXCUSES for 20% off all LIV Body products! I’ve learned that collagen adds moisture and a fudge-y texture, which makes it the perfect addition to this fudge.
With that said, I have not tried omitting the collagen, so that’s an experiment you’ll have to do on your own 😉 You should be able to substitute a chocolate whey protein powder in this recipe, or use this tried and true chocolate fudge recipe with whey! Vegan protein powder will not work in this recipe without other modifications, which I have not tested.
Sweetener substitutions
To sweeten this decadent fudge, I used my favorite organic stevia blend. It’s calorie-free and twice as sweet as sugar with no bitter aftertaste! You can substitute baking stevia, granulated erythritol or granulated sugar, but you may need twice as much to achieve the same level of sweetness. If using liquid stevia, please refer to the brand-specific conversion chart.
Other substitutions
Other ingredients in this fudge are cashew butter, vegan buttery spread, unsweetened almond milk, unsweetened cocoa powder and pure peppermint extract. Feel free to swap the cashew butter for almond butter, sunflower seed butter, or tahini (sesame seed butter)… just use a tablespoon less milk if your tahini is drippy.
The vegan buttery spread can be substituted for coconut butter, unsalted butter, or solid coconut oil. Feel free to use any milk you like in place of unsweetened almond milk, too!
White chocolate peppermint layer
The white chocolate peppermint layer is optional, but oh so good! I used regular white chocolate, but you can use vegan white chocolate for dairy-free. You can even use sugar free white chocolate if you prefer. Surprisingly, the sugar-free white chocolate hardly changes the macros or sugar content (you only save 4 calories and 2 grams of sugar per square).
I also went with these organic candy canes without artificial colors, because artificial colors have been linked to behavioral disorders in children (source). We have definitely see that play out repeatedly in our own kids, and it’s simply not worth it LOL.
Anyways, here’s the recipe for this Chocolate Peppermint Collagen Fudge! I hope you’ll rate and/or comment below if you try it 😉
This post contains affiliate links and is sponsored by LIV Body.
Chocolate Peppermint Collagen Fudge
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup cashew butter* or almond butter
- 3 tbsp. unsweetened almond milk*
- 2 tbsp. vegan buttery spread* or coconut oil
- 2/3 cup (80g) unflavored collagen protein powder* I used LIV Body brand, use code "NOEXCUSES" for 20% off
- 1/3 cup calorie-free sweetener* I used one that's twice as sweet as sugar
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/8 tsp. pure peppermint extract
White chocolate peppermint layer (optional):
- 2 oz. white chocolate* can use sugar-free or dairy-free
- 2 tbsp. unsweetened almond milk*
- 20 g (2 medium) candy canes crushed
*See blog above for more substitutions.
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, melt cashew butter, buttery spread (or coconut oil), and milk together over medium heat. Whisk until smooth and creamy.
- Remove saucepan from heat and add collagen, sweetener, cocoa powder, and peppermint extract to saucepan and whisk again until smooth.
- Line a 7"x5" Pyrex baking dish or 8"x4" loaf pan with parchment paper, pressing into the corners.
- Pour chocolate fudge mixture into bottom of pan and smooth with a spatula. Place pan in freezer. Skip the white chocolate peppermint topping for Paleo or keto.
- Heat milk in microwave until almost boiling (about 20-30 seconds), then add to white chocolate and stir to melt. If chips aren't melted, heat in the microwave for 10-second intervals, stirring in between. You can also melt chocolate with milk a double boiler or in a small metal mixing bowl nested in a small saucepan with 2-3" of water over medium heat.
- Once white chocolate is smooth and glossy, take fudge out of freezer and pour white chocolate over top. Sprinkle with crushed candy canes.
- Return to freezer for 1-2 hours until set. Cut into 12 equal pieces and enjoy!
- Leftovers can be stored in the freezer in an airtight container up to one month.
Notes
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