Raw Vegan "Cheesecake"

I have talked about the wonders of raw desserts on the food blog before and this is one of my favorite raw desert recipes created by Paul Jarvis.  This is a raw version of a cheesecake.  It is delicious, easy to make, and contains no processed sugars.  It should still be treated as a dessert, but it contains lots of nutrients, as opposed to typical processed desserts, which do not. This cake has healthy fats, protein and fiber.  

Ingredients

• 2 cups of raw cashews (soaked, rinsed, drained)
• 1 cup of almond meal
• 3/4 cup of dates (de-pitted)
• Juice of 1 1/2 lemons
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

For the crust, blend almond meal and dates together until mixture sticks together. Smush mixture into a 6-8 inch pie dish.

For the filling, blend cashews, lemon juice, maple syrup, vanilla until silky smooth. Scoop filling over crust.

Freeze for at least on hour. Defrost cheesecake in the fridge for 45-60 minutes, until the center is cold but not frozen. 

Raw Vegan Brownie

Are you ready for the dessert recipe for Raw Foodie Beginners?  The Raw Vegan Brownie is super simple and super delicious. Sure to win over any doubter.

Ingredients

• 1 cup walnuts (or almonds, pecans, cashews)
• 1 cup pitted dates
• 1/4 cup raw cacao powder
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (optional)

other optional ideas: shredded coconut, honey/maple syrup/agave, salt.

In a food processor, process nuts until small and crumbly. Add dates and process again until mixture sticks together.  Add remaining ingredients and process until a nice crumbly/sticky mixture forms.  Press into a pan.  Put in refrigerator to chill.  Cut and serve. 

Vegan Chocolate Pudding

I love homemade chocolate pudding.  It can be made many different ways.  It can be made raw, and all versions are vegan and gluten-free.  They all also pack in a bunch of super nutrient dense foods.  I tend to make it as a breakfast because it has raw cacao in it (which contains caffeine) so I don't like to eat it late in the day.  But, for those of you who metabolize caffeine quickly and can consume caffeine late in the day without affecting your sleep- feel free to eat this as a snack or dessert later.

I've included a few different ways that I've made chocolate pudding. For all of the following recipes, simply put all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor.

Simple Banana-Avocado Chocolate pudding

(This one is Raw)

• 1 avocado
• 1 ripe banana
• 2 dates (or 2 tsp of maple syrup)
• 2 Tbs raw cacao
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

 

Simple Coconut-Chia Chocolate pudding

• Cream from 1 can of full fat coconut milk that was put in the fridge overnight (the cream will separate from the water in the fridge and rise to the top)
• 2 Tbs chia seeds
• 2 Tbs raw cacao 
• 2 tsp maple syrup (or 2 dates)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• possibly: some coconut water from the coconut milk can if pudding is too thick

---Or you can do a combination of those two and make other versions such as:---

Coconut-Banana Chocolate pudding 

• Add banana to the Coconut Pudding. 

Coconut-Avocado Chocolate pudding

• Add avocado to the Coconut Pudding

Banana-Avocado-Chia Chocolate pudding

• Add chia seeds to the Avocado-Banana Pudding

You can add in additional goodies if you want, such as protein powder or maca powder.  You can also top your pudding with goji berries or other fruit.  Have fun! 

Almondbread

In a twist to a more traditional gingerbread, this is what I have deemed Almondbread because it uses predominately almond flour.  It looks kind of like corn bread but tastes sweeter.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups of almond flour
• 1/2 cup of coconut flour
• 2/3 cup of maple syrup
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk (dairy, almond or coconut)
• 3/4 cup butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder

In a large standing mixer bowl, cream butter and maple syrup together.  Beat in eggs. Mix dry ingredients together in a separate bowl and then add to wet mixture.  Blend until fairly smooth.  Pour into a pan.  (I used 13 x 9, slightly smaller would also work.)

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Recipe modified from Bob's Red Mill.

Raw, Vegan Macaroons

These taste so good despite being good for you! They have remarkably little sugar, but taste very sweet.  Enjoy as a desert, or treat them as an energy ball!

Ingredients

• 1+ cups of shredded coconut
• 1/4 cup of coconut oil or coconut butter or cacao butter*
• 1/8 cup of peanut/almond butter
• 5 T raw cacao powder
• 2 T maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

 *All three work, but you may want to experiment with which you like best.  I like coconut butter the best, but it is expensive.  As is cacao butter, which is the most decadent.  As a result, I typically just use coconut oil.  You can also use some of all three.  Coconut oil is the most common, but doesn't hold together as well, which is why I add the nut butter.  If you use coconut butter, you can probably get away without the other nut butter, but I also happen to like the taste and added protein. Your choice! Make multiple different batches and experiment!

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together in a food processor until it starts to stick together.  Form into balls, or any fun shape you desire, and keep in the fridge.  Relish in yummy goodness!