Homemade Easter Treats
We tend to keep holidays pretty simple so we can focus on their true meaning, and Easter is no exception. But that doesn’t mean that we don’t participate in holiday traditions.
I love putting together Easter baskets and hiding eggs to surprise our boys on Easter morning. But I also want to teach them that just because it is a special occasion, it doesn’t mean we need to completely abandon our healthy lifestyle.
Given that almost every candy on the market is loaded with sugar, artificial colors, artificial flavors and toxic ingredients we can’t pronounce, I’ve had to get a bit creative.
Thank goodness for the internet, and for all the people out there creating delicious recipes.
Last year, I made homemade Twix bars and homemade dark chocolate almond butter cups for their Easter basket and they were a huge hit. Luke asked me a few weeks ago if I would make them again this year, and he has been diligently reminding me ever since. Safe to say I’ll be making these homemade Easter treats this year as well.
As you can see in the photo above, I’m far from being a professional candy maker and I probably wouldn’t score many points for presentation either. But my boys don’t care at all.
They were so excited when they saw their basket and I’m certain they enjoyed these treats as much as anything I could have bought.
Making homemade treats takes time. But to me, it is so worth it.
I love watching my boys enjoy something I made on my own. I love knowing that they can get their sweet fix without being harmed by toxic ingredients in the process. I love that they are learning to pay attention to what is in the food they eat.
And I love that my husband and I are teaching them that they don’t need a lot to be truly satisfied. It really doesn’t get much better than that. Happy Easter!
Do you have any favorite homemade treat recipes? I’d love to hear about them in the comments below!
The Chocolate Almond Butter Cups (see recipe below) were inspired by The Kind Life
I found the recipe for No Bake Twix Bars at Healthful Pursuit
These homemade chocolate almond butter cups are delicious and are a huge hit with both kids and adults. *Note that the total time above includes the time the cups need to set in the refrigerator.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Earth Balance natural spread
- 3/4 cup raw almond butter
- 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
- 1/4 cup coconut palm sugar
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1/4 cup chopped almonds
Instructions
- Line a 12-cup muffin tin with unbleached paper or silicone liners. Set the tin aside.
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the almond butter, graham cracker crumbs, and coconut palm sugar; mix well. Remove the mixture from the heat. Divide mixture evenly (about 2 tablespoons per cup) among the muffin cups.
- Combine the chocolate and almond milk in another pan. Stir over medium heat until the chocolate has melted. Spoon the chocolate evenly over the almond butter mixture. Top with the chopped nuts. Place in the refrigerator to set for at least 2 hours before serving.
