My chocolate vegan fruit dip is rich, higher in protein and completely plant-based. Dunk your strawberries in it for a wholesome snack or dessert.
Time for another healthy snack idea! I love dipping my fruit in nut butter, but sometimes that gets boring. I recently came up with this chocolate vegan fruit dip, and it's safe to say that I'm hooked. It's thick, creamy and just as decadent as Nutella. You won't believe how wholesome it is.
This vegan fruit dip is amazing for any get-togethers, or as a simple dessert for one. I love including it on fun dessert boards to spice up my girls nights- it's a winner among ALL my friends!
Why This Dietitian Loves This Recipe
As a dietitian, there are several reasons I love making this vegan fruit dip.
- It's easy. It only takes 10 minutes, 5 main ingredients, and a blender. Sweet tooth satisfied, without a ton of mess or a long shopping list.
- Packed with nutritious ingredients. This fruit dip is nutrient dense and has protein and healthy fats. It's not your standard Nutella (although it tastes like it!).
- Naturally sweetened with fruit. First, let's not demonize sugar- the truth is, your body sees all sugar the same! Still, I love using fruit as a natural sweetener because it often contains fibre and other micronutrients that our body loves. Win-win!
Ingredients
- Medjool dates
- Boiling water
- Soft or silken tofu
- Cocoa powder
- Peanut butter
- Milk
- Vanilla extract
- Cinnamon
Instructions
Add pitted dates to a medium sized bowl. Cover with boiling water and allow to soak for about 5 minutes. This helps the dates soften, making them easier to blend.
While the dates are soaking, add tofu, cocoa powder, peanut butter, milk, vanilla and cinnamon to a food processor or high powered blender.
After 5 minutes, drain the water and add dates to the food processor. Blend on high until a smooth dip forms, about 5 minutes.
Serve with your favourite fruit and enjoy.
Substitutions and Variations
To make gluten-free: This recipe is naturally gluten-free.
To make vegan: Use a dairy-free milk like oat, soy or almond milk.
To make nut-free: Use tahini instead of peanut butter. Tahini tends to have more bitter notes than peanut butter, so I'd recommend adding 2 extra dates to balance the flavours.
Missing an ingredient? Try these:
- Peanut butter: Use any nut or seed butter. I recommend sticking with more neutral flavoured options like cashew or almond butter.
- Cocoa powder: Use chocolate protein powder. This vegan fruit dip is already high in protein, but you can use the protein powder for chocolatey flavour.
Equipment
Storage
This vegan fruit dip can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Top Tip
The longer the dates soak in boiling water the better! Allowing the dates to soak in boiling water is a key step and should not be skipped. Blending dates can be very tricky as they tend to be very sticky, so by allowing them to soften it makes it MUCH easier to blend, leaving you with a silky smooth fruit dip!
Frequently Asked Questions
YES! This dip is so good it could easily be eaten as a higher protein chocolate mousse or pudding. Feel free to get creative- add it to pancakes, make a granola bowl with it or pair with your favourite dippables (fruit, graham crackers etc.).
Many vegan fruit dips use a base of cashews, dairy-free yogurt or nut butters for the base. These are a great options, BUT they lack a little in the protein department. Whenever I eat fruit I always try to pair it with a protein source to actually keep me full. Tofu is an amazing way to add in that plant based protein while also creating the silkiest, smooth texture.
ANYTHING! As a dietitian I recommend your favourite fruits (apples, berries, bananas, mangos are all great), pretzels for a little sweet and salty combination, or graham crackers for a sweeter treat!
Yes! As the dip is ideally best eaten within 3 days, some individuals may not be able to eat that much OR you may be going to a party (this makes the perfect potluck dip). You can easily, halve, double, triple etc. the recipe to meet your needs.
More Sweet Snack Recipes
Try these on your next dessert board!
PS. I love seeing my recipes in action! If you decide to make this vegan fruit dip, don't forget to snap a photo and tag me on Instagram- @nourishedbynic or leave a comment and rating below letting me know how you liked it!
📖 Recipe
Chocolate Vegan Fruit Dip
Ingredients
- 6 medjool dates pitted
- 1 cup boiling water
- 215 g soft or silken tofu
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- ¼ cup natural peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon milk of choice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Add pitted dates to a medium sized bowl. Cover with boiling water and allow to soak for about 5 minutes. This helps the dates soften, making them easier to blend.
- While the dates are soaking, add tofu, cocoa powder, peanut butter, milk, vanilla and cinnamon to a food processor or high powered blender. After 5 minutes, drain the water and add dates to the food processor. Blend on high until a smooth dip forms (about 5 minutes).
- Serve with your favourite fruit and enjoy.
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