Sugar-Free Red Velvet Freezer Fudge (Paleo / Vegan)

Valentine’s Day is this week, so of course I had to post a V-Day inspired dessert! Valentine’s Day is actually one of my favorite holidays, believe it or not. Love is in the air, and all around me I see pink, flowers, and chocolate. That’s my kinda day. What’s better to celebrate than love?!

I couldn’t let the day go by without posting a festive recipe, but I’ll be honest – I haven’t really been in the baking mood, which is strange for me. I’ve been feeling a bit lazy recently. I’m also still not eating sugar, so I thought an easy, no-fuss, sugar-free dessert option was very necessary.

I’m honestly in disbelief that these don’t have any sugar. I can’t tell if my taste buds have changed so much in the last year that I consider anything not savory to be extremely sweet, or if these really are as genius as I think they are. I’m thinking it’s a combination of both.

When you use coconut butter, coconut milk, cacao, and vanilla in a recipe, you don’t need much else to make a naturally sweet treat! If you are transitioning into a sugar-free lifestyle or are following a sugar-free health protocol, coconut butter is your friend. It tastes like frosting, but there’s no sweetener. This red velvet freezer fudge is the perfect dessert to convince anyone that they definitely don’t need sugar to satisfy a craving for sweetness. For anybody who’s having a sugar-free Valentine’s Day — these are for you.

This year, I really wanted to make something that was red velvet. Red velvet anything sounds so luxurious and fancy. Why does chocolate taste even better when it’s red? The only thing I’ve ever made myself that was red velvet were some cookies about two years ago, and I used dye to create the red color. While these aren’t deep red in color like most red velvet (artificial) treats you’ll find, they’re also completely natural in color. You don’t need food dye. Also, did I mention they’re sugar-free?

I dig the light red shade, though. It’s almost like a pink. Either way, I think it’s perfectly festive for Valentine’s Day! The shade comes from the hidden beets inside. Beets are an excellent vegetable for many reason, but besides their nutritional benefits, they’re also great for staining things. Usually, my hands (I kid), but in this case, fudge “batter.” The beets act as a natural food dye while also adding in even more natural sweetness! Who knew coconut, chocolate, and beets went together so well?!

Beets are high in vitamin C, fiber, and the B vitamin folate. They’re a great source of antioxidants, have anti-inflammatory benefits, and aid in detoxification. If your liver needs a bit of support and detoxification, beets are the perfect addition to your diet. That’s one reason why I really should be eating more beets than I currently do, but to be honest… I don’t really like the taste of beets on their own.

This recipe quite literally changed my life. I will happily eat beets when they’re in freezer fudge form like this – you cannot even taste them! So if you need some liver detoxing but hate the taste of beets, these are right up your alley.

Cooking beets can be quite the nuisance, so I recommend picking up some pre-cooked beets to make your life easier. That’s what I did! Lots of stores carry pre-cooked, plain beets in the refrigerated section that you can just grab and open up when you need them. Most of those come in packs of four, and luckily that’s exactly how much you need for this recipe! I like “I Love Beets!” and the ones from Trader Joe’s. Just make sure they’re plain!

I had a really hard time naming these, and I was deciding between freezer fudge and no-bake brownies. They’re really a mix between fudge and raw brownies, but I went with the fudge. The whole idea is that these are minimal effort. Like I mentioned, I really haven’t been in the mood to do anything too difficult in the kitchen recently. It’s just a phase, but I’m basically trying to make everything as easy as possible when it comes to cooking since my brain is currently extremely cluttered with so many other things. Therefore, I wanted a quick and easy dessert recipe, and throwing ingredients into a food processor and tossing it in the fridge sounded like the perfect answer.

Once you mix up all of the ingredients, you can either freeze or refrigerate these to let them set. They’ll take longer to set in the fridge and they’ll come out a bit softer, more like raw brownies. If you put them in the freezer, they will freeze, obviously, and become harder. When they’re in the freezer I let them thaw a bit before I eat them! I personally prefer the texture from the fridge, but I’ve been storing these in the freezer for the convenience. Don’t leave these out for too long if you’ve been storing them in the fridge – they’ll melt if it gets too warm!

These are the perfect reminder that yummy treats don’t require sugar or anything fancy. You’ll get plenty of healthy fats in here mixed with a hidden veggie, so these can be great as a “fat bomb” recipe too! I dare you to give these to someone who eats a lot of sugar. They’ll never guess what’s inside! I think these are also a great treat for kids! Plus, I love how simple these are to make. They’re the perfect lazy girl’s dessert. If you like chocolate, anything fudgey, and coconut, these are meant for you.

This Sugar-Free Red Velvet Freezer Fudge is paleo, vegan, and keto-friendly. If you’re AIP, replace the cacao with carob! This freezer fudge is soft, creamy, rich, and oh-so-delicious. It’s a cross between fudge, a raw brownie, and a fat bomb. No kitchen skills required. All you need is a food processor, five minutes, and patience while you wait for them to set in the fridge! If you’re in the mood for red velvet but don’t want to enter into a sugar coma, you need these in your life!

Sugar-Free Red Velvet Freezer Fudge (Paleo / Vegan)

Time: 5 min prep, 1 hour to freeze / refrigerate

Serves: 10-12

Ingredients:

• 4 cooked and cooled beets (about 1 1/3 cups worth – I used a pack of four pre-cooked beets that I got from the store!)
• 1/2 cup melted coconut oil
• 1/2 cup melted coconut butter
• 1/2 cup full-fat canned coconut milk
• 2 tbsp cacao powder
• 2.5 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 tsp Himalayan pink salt
• 3 tbsp cacao nibs (optional)

Instructions:

1. Add all ingredients except for cacao nibs into a food processor. Process until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
2. Line an 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper, or get out silicone molds. Pour the mixture into the baking tray or molds. Sprinkle cacao nibs evenly on top.
3. Place in the fridge overnight or in the freezer for 1-2 hours. If you put them in the fridge, they’ll be a bit softer, like a raw brownie. If you put them in the freezer, they’ll get frozen like fudge.
4. Once the fudge has hardened, cut into squares and enjoy! Store leftovers in the fridge / freezer.