Category Archives: Raw Vegan

Unbaked “cake/brownie”

Posted on by

s 006

The other night, my 4-year old and I made these unbaked “cake/brownies” out of dates, raisins, mixed nuts, shredded coconut, cacao, and vanilla extract.  It is nutty, chocolatey, and chewy, like a chocolate caramel with a sort of nutty “brownie-fudge” consistency.  These are the type of desserts I make at home because it is so easy, delicious, filling, and not to mention a lot healthier than the traditional cake/brownie.  My daughter LOVES these!  And, they are perfect for me when I am craving chocolate!

I have different versions of this recipe; “Raw Vegan Chocolate Balls”, “Snow Balls”, and “Brownie with Icing”.  But, I wasn’t in the mood to make “balls” or “icing”, so I just flattened the chocolate mixture out on a little glass container, placed it in the fridge for a few hours, and then cut it into “cake/brownie” bites.  You can definitely get creative with these and add whatever you want (dried cherries, semi-sweet/dairy-free chocolate chips, etc).  It is fun to experiment!

Here are the links to the different recipes:

Raw Vegan Cherry “Ice Cream”

Posted on by

Here is another “ice cream” idea.  It is guilt-free, healthy, and satisfying!  It is also very quick and easy.  My daughter and I love these!  It contains no hormones, no casein, no artificial flavors and colors, etc.

Ingredients:

  • 5 frozen bananas
  • 1 cup of frozen cherries
  • 4 tablespoons of almond butter

Note: if you want to sweeten this ice cream, you can add date paste, agave, or stevia.  Personally, I like it without the extra sweeteners.

Directions:

Blend everything in your Vitamix/blender and serve immediately!

Sprinkle it with cacao nibs, shredded coconut, hemp seeds, peanuts, etc.

Enjoy!

Raw Vegan Chocolate Figgy Pie with Pecans

Posted on by

I have been craving something chocolaty lately, so I decided to experiment with the ingredients in my fridge and pantry.  I love doing that!  So, I soaked some nuts the night before and made a delicious and healthy dessert that is packed with nutritious ingredients the next day.  It was so easy to make that my daughter (4 years old) was able to help me make it.  After my daughter tried it, she says, “Mommy, this is the best pie I have ever tasted!  I love you so much!”  LOL  It was too cute.

Enjoy!

Ingredients for crust:

  • 1 and 2/3 cup of raw pecans (if you don’t have “raw”, just use unsalted pecans)
  • 1 cup of pitted medjool dates
  • 12 dried figs (stems removed)
  • 2 tablespoons of cold pressed coconut oil
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla
  • 2 tablespoons of raw cacao (note: if you don’t have “raw”, you can use regular cacao powder)
  • pinch of sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon of shredded coconut to sprinkle on the pan

Here are the figs I used:

Ingredients for the Filling:

  • 2 cups of raw cashews (soaked over night in filtered water)
  • 1 and 1/3 cup of filtered water
  • 4 tablespoons of cold pressed coconut oil
  • 4 tablespoons of raw agave (I don’t like my desserts too sweet, so taste it to see if it is sweet enough for you, if not, add a little more agave)
  • 1 tablespoon of vanilla
  • 2 tablespoons of raw cacao powder
  • 2 dried figs (stems removed)
  • 1/2 teaspoon of soy lecithin granules

Directions for Crust:

  1. Throw all ingredients in the food processor (except for the shredded coconut) and blend for a few minutes.
  2. Sprinkle shredded coconut on the bottom of your pie pan.  This is so the crust doesn’t stick to the pan.
  3. Press the crust blend onto your pie pan.

Directions for Filling:

  1. Throw all “filling” ingredients into your blender.  I used my Vitamix.
  2. Blend for a few minutes until it is smooth.
  3. Pour blend onto pie crust.
  4. Decorate with more pecans.
  5. Freeze for a few hours.
  6. Serve.

Zucchini and Rainbow Chard Fruity Smoothie

Posted on by

Here is another delicious smoothie idea.  A blend of zucchini, rainbow chard, and fruit!  Yum!

This was our breakfast this morning served with almond, coconut, and raisin oatmeal.  This breakfast high energy breakfast is high in protein, high in fiber, and packed with vitamins and minerals (B12, iron, calcium, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, and much more).  This delicious meal will help you take on the day!

Smoothie recipe:

  • 1.5 to 2 cups of coconut water (add more if you want your smoothie thinner)
  • 1 cup of rainbow chard
  • 1 banana
  • 1 medium zucchini
  • 1 pear
  • 5 pitted medjool dates (to sweeten)  this also adds fiber and iron
  • 1 small carrot
  • 4 tablets of spirulina (sea weed)
  • 1/4 cup of ice
  • 2 tablespoons of chia seeds

Directions: Blend all ingredients in your Vitamix or other high powered blender.

