Two-ingredient chocolate sauce

By Sari Huhtala

This sauce not only makes a perfect addition to your child’s lunchbox, it’s also a great dipping sauce on a fruit platter.

I cringe when I see those little packages of caramel sauce and dipping apples in stores, knowing these caramel sauces are made with tons of sugar, corn syrup, propylene glycol and preservatives, which swipes it off the healthy eating list for kids and adults alike.

This chocolate sauce I created as an alternative dipping sauce. It’s nut free, refined sugar free and is made with nutritious dates and superfood cocoa powder. Plus, it keeps in fridge like fresh-made sauce, so it’s handy to pop into little one’s lunches.

On a nutritional note, dates are a packed with polyphenols – antioxidants that protect the body from inflammation. In fact, dates have more polyphenols than many fruits and vegetables. Plus, they provide a good fiber boost, and are high in potassium and magnesium electrolytes, and are a good source of iron.

Chocolate sauce

• ½ cup chopped dates

• 2 heaping tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder or raw cacao

• Approximately 2-3 tbsp water (or to desired consistency)

Process dates in food processor till softened. Add water and cocoa powder and process till creamy. Add more water if too thick. Store covered in fridge.