Did you know that dark chocolate contains more disease-fighting antioxidants than many high-antioxidant fruits, including blueberries and acai berries? Here’s a quick, easy and delicious way to enjoy heart-healthy dark chocolate, in a dessert that’s sure to delight chocolate and coffee lovers.

When shopping for ingredients, choose dark chocolate that contains at least 70% cacao. That means it’s rich in antioxidant flavonoids, which offer a variety of cardiovascular benefits, including reducing the stickiness of blood platelets, so they are less likely to clump into clots that could lead to a heart attack or a stroke.  For vegans, use non-dairy creamer or almond milk instead of light cream.

Ingredients

8 ounces dark chocolate, chopped or broken

1/2 cup of black coffee, strong

4 tablespoons of light cream, non-dairy creamer or almond milk, warmed

4 tablespoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Warm dark chocolate and coffee in a small pot with coffee over low heat, stirring until melted and smooth. Gradually add warm cream, non-dairy creamer or almond milk, and spices, stirring until well-mixed. Transfer mixture to your fondue set and serve with any of these dippers:

Strawberries

Apple wedges

Sliced bananas

Orange sections

Pineapple chunks

Peach or pear wedges

Adapted from Bestfondue.com.