Fuel Up with Chocolate
Instead of reaching for a standard sugar fix during your mid-afternoon slump, why not keep some of these energizing snacks on hand? There’s no reason your moment of indulgence can’t also be healthy. The best part: no baking required!
Energy Snowballs
Prep Time: 20 minutes (+1 hour chilling)
Servings: 15 snowballs
Ingredients
- ½ cup (125 mL) unsweetened shredded coconut
- 5 squares (50 g) Lindt Excellence Coconut Dark Chocolate
- 1 cup (250 mL) toasted sliced almonds or raw sliced almonds
- ⅓ cup (80 mL) quick-cook oats
- 3 Medjool dates, pitted and chopped
- 2 tbsp (30 mL) pumpkin, sunflower or hemp seeds
- 2 tbsp (30 mL) solid coconut oil
- ½ tsp (3 mL) vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- Zest of half an orange (optional)
Steps
- Place unsweetened coconut in a food processor and process until quite fine, but not puréed or wet. Set aside in a bowl to be used later.
- Place chocolate, almonds and oats in the bowl of the same food processor. Process for about 1 to 2 minutes, until mixture is quite fine. Add in chopped dates, seeds, coconut oil, vanilla and salt, and, if desired, zest from half an orange. Blend until mixture forms a ball.
- Place mixture in an airtight container and refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight. Measure 1 tbsp of the mixture and roll into a ball. Roll each ball in the coconut until completely covered. Store in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.


Dark Chocolate Seed Bark
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 25
Ingredients
- 3 bars (100 g each) Lindt Excellence 78% Cacao Dark Chocolate, chopped
- 3 tbsp (45 mL) raw pumpkin seeds
- 1 tsp (5 mL) chili flakes
- 1 tsp (5 mL) flaked sea salt
or
- 3 bars (100 g each) Lindt Excellence 78% Cacao Dark Chocolate, chopped
- 2 tbsp (30 mL) toasted sesame seeds or 1 tbsp (15 mL) achiote or annatto seeds, crushed
- Zest from 1 large navel orange
Steps
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Temper your chocolate. See our step-by-step guide here.
- Pour 1 tbsp (15 mL) portions of tempered chocolate onto the prepared baking sheets. Use the back of a spoon to form 1½-inch circles. Working quickly sprinkle evenly with toppings. If using orange zest, grate over chocolate rounds.
- Let cool to room temperature or until the chocolate is firm, about 5 minutes.
Substitution Tip: Lindt Excellence 78% Cacao Dark Chocolate can be substituted with Lindt Excellence 70% or Lindt Excellence 90% Cacao Dark Chocolate.


Chocolate Espresso Power Shake
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 2
Ingredients
- 3 cups (750 mL) unsweetened almond milk
- 1 banana, sliced
- 4 dates, pitted and roughly chopped
- ½ tsp (3 mL) cinnamon
- 2 shots espresso, cooled (about ¼ cup (60 mL) or ½ cup (125 mL) strong coffee, cooled
- 4 squares (40 g) Lindt Excellence 90% Cacao Dark Chocolate, finely chopped
- Cocoa nibs to garnish
- Chocolate shavings to garnish
Steps
- In a blender combine almond milk, banana, dates, cinnamon and espresso. Blend on high until well combined, about 30 seconds. Add finely chopped Lindt Excellence 90% Dark Chocolate and blend mixture on high until well combined, about 1 minute. There may be a few fine chocolate chunks in milkshake.
- Pour into two glasses and garnish with cocoa nibs and chocolate shavings.
Substitution Tip: Lindt Excellence 90% Cacao Dark Chocolate can be substituted with Lindt Excellence 70% or Lindt Excellence 78% Cacao Dark Chocolate.
Chocolate Chia Pudding
Prep Time: 10 minutes (+8 hours chilling)
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 4 pieces (40 g) Lindt Excellence 85% Cacao Dark Chocolate
- 1⅓ cups (330 mL) 2% milk or milk substitute (e.g., almond milk)
- 4 tsp (60 mL) maple syrup
- 4 tsp (60 mL) whole black chia seeds
- Chopped bananas and Lindt Excellence 85% Cacao Dark Chocolate shavings (for garnish)
Steps
- Put chocolate in a bowl and set aside. Heat milk and maple syrup in a saucepan on low heat. Pour over chocolate. Mix until blended into chocolate milk.
- Place chia seeds in a large jar with a tight-fitting lid, or four small ones about ½ cup (125 mL) each in size. Pour in chocolate milk, mix, and close jar(s). Refrigerate for at least 8 hours, or up to 24 hours, stirring after 1 hour to make sure mix is even. (The longer the pudding sets, the thicker it will be.)
- Serve topped with bananas and chocolate shavings.
Maître Chocolatier Tip: For perfect chocolate shavings, try using a vegetable peeler.
For other easy, no-bake treats, check out this dark chocolate avocado pudding and mint chocolate speckled smoothie.