Monday, March 18, 2013

Homemade Easter Treats: Chocolate Coconut Creme Eggs (gluten-free, vegan)

It's hard to believe when I see the gray skies and snow-crusted ground outside my windows that Easter is just around the corner, but it's already less than two weeks away!  When I was little, one of the sure signs that Easter was coming was the appearance of a certain cute little clucking bunny in television ads who left chocolate creme-filled eggs everywhere he went.  I loved that bunny (he made me laugh!), and even more, I loved those sweet, melt-in-your-mouth eggs that often showed up in our childhood Easter baskets.   They were such a yummy spring holiday indulgence!

These days I like to make homemade treats on special occasions, so this past weekend I decided to see if I could come up with a better-for-you, gluten-free and vegan version of a chocolate creme egg for Easter.  It took a few attempts to get the method just right, but eventually I ended up with a tray full of pretty and oh-so-good eggs made with dark chocolate, coconut butter, and pure maple syrup.  It seems it's not just the clucking bunny who can work some Easter magic!  ;)

Chocolate Coconut Creme Eggs


2 cups chopped dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa)
1 tsp coconut oil

1/4 cup coconut butter (I use Artisana brand)
1 tbsp + 1 tsp coconut oil
2 tbsp pure maple syrup
2 tsp coconut flour

a small egg candy mold (I found one at Bulk Barn that makes six 2 1/2 inch eggs)
dessert sprinkles for decorating (I use Let's Do Sprinklez brand, which are vegan. gluten-free, and made with natural colours)

In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the chopped dark chocolate and 1 tsp of coconut oil, stirring often.  Once melted, spoon about a teaspoonful of the chocolate into the bottom of each egg mold.  Using the back of the spoon or a small, clean paintbrush, smooth the chocolate up the sides of each egg until it comes right up to the top of the mold, making sure that each egg is completely covered with no thin spots. 


Once all egg molds are coated in chocolate, place them in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the chocolate shells are firm.

Meanwhile, make the egg filling by combining the coconut butter, coconut oil, and maple syrup in a mixing bowl and beating with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Sprinkle in the coconut flour and stir well to thicken the mixture.

When the shells and the filling are ready, place a small spoonful of the filling into the centre of each chocolate shell and press it down a little. 



Note:  It is very important not to overfill the eggs with the coconut mixture.  I tried filling almost the whole shell on my first attempt, but ended up with a small disaster on my hands when I tried to get the eggs out of the molds afterwards.  


Place the filled eggs in the freezer for about five minutes to firm up the filling. Remove the eggs from the freezer and spoon another layer of melted chocolate into each egg, so that the filling is completely covered and each egg mold is filled to the top. 


Place the egg molds back into the freezer for another 15 minutes or so.

Once the eggs are firm, remove the molds from the freezer and carefully pop the eggs out onto a piece of parchment paper.  Drizzle a little melted dark chocolate over the top of each egg with a spoon, and scatter some candy sprinkles over the drizzled chocolate.  Keep the finished eggs in the refrigerator until just before serving.  (This recipe makes approximately 12 eggs, depending on the size of your mold.)



My two tough little food critics declared these eggs to be "ah-mazing!" and "a 10 out of 10!".  What more needs to be said?

This sweet Easter treat recipe can also be used to create delicious nut butter eggs (another one of my childhood favourites!).  Simply follow the same directions, but instead of the coconut creme filling, use the filling from my chocolate cashew butter balls recipe, with any natural nut butter of your choice.  I hope your family, like ours, will enjoy both of these Easter goodies! 


If you're looking for other gluten-free, dairy-free, and egg-free Easter treats, you might also enjoy these almond and honey hot cross buns, or these crispy nest treats with jelly bean eggs.  :)  



This post is linked to Gluten-Free Wednesdays.


4 comments:

  1. Mmmmm can't wait to try it. Coconut creme eggs are my favorite!

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    1. Mine too, Belle_Poppet! (Well, maybe it's a tie between coconut creme eggs and cashew butter eggs. ;) ) I hope you enjoy these!

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  2. These look amazing, I'm sure my grandkids would be delighted with them. Happy Easter!

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    1. Thank you, Hannah! I'm glad you stopped by, and I hope your grandkids love these eggs as much as my two boys do. :) Happy Easter to you, too!

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