Oatmeal:

  • 1 cup of cooked 5 grain oatmeal
  • 4 tablespoons of almond butter
  • 3 tablespoons of shredded coconut
  • 1/3 cup of raisins
  • a few pinches of cinnamon

Directions: Cook oatmeal and then add the rest of the ingredients.

Enjoy!

As you can see, I like my oatmeal lumpy. :)

Avocado German Chocolate Cake Pudding

Posted on by

I have been making a lot of fruit “ice creams” and puddings lately.  They can be so addictive!

Today, I decided to make this German chocolate cake pudding because I wanted to use some of the pecans I just purchased.  I just love chocolate with pecans and coconut.  And, my daughter ate this up with a huge bowl of strawberries.

It is healthy, creamy, chocolatey, and a bit coco-nutty.

Avocados are not just for guacamole anymore! ;)

Check out these other sweet avocado recipes on my blog:

Ingredients:

  • 2 avocados (ripe)
  • 2 frozen bananas (ripe)
  • 2/3 cup of frozen blueberries
  • 2 teaspoons of vanilla
  • 9 pitted medjool dates
  • 3 tablespoons of unsweetened shredded coconut
  • 4 tablespoons of raw cacao (chocolate powder)
  • 1/4 cup of finely chopped pecans

Note: if you want to keep this “raw”, just use raw pecans and un-toasted coconut.  But today, I cooked the pecans in my wok greased with a little bit of coconut oil and TINY pinch of of celtic sea salt.

Directions:

  1. Place all ingredients in your Vitamix (except for the pecans).
  2. Blend it all together until smooth (no lumps).
  3. Pour the pudding into a bowl.
  4. Mix in your pecans.
  5. Serve and enjoy!

Dark Chocolate “PB and J” Gelato

Posted on by

Some of you may already know that I like to make my own puddings, ice creams, and other snacks for my family.  I prefer them over most of the store-bought ones because I know exactly what goes into them.

I am calling this chocolate dessert “gelato” instead of ice cream because of its texture.  It is smooth, creamy, and of-course delicious.  When I have this, I feel like I am cheating, as if I am eating something completely unhealthy!  So, I am happy to say that my family and I love this stuff!

Ingredients:

  • 3 frozen bananas
  • 1 cold or frozen avocado (removed skin and pitted)
  • 6 to 8 tablespoons of peanut butter
  • 2/3 to 1 cup of frozen blueberries or mixed berries
  • 8 to 10 pitted medjool dates
  • 1 tablespoon of all-natural alcohol free vanilla
  • 6 to 8 tablespoons of raw cacao powder (adjust to your taste preference)
  • hemp seeds for topping

Directions:

  1. Throw everything in your VITAMIX.
  2. Serve.

Note: Adjust cacao if you don’t want your chocolate ice cream too dark and adjust the amount of dates for sweetness.

Also, if you would like to keep this “raw”, substitute the peanut butter with raw almond butter.  It is just as delicious!

You can also freeze this, but allow thirty minutes to thaw before serving.

Enjoy!

Raw and Delicious Cauliflower

Posted on by

I have always loved cooked cauliflower.  I love them steamed, stir-fried, curried, etc.  But, a few years ago, my little sister Ivy, suggested I try eating them raw.  So she gave me a recipe for a raw-vegan “popcorn” made from the vegetable.  I have been meaning to ask her for the recipe again because I just could not remember everything I needed to make it.  The only ingredients I could think of were the following: onion powder, nutritional yeast and olive oil.  And, I find it difficult to get a hold of my sister these days, so I decided to improvise.

I was very pleased with the outcome of this “popcorn” and I couldn’t believe that it had taken me this long to make it.

I love the citrus tang and overall flavor of this delicious side-dish!

Also, this dish is healthy!  Cauliflower helps fight diseases, it contains a lot of vitamin C, omega 3 fatty acids, vitamin K, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6 B9, and it is packed with antioxidants.  Nutritional yeast packs a lot of B vitamins (B 6 and B12), protein, riboflavin, thiamin, niacin, folate, etc.  (example: one serving: 1.5 tablespoons = grams of protein, 130% of B12 (DV), and 460% of B6 (DV)).  So, I don’t feel guilty about eating the whole head of cauliflower in one sitting.  :)

Ingredients:

  • 1 head of cauliflower
  • 5 tablespoons of nutritional yeast
  • 1 tablespoons of olive oil
  • 1/2 to 1 tablespoon of lime or lemon juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon of onion powder
  • 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of paprika
  • 1 teaspoon of braggs liquid aminos for salt (adjust to preference)

Note: for some heat, add a bit of cayenne pepper.  Also, if you have DULSE granules, use a little bit of that (in replacement of salt) and reduce the amount of liquid aminos.

