Did you hear that Easter is going to be on April 1st this year?

So I know I’ve been told more than once how the date for Easter is determined each year. I got it, there’s a method, but honestly, wouldn’t it be easier and so much less confusing to just stick to one day for it? Well, that’s obviously not happening anytime soon so I’m going to have to just get over it.

Some of you probably already know that I’ve only been back in the States since the beginning of last Summer. It’s so so nice to be back in the seasons I’m so used to rather than going into Autumn right now. I’ve always loved the holiday traditions and the smells and tastes that come with Springtime so having the seasons all switched around on me was really hard to get over (Haha, as any of you who’ve been following for a while would know by all the complaining I did.)

It’s a tiny bit strange though, because I did finally get used to it being opposite so having Spring and Easter back together is throwing me off. Hey, but I’m definitely not complaining about that. it’s just that this is the first Easter I’ve been able to plan fun Springtime foods around in a long time. Whereas, the last many years I was thinking up cozy recipes for my family, now I get to join in all the fresher food fun and get excited about warmer weather, yes!

Anyway, like I said, it’s been a while since I’ve spent an Easter Stateside, so I kinda forgot about all the variety of candies and decorations and stuff. Easter was probably one of the most highly celebrated holidays while I lived in Chile, but because the culture there is so heavily Catholic, it’s more of a religious thing than the commercialized, candy-filled extravaganza it is in the US. Please understand that I’m not trying to knock either culture, just stating the difference because I can appreciate them both now.

Eh hem, but back to the candy, I was at the store perusing the Easter aisle this past week trying to see if anything struck a note of inspiration and, I don’t know if this is because I’m getting old, but all the sour candies and brightly colored fruit sweets were so unappealing. Yeah, I remember as a little kid never understanding why my parents didn’t really like sour candy, but now I completely understand. It’s just like “what’s the point?” when you have chocolate on the table, you know what I mean?

I’d say one of the only candies that does still tempt me are Reese’s peanut butter eggs. I know, I know, they’re so not the greatest choice, but they’re so good, you know? Hey, but have you tried Justin’s organic peanut butter cups? I’m not advertising for them or anything, I’ve just heard how good they were and I’d never tried them until a few weeks ago. My sister and I got back to our hotel in San Diego late one night and we were both really wanting something sweet but all the nearby stores were closed so we had to settle for shopping in the little snack shop that was inside the hotel. Um sidenote, am I the only one that always mentally gasps at the WAY overpriced things at hotels? Maybe I’m just cheap but, seriously, why can they get away with charging so much? The funny thing is that we bought them anyway. Ha, I guess that’s how. #toolazytowalksomewhereelse

My point, yes I have one, is that they’re really good and they inspired me to try making something similar, except (killer twist ending!) these are made with almond butter instead. For one thing, I know there are lots of people out there with peanut allergies that can still have almonds so this is a great alternative. I also feel like almonds are just a little healthier than peanuts ’cause peanuts aren’t technically even nuts right? So that’s a plus.

These still aren’t “health food” by any means, but you can feel a lot better about them because they’re made with minimal ingredients that you can pronounce. and they’re a really fun thing to make with the kids. For shaping them into eggs I actually just used my hands but you can buy a candy mold like this one or even use a mini cupcake pan instead.

I hope you’re all getting excited about the changing season with me and I really hope you enjoy these!

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Chocolate Covered Almond Butter Eggs (Vegan+GF)

Need the perfect Easter treat hold the long list of ingredients? Try this spin on the favorite Reese's PB eggs using AB instead! (V+GF)

Prep Time 30 minutes

chilling time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Servings 12 eggs

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup raw almond butter
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 2/3 cup almond flour
• 2 teaspoons arrowroot starch or cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons coconut oil
• 2/3 cup about 120g dairy free semi-sweet dark chocolate, roughly chopped
• slivered almonds for topping optional

Instructions

1. Combine almond butter, vanilla, and salt and mix until smooth. Add in the almond flour, arrowroot, and syrup and gently fold in until it all starts to form a dough-like mixture.
2. Divide the dough into balls (about 1 tablespoon each) and shape into eggs or use a candy egg mold like like this one" class="instruction-link" target="_blank">this one. Also, if the dough seems a bit sticky to work with then chill it for about 30 minutes. Place on parchment covered baking sheet or plate. Refrigerate for 1 hour or freeze for at least 30 minutes.
3. After cooling the eggs, melt chocolate and oil in a double boiler over low heat. Dip each egg into chocolate and turn to coat all sides before placing it back on the tray. If desired top with slivered almonds. Repeat with all eggs. Allow Chocolate to cool completely then use a thin spatula to loosen from pan. Store in an airtight container. (P.S. these are so good chilled!)