Ice cream is just a part of summer. And one of the delicious toppings that belong to ice cream is chocolate sauce – sugary, caramely, unhealthy, chocolate sauce. No way around it ... there is no such thing as healthy chocolate sauce – or is there? Here is a recipe for a healthy version of chocolate sauce that relies on natural sweetener and nut butter. It is super delicious and very easy to make. It takes only two minutes to mix together – no cooking required. The ingredients can be varied almost endlessly according to what you like and have in your kitchen. You are sure to have these ingredients somewhere in a cupboard – unless you are allergic to nuts, in which case you can substitute the nut butter with more liquid sweetener. Lets start.

Step 1: You Will Need ...

2 Tbsp. liquid sweetener (honey, maple syrup, agave, etc.)
1 Tbsp. nut butter or coconut cream*
1/2 Tbsp. carob powder or cocoa powder
1/2 Tbsp. water or milk, if needed

*If you are allergic to nuts, just substitute the nut butter with more liquid sweetener.

Step 2: Mix It Up!

Basically, start adding the liquid sweetener to the nut butter little by little while mixing to emulsify the mixture. I used honey and peanut butter, which is a delicious combination. I could imagine that hazelnut butter would add a really nice chocolatey flavor, if you can get a hold of that kind of butter. When you have added all the liquid sweetener, mix in the carob or cocoa. Now, decide whether you want the sauce a little thinner. Keep in mind that the sauce will thicken slightly when it hits the cold ice cream and freezes. If you think the sauce is too thick, add a little water or milk. I used soymilk; there is a special advantage to soymilk, which is that soy contains natural emulsifiers which will help to emulsify the sauce, but other milks and even water should also work. If for some reason the sauce does not want to be smooth but separates, just heat everything in a saucepan or the microwave while stirring till smooth; then cool again.

Now, the sauce is ready! Just refrigerate it till you need it. If you made it with ingredients that were at room temperature, it will thicken up in the fridge. Drizzle it on your ice cream this summer and try it on other desserts too!

Let me know what you think about this recipe and what your favorite combination of sweetener and nut butter would be!

For desserts and cakes to try this recipe on, visit www.creativevegancooking.blogspot.com

Step 3: Recipe for You to Print

Healthy Chocolate Sauce

Yields: 1/4 c.
Total time: 2 min.

Ingredients
2 Tbsp. liquid sweetener (honey, maple syrup, agave, etc.)
1 Tbsp. nut butter or coconut cream*
1/2 Tbsp. carob powder or cocoa
1/2 Tbsp. vegan milk or water, if needed

Instructions
1. Mix nut butter with a little liquid sweetener at a time. Add carob or cocoa and mix. Add a little vegan milk or water if too thick.

2. Refrigerate till using. Delicious on ice cream.

*If you are allergic to nuts, just substitute the nut butter with more liquid sweetener.