Easy Fruit & Nut Chocolate Buttons Recipe (2024)

These easy fruit & nut chocolate buttons (also known as mendiants) make a fab quick and easy homemade gift idea that's easy enough for kids to make themselves!

It's day three of the Eats Amazing Advent Calendar, and today I'm bringing you the first of several delicious homemade gift ideas that are super easy and perfect for children to make, all by themselves.

Today's recipe is for Fruit & Nut Chocolate Buttons, a really simple recipe that takes no time at all to make but looks really impressive and of course is completely delicious!

Easy Fruit & Nut Chocolate Buttons Recipe (1)

As I mentioned above, this post is part ofthe Eats Amazing Fun Food Advent Calendar. Every day from now until Christmas I’m sharing a new festive food idea and I’m announcing them over on thenewAdvent Calendar pagetoo, so do click on the link, bookmark it and pop back each day to see what’s new!

Yesterday I shared some yummy snowman smoothies, today it’s these fruit and nut chocolate buttons and tomorrow… you’ll have to come back for that one!

Easy Fruit & Nut Chocolate Buttons Recipe (2)

I've specifiedthe fruit and nuts that I used to make oursin the recipe, but this is a very adaptable recipe so you can use whatever fruits and nuts you have to hand, or even just fruit, or just nuts if you prefer.

You might well have everything you need for this in your cupboards already - have a hunt around and see if you can find any dried fruit or nuts lying forgotten at the back of a kitchen cupboard - it's a great recipe to use them up and you'll get some money-saving presents made at the same time - now that's multitasking!

I used a mini tart tray to mould my buttons, but you can also use a silicone muffin tray, individual silicone cupcake cases or even a fun shaped chocolate mould - star or flower shapes would be particularlypretty!

If you don't have any kind of mould, you can also make them free-hand by dropping the chocolate onto a baking sheet or tray lined with baking paper - they might not be quite as neat but they'll be every bit as delicious! This is the traditional way to make mendiants too, so they'll be beautifully authentic!

Easy Fruit & Nut Chocolate Buttons Recipe (3)

Fruit & Nut Chocolate Buttons

Ingredients:

  • 150g dark or milk chocolate
  • 7 walnut halves
  • 8 pecan nuts
  • small handful mixed jumbo raisins
  • small handful cranberries
  • small handul shelled pistachios

Method:

Break up the chocolate and place it in a microwave safe bowl.

Melt the chocolate in the microwave in 30 second bursts, stirring between each one to ensure it melts evenly. Be careful not to overheat or burn the chocolate, heat only until just melted and smooth.

Drop small spoonfuls of the chocolate into a silicone tart tray or cupcake cases, swirling it around with the spoon to cover the bottom of each cup. Place a walnut half or pecan nut in the middle of each chocolate button, then add a few each of the raisins, cranberries and pistachios around the edges.

Easy Fruit & Nut Chocolate Buttons Recipe (4)

Repeat until you have used up all the chocolate.

Once finished, place the chocolate buttons in the fridge to set - 15 minutes or so should do it.

Once set, remove from the fridge, pop out of the moulds and serve, store in an air-tight container or bag up in cellophane bags to give as gifts.

Enjoy!

NOTES: This recipe is naturally gluten free and is easily adapted to keep it allergy friendly. You can makeit dairy free by using dairy free chocolate, and of course omit the nuts and just used a variety of dried fruits for a nut free treat.

Easy Fruit & Nut Chocolate Buttons Recipe (5)

Don’t forget to come back tomorrow to see thenext fun project in the Eats Amazing advent calendar!

Looking for more Christmas gift ideas to make with kids? Check out this collection of 30 easy edible gift ideas that kids can make for Christmas!

Or you might also like these similar gift recipes:

Giant Chocolate Jazzies

Easy Fruit & Nut Chocolate Buttons Recipe (6)

Easy Fruit & Nut Chocolate Buttons Recipe (7)

Sweet Chocolate Mendiants

Easy Fruit & Nut Chocolate Buttons Recipe (8)

Giant White Chocolate Rainbow Jazzies!

Easy Fruit & Nut Chocolate Buttons Recipe (9)

For more delicious and fun food ideas for the festive season,check out the Christmas Food section here on the Eats Amazing blog or pop over and follow my ChristmasPinterest boards for lots more fun ideas from around the web; Christmas, Cute Christmas Food Ideas and Healthy Christmas Food.

Grace

Easy Fruit & Nut Chocolate Buttons Recipe (10)

Print Recipe

5 from 2 votes

Fruit & Nut Chocolate Buttons

Fruit & nut chocolate buttons make a fab quick and easy homemade gift idea that's easy enough for kids to make themselves - perfect for Christmas presents!

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Chilling Time15 minutes mins

Total Time10 minutes mins

Course: Gift, Snack

Cuisine: British, Christmas

Servings: 15 buttons

Author: Grace Hall

Ingredients

  • 150 g dark or milk chocolate
  • 7 walnut halves
  • 8 pecan nuts
  • small handful mixed jumbo raisins
  • small handful cranberries
  • small handul shelled pistachios

Instructions

  • Break up the chocolate and place it in a microwave safe bowl.

  • Melt the chocolate in the microwave in 30 second bursts, stirring between each one to ensure it melts evenly. Be careful not to overheat or burn the chocolate, heat only until just melted and smooth.

  • Drop small spoonfuls of the chocolate into a silicone tart tray or cupcake cases, swirling it around with the spoon to cover the bottom of each cup.

