Healthier pumpkin fudge with Medjool dates, pumpkin, cashew butter, and dark chocolate. The perfect easy, vegan and paleo, melt in your mouth Halloween treat!
THIS POST IS SPONSORED BY NATURAL DELIGHTS®
You knew I had to sneak in one more needlessly cute pumpkin thing before Halloween. It would be wrong to leave you hanging without the perfect kid/party/you-and-your-festive-adult-self treat for the big day. But don’t worry, there’s an option that isn’t smiling at you included too.
This is the ultimate cheater’s method for making fudge. There is no boiling of (and 90% chance of burning oneself with) sugar. There is no microwaving of milk. There is no double-boiler melting of chocolate. There isn’t even any sugar.
If you are currently thinking: Wait can we even call this fudge though? Just hear me out.
Because it is rich. And it has all the right mouthfeel qualities that makes fudge fudge. And it is the best the best thing to happen to your freezer since ice cream season ended. Say hello to Medjool Date Pumpkin Fudge.
Things you need to make pumpkin fudge:
- Pumpkin. Duh.
- Medjool dates. The star of this recipe really. These beauties are what bind, thicken, and bestow their sweet caramel magic on our fudge without any refined sugar…it’s basically witchcraft.
- Cashew butter. Or any nut or seed butter, but I like the richness and neutral flavor of cashew.
- Pumpkin pie spice.
- Salt.
- Nondairy milk or coconut oil. To get that food processor traffic-jam moving again if necessary.
- Chocolate chips. Optional, only if you want to chocolate dip and take things to the next pumpkin fudge level.
And a pumpkin mold if you are going the extra cute route. Or a pan and parchment paper if you don’t care about shape and just want the fudge to your face faster.
I used my favorite Medjool dates from Natural Delights® – the yellow package which means already pitted which means I AM LAZY – because they are always the squishy-sweet freshest. For a recipe like this without a lot of liquid blended in, you need Medjool dates that are squishy and soft without soaking (extra water may make the fudge more icy after freezing).
And if the dates are already pitted, this recipe takes less than 10 minutes of actual effort:
- Combine everything in a food processor.
- Process. Stir. Process. Stir. It will get stuck, so help it along with a spatula and a few spoonfuls of coconut oil or non-dairy milk as needed.
- Press into a pan or mold.
- Freeze until firm.
- Chocolate dip if desired. Or just eat already!
When it comes to easy + pumpkin, no one can ever say I don’t deliver (says the girl who has only posted one non-pumpkin thing in over a month…too much?)
A few other DIY (healthier) Halloween treat ideas:
- Peppermint patties > No-Bake Mint Chip Cookies
- Snickers > Peanut Salted Caramel Mousse Bars
- Crunch bar > Chocolate Superfood Crunch Cups
- 3 musketeers > Salted Chocolate Truffle Bars
- Twix > Chocolate Caramel Crunch Cups
But between you and me, these fudge pumpkins are cuter than that whole list combined…shhhhh!
Medjool Date Pumpkin Fudge
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
- Category: dessert
- Method: no bake
- Cuisine: american
Description
Healthier pumpkin fudge with Medjool dates, pumpkin, cashew butter, and dark chocolate. The perfect easy, vegan and paleo, melt in your mouth Halloween treat!
Ingredients
- 2 cups (400g or ~20) Natural Delights® pitted Medjool dates
- 1 cup (250g) cashew butter (or nut/seed butter of choice)
- 1/2 cup (125g) pumpkin puree
- 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 tsp salt (omit if nut butter is salted)
- 2–4 tbsp coconut oil or non-dairy milk, as needed
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips, melted
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients in a food processor.
- Blend, stopping to stir and adding coconut oil or milk as necessary until smooth.
- Press into a pan lined with parchment paper or silicone mold.
- Freeze overnight.
- Slice into squares and dip in melted chocolate if desired.
- Enjoy!
- Keep leftovers in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 square
- Calories: 260
- Sugar: 22g
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Carbohydrates: 32g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 5g
Keywords: vegan, paleo, healthy, halloween, no bake, easy, dessert, snack
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“Ah, she’s squeezing in one last pumpkin recipe.” I really thought these words this morning when I visited your site! Predictability isn’t very bad 😉
Hahaha!! Just had to do it😂 Although there will probably be a pumpkin pie sometime next month still!
Thank goodness! I am not ready to give up pumpkin (I just got a new jar of pumpkin pie spice yesterday).
