Nutty Chocolate Paleo Clusters

Chocolate and diet have never seemed to mesh very well together. But if you are a Paleo dieter, and a chocolate lover (like myself), I have GREAT news for you! Chocolate is Paleo friendly!

In fact, as long as you opt for darker varieties and practice moderation, chocolate can actually be beneficial to your health! The antioxidants and polyphenols found in dark chocolate can help prevent degenerative diseases, most commonly heart disease. And because cocoa comes from the fruit of a tropical tree, that means it is also Paleo approved!

To celebrate this wonderful discovery, I want to share a yummy new recipe I stumbled upon which I'm naming Nutty Chocolate Paleo Clusters. It has relatively few ingredients, is all natural and also gluten-free and vegan!

You will need:

NOW Brand Raw Energy Nut Mix (1, 16 oz. bag- available at FCM!)

1/3 cup of honey, maple syrup or agave nectar (use maple syrup or agave to make this recipe vegan, but I used honey)

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. sea salt

8-10 ounces of dark chocolate chips or morsels

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix the first four ingredients in a large mixing bowl until the Nut Mix is covered well.

Spread the mixture onto a cookie sheet that is lined with parchment paper so that it is about 1/2 inch thick and bake for 15-20 minutes.

After the mixture is baked- let cool COMPLETELY! Once it is cooled, it will be hardened and you can break it off into small clusters. (You can put it in the freezer if you're impatient (: )

Heat chocolate chips stove-top or in the microwave at thirty second intervals until melted, and dip the bottom half of each cluster until it is covered about half-way.

Put in the refrigerator to cool about 30 minutes or until the chocolate is hardened.

Enjoy!