  • Place a walnut half or pecan nut in the middle of each chocolate button, then add a few each of the raisins, cranberries and pistachios around the edges.

  • Repeat until you have used up all the chocolate.

  • Once finished, place the chocolate buttons in the fridge to set – 15 minutes or so should do it.

  • Once set, remove from the fridge, pop out of the moulds to serve and store in an air-tight container.

Notes

This recipe is naturally gluten free and is easily adapted to keep it allergy friendly. You can make it dairy free by using dairy free chocolate, and of course omit the nuts and just used a variety of dried fruits for a nut free treat.

Love this recipe idea? Why not save it to Pinterest so you can easily find it again!

Easy Fruit & Nut Chocolate Buttons Recipe (11)

Easy Fruit & Nut Chocolate Buttons Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What are the ingredients in fruit and nut chocolate? ›

Ingredients. MILK**, sugar, dried grapes, cocoa butter, ALMONDS, cocoa mass, vegetable fats (palm, shea), emulsifiers (E442, E476), flavourings. MAY CONTAIN OTHER NUTS, WHEAT.

Is fruit and nut chocolate good for you? ›

The way this sweet treat can present itself is endless. However varied your fruit and nut chocolate is, the health benefits remain largely unchanged. As long as the sugar content in the chocolate itself is relatively low (as far as milk chocolate is concerned), it would be considered a healthy, antioxidant-rich snack.

What nuts pair best with chocolate? ›

Peanuts, pecans, almonds, and hazelnuts have distinct flavors that go well with dark chocolate. Walnuts are a little bit milder and therefore work better with milk chocolate. Finally, nuts such as macadamias taste best with rich white chocolate due to their even milder flavor.

What fruit is in fruit and nut chocolate? ›

Each option is exploding with scrumptiously juicy raisins and delicious almonds. Oh, and of course, covered in the velvety smooth dairy milk chocolate that makes Cadburys so famous. Want to show your partner how much you care? Visit our.

What is the most unhealthy chocolate? ›

White chocolate not only has more saturated fat than any other type of chocolate, but lacks the healthy phytochemicals found in cocoa and dark chocolate.

What is the healthiest snack bar to eat? ›

There are hundreds of bars on the market, but here are 10 you can feel good about grabbing whenever hunger strikes.
  • KiZE Bars Peanut Butter. ...
  • RBar Blueberry Breakfast. ...
  • Simple Squares Cinnamon Clove Protein Bar. ...
  • RX Bar Chocolate Sea Salt. ...
  • Health Warrior Organic Honey Cracked Pepper with Turmeric Pumpkin Seed Bar.

Is chocolate inflammatory or anti-inflammatory? ›

70% cocoa dark chocolate is rich in antioxidants, which have some major anti-inflammatory effects. Flavanols help to reduce inflammation and keep the cells that line the arteries healthy. Antioxidants fight inflammation and free radicals, which can help your immunity and reduce your risk of disease.

What is the best fruit with chocolate? ›

Strawberries, raspberries, cherries, and cranberries all pair beautifully with chocolate because they offer a hint of tartness to offset sweeter flavor notes in the chocolate.

What chocolate goes best with fruit? ›

Dark chocolate pairs well with fruits that are very sweet by neutralizing the sweetness with a bitter taste. On the other end of the chocolate spectrum, white chocolate can help balance out acidic fruits with its creamy and sweet taste.

Does peanut butter taste good with chocolate? ›

We've said it before, and we'll say it again: Chocolate and peanut butter is the world's best combination. You can't go wrong with this creamy, sweet, salty and indulgent duo. Of course, peanut butter blossoms are a crowd favorite, but they shouldn't be the only reason you pull out your jar of peanut butter.

How do you melt chocolate and keep it creamy? ›

Just remember to be patient—take it low and slow to guarantee lusciously smooth melted chocolate! Simply microwave the chocolate in 30-second intervals at 50% power, stirring in between each interval until melted and smooth.

Should you add anything to chocolate when melting? ›

Adding a tablespoon of coconut oil or vegetable oil while microwaving helps the chocolate melt more smoothly and makes it the perfect consistency for dipping! The caveat here is that once cool, the chocolate won't set up quite as hard as it did to begin with due to the added fat content.

What should you not do when melting chocolate? ›

An important step to remember: Keep the chocolate dry

Chocolate and water don't go together. Even a small splash of water in your melting chocolate will cause it to seize, becoming stiff and grainy instead of smooth and silky.

What are the ingredients in Dairy Milk Chocolate fruit and nut? ›

Sugar, Full Cream Milk Powder, Raisins (16%), Cocoa Mass, Cocoa Butter, Almonds (6%), Vegetable Fats [Palm Fruit, Sunflower Seed, Shea Nut, Illipe Seed, Sal Seed (Soya) (Citric Acid) (Tocopherol)], Whey Permeate (Cow's Milk), Emulsifiers (E442, E476), Flavourings.

What are two ingredients in chocolate that are not good for your health? ›

If you have a sweet tooth, you may have read studies talking about the health benefits associated with eating moderate amounts of chocolate. But our research has found a potential health risk in popular chocolate products that's been flying under the radar – many chocolates contain toxic metals like lead and cadmium.

What is the fruit chocolate comes from? ›

Coming from the Theobroma cacao — also known as the cacao tree — cacao fruit is native to tropical regions of Central America. The fruit contains cacao beans, which are the main ingredient in chocolate!

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