Haha okay good, because I’m not really ready to stop either🎃😂
‘best thing to happen to your freezer since ice cream season ended’ WAIT WHAT ICE CREAM SEASON IS OVER????? Tell that to the massive nice cream milkshake I’m currently drinking 😉
Bahahahaha😂😂 Girl you get me! I’ve still been eating ice cream pretty much daily here too, but I thought maybe that was just me and my weird florida ways…good to know I’m not the only one😉
Hi, just a question: what pan size did you use?
Thanks xx
This is the pan I used: https://crate.us/2CR68Ye It’s 9×6, but a loaf pan would work too!
I recently made a chocolate peanut butter fudge using dates as the base, and it was SO GOOD! Cannot wait to try this pumpkin version perfect for fall 🙂
OMGGGGGG! Why didn’t you share some of that tart with me though?? That sounds incredible with dates, mmmm so much you can do with those squishy delicious fruits😋
those squished pumpkin faces are so cute. I keep laughing at them
Hahaha ikr😂 I can’t help but get a little over the top cute for the holidays🎃🎃
Here she is, the date queen! Haha! All hail to the date queen, omg, girl, for real…these fudge just may turn me into a date lover. They. Look. Insane. And those spooky Halloween faces, I just die over…they are so freaking cute, that pumpkin mold I gotta have now. I hate that October is over because you have been on like the most epic pumpkin streak EVER, haha! Don’t end it now, lol. I’m totally on board with this no cook fudge too because honestly, if it looks and tastes like fudge, who cares what the method is! The easier, the better in my book. They look so rich and so thick and just how I like my fudge. I do not care one iota either about it being November. I honestly have so much pumpkin in my pantry and will be continuing the pumpkin baking, ha. You nailed it again Natalie!!
Is this fudge recipe meant to be eaten frozen or can you eat it after it sets in the freezer for a while and softens to room temperature?
Since there is no coconut oil in it, it needs to be kept frozen it’s too soft at fridge/room temp. I suggest letting it sit out of the fridge for 5 mins or so, that tends to be the perfect consistency in my opinion 🙂
Silly question.. what does your pumpkin pie spice have in it? I just found out some contain allspice and others do not. What is the difference between pumpkin spice and pumpkin pie spice? Sorry for the silly questions but I have never used pumpkin or pumpkin spice in anything. I am a serious Newbie!
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So pumpkin pie spice and pumpkin spice should be the same thing, although I’ve noticed certain brands vary a little bit too. Mine contains: cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg. But a mix with allspice too will be fine, you will probably not even notice a difference 🙂
Thank you for your response! Very much appreciated!
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These pictures are everything!! The pumpkins are so cute!
Hehe aren’t they adorable🤗 Thanks Hazel!
Can you use a vitamix instead of a food processor??
This one is really thick so it’s tricky to do in a blender, it will get stuck most likely. But if you stop and stir it frequently could work!
Ok I’ll have a think! thank you!
I was looking for something to use up my jar of ube halaya when I came across this recipe. I substituted about 1 1/4 cups for the dates and it was delicious! It wasn’t clear to me when to add the melted chocolate ans I realized after that it might just be into, like in the photo, but it went into the fudge and tasted great!
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Sorry for the confusion! I just dipped the fudge in chocolate after it was set, but I bet it tasted delish mixed in too. It’s hard to mess things up with more chocolate haha. So happy you liked it😊
Hi! It’s me again, so this is the second recipe I’ve made and was not disappointed. I actually mixed and matched – I used this as a filling for your “no-bake chocolate cream pie”. I simply go where the cravings tell me to lol. They went together very well, unfortunately, I only had peanut butter on hand and I can really see the merit to using a more neutral nut butter like your suggested cashew. Nonetheless I have a very tasty no bake chocolate peanut butter pie now. I’m so excited to try more recipes!
I wanted to again express my appreciation for your page. I am no longer eating a lot of things out of choice because I feel better but I missed baking and still get a sweet tooth. You’ve got my full support for naturally sweet/vegan/grain free & most times if I can oil free recipes. Thanks Natalie!
What a delicious recipe mashup idea, that sounds amazing!! And I am SO happy and honored that the recipes are helping you and you are trying so many Leanna😊❤️
Hi! Do you add the melted choc to the food processor or is the melted choc for dipping afterwards?
Just for dipping after if you want!
Sorry another question! For the pumpkin silicone molds, how many does the recipe fill? Should I buy a mold that holds 12 pumpkin heads or does it only fill 8? Do you fill them to the top or halfway if it rises? Etc
Yes fill them all the way up to the top! And it depends on the mold and how big each pumpkin cavity is, but 8 should probably be fine. You could always roll/chill any excess in balls and just enjoy it that way🎃