Dark Chocolate Prune Turtles #MakeSomethingDivine

The BEST way to get your digestive system back on track, these dark chocolate prune turtles start with a dried plum dipped in dark chocolate, then dipped into a mix of granola, chia seeds and pumpkin seeds for the turtle “feet” and a whole walnut affixed to the top. It’s a pleasurable, crunchy, chocolatized delight that you can have for breakfast or as a treat any time of day.

Months ago, one outing seemed to change my life. (Okay, not really a complete change of life, but just a slight inconvenience and dietary shift.) I am not sure what it was or why, but when my daughter and I went to the gym that day and I offered to take her out to eat afterwards, the result was NOT a good experience. Of course I let her choose the place and she was hungry for Greek food, specifically gyros. We both have loved gyros for years, ever since she was a young girl … and there was only one place in town that served them. Since we’d both just worked out, I was hungry and the gyros smelled amazing. I went against my good judgment and ordered a gyro, which was served with a thick white pita bread and a HUGE pile of meat, with a rich garlicky tzatziki sauce on top. No veggies in sight other than a few onions. The meat was delicious, the pita was pathetic (one you could buy at a grocery store, not a homemade one), the tzatziki was good, but I wondered if it was made with Greek yogurt or sour cream? I didn’t see any sign of cucumber in the sauce either. They had none of the other traditional Greek foods like hummus or spanakopita or dolmas on the menu … just gyros and french fries. French fries? Of course my daughter ordered fries with hers and I had to taste them. Not great. We enjoyed the flavorful meat, but we both suffered later.

For me, I was constipated after that experience for a week. NOT a pleasant experience. Towards the end of the week, I resorted to ANYTHING that would help and finally broke the long spell of misery that had plagued me. Ever since then, though, I’ve often needed extra boosts to help me stay regular. Prunes are a fairly common occurrence now in my life because prunes are not only high in insoluble fiber, but they also contain the natural laxative sorbitol, which can help you “go.”

I quickly got bored of eating prunes, though, and wanted something a little more enticing and fulfilling, something with a little texture variation and yeah, something chocolate. So I decided to make myself a little prune “treat” and these pretty little prune turtles were born.

Last time I made these prune turtles , I used some of my own homemade granola (actually I used my peanut butter granola), but today I’m making my turtles with granola that a sweet yoga friend gave me. She made it herself and decided to share it with me. I teach yoga on Monday nights to the sweetest group of people. For Christmas, I made them Toffee Crunch Popcorn and they all loved it. One of them knit me a pretty shawl for Christmas and then this friend more recently shared her granola. But it’s not the gifts, of course, that make the group so special. They have a beautiful calm, loving energy that I can feel and yet also feed. There is a sense of shared love, peace and joy in that room on Monday nights. I’m so grateful for every beautiful soul that shows up to our Monday night yoga class.

Back to the recipe … I made these heart healthy dried plum confections and photographed them a LONG time ago, intending to post it for or at least shortly after #Choctoberfest 2019 (which happens in October, so since it’s now February, it was a while ago). I used some of the Divine chocolate I was sent as part of that event and they turned out wonderful. I do love the Divine chocolate … it melts beautifully, sets up well and it’s completely vegan. Divine chocolate baking bars are fair trade, non-GMO, and Vegan Society Certified. It’s serious quality chocolate. And how can you resist their slogan to #MakeSomethingDivine? I’m SO on board with that!

So if you (or someone you love) suffers from occasional constipation … or if you just want a fun, easy breakfast treat, give these prune turtles a try. They are full of good things for your body, they’re heart healthy, gluten free and vegan (as long as you use a vegan chocolate like Divine) and yeah, it’s a divine way to start your day.

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