Chocolate Covered Strawberries

One of my favorite things to do during the summer months is purchase fresh & local food at farmer's markets! It's a great way to ensure you're getting quality produce along with helping your community & the local farms. Whenever it's warm out I find myself craving fresh juicy strawberries! One day after having a great workout at the gym, I stopped by a local Farm stand that had a huge sign reading "FRESH PICKED STRAWBERRIES." It was meant to be & totally calling my name.   1 Cup of Strawberries has 50 calories, 160% of your DV of Vitamin C, fiber, & antioxidants for a strong immune system. To me, fruit is like nature's candy. It's sweet & good for you too! After coming home with all of these juicy fresh strawberries, I started to think what I could do with them. The possibilities are endless really! Smoothies, baked goods, in my oats! Then chocolate covered strawberries popped in my mind and there was no turning back.

  Ingredients: 12-15 Strawberries 2 TB Dark Cocoa Powder 2 TB Melted Coconut Oil 1 TB Almond Milk A few drops of liquid stevia

(you could sub any sweetener of choice to your liking)

Sprinkle of Sea Salt - really brings out the sweetness

Make sure to rinse & dry your strawberries. The dryer the better so that the coating really sticks.  

Directions:

1) Melt the 2 TB of coconut in the microwave for about 20 seconds.

2) Combine the oil with cocoa powder & almond milk to thin it out a bit.

3) The chocolate sauce shouldn't be too runny but not too thick either!

4) Add in your sweetener, sprinkle of sea salt, & combine together.

5) Dip the strawberries into the chocolate mixture & lay onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

6) Once all dipped, pop the cookie sheet into the fridge for about 45 minutes to an hour or eat right on the spot if you can't wait that long!

The coconut oil will harden leaving you with a hard shell over the strawberries.

Not only are you getting the benefits of the fruit, but you are also getting the benefits of the healthy fats from the coconut oil!

If you try these out, let me know! I'd love to hear how you like them.

Be true to you, Kasey Arena