Directions:

  1. Prepare cauliflower: slice, pull apart, and make into bite sized pieces.
  2. Place cauliflower, olive oil, and lime/lemon juice in a container.
  3. Shake it up.
  4. Add the rest of the ingredients.  Note: add ingredients little by little to adjust to your taste or preferred flavor (saltines).
  5. Shake it up again.
  6. Serve and enjoy!

Raw Papaya Cake and Chocolate Ice Cream

Posted on by

The other day, my child asked me if I could make some cake and ice cream.   So, I went to my pantry and freezer to see what I could whip up.  I wanted to make something healthy and delicious for us, so I decided to make it raw!  This was perfect because I had just re-stocked my pantry with raw nuts and fruits.

The “cake” is more like a raw-vegan blondie.  It is soft and chewy with a hint of fruit and a little crunch.  The “ice cream” is like chocolate soft serve ice cream with a banana-base flavor.  Both are delicious and we just love them together.

Note: this is a large batch.  This can serve up to 6 people, so if you have leftovers, store them in the freezer.

This kinda reminds me of my raw vegan chocolate brownie/cake post (one of my first posts).

Ingredients for the papaya cake:

  • 1 cup of raw almonds
  • 1/2 cup of apricot seeds
  • 1/2 cup of macadamia nuts
  • 1/2 cup of dried papaya
  • 12 pitted medjool dates
  • 3 tablespoons of flax seeds
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla (all natural-alcohol free)
  • 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon

Ingredients for the Chocolate “Ice Cream”:

  • 3 frozen bananas
  • 1/3 cup of frozen berries (I used a mixture of black berries, blue berries, and raspberries)
  • 1 avocado
  • 3 tablespoons of raw almond butter
  • 2 tablespoons of all natural vanilla
  • 3 tablespoons of raw agave
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons of raw cacao powder (I just used 3 tablespoons.  But if you like dark chocolate, add another tablespoon of cacao)
  • unsweetened shredded coconut for topping (optional)

Note: if you don’t have the nuts listed above, you can substitute it for other raw nuts such as cashews, Brazil nuts, etc.

Directions:

  1. Soak nuts in distilled water for a few hours.
  2. Drain nuts and place in the food processor with all of the papaya cake ingredients (almonds, apricot seeds, macadamia, dried papaya, dates, flax seeds, vanilla, and cinnamon).
  3. Blend in the food processor for a few minutes. 
  4. Put the nut/papaya/date mixture into a pan and pack it tightly.  *Mine pan  was a 5′ x 8′ pan*
  5. Place in the fridge for a couple of hours.
  6. Now you are ready to make the “ice cream”.
  7. Place all of the “ice cream” ingredients (frozen bananas, avocado, almond butter, frozen berries, vanilla, raw cacao, and raw agave) in your Vitamix or other high power blender.
  8. Blend for a minute until it looks like soft serve ice cream.
  9. Plate your “cake” and top it off with your chocolate “ice cream”.
  10. Top it off with some shredded coconut (optional).
  11. Enjoy!

I served the raw cake and ice cream with bananas per my daughter's request.

Macadamia and Apricot Kernel Snow Balls (Raw)

Posted on by

This is my 3rd post on raw date/nut balls!  I am posting another one because I wanted to remind you of their awesome-ness! :)

There are so many ways to make these.  Today’s balls are different from my usual because I added something new and exciting—Apricot seeds!  I found them on nuts.com.  I have heard wonderful things about apricot kernels, and I have been wanting to try them out.  And, this morning, I received my “Organic Wild Apricot Kernels” from the website!  So, I decided to make something with them and blog about it!

Just in case you are wondering, these sweet kernels look and taste like almonds, but with a hint of fruit.  I just love them!

These “snow balls” are a perfect snack for both children and adults.  They are filling, energizing, healthy, and delicious!

Taste description: sweet, nutty, crunchy, soft and chewy.

I can’t get enough of them!

Ingredients:

  • 1/3 cup of raw macadamia nuts
  • 3 tablespoons of chia seeds
  • 10 medjool dates (pitted)
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoon of all-natural alcohol-free vanilla
  • 1 and 1/2 tablespoons of raw agave (optional) *dates are already sweet enough*
  • 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon
  • Shredded coconut

Directions:

  1. Place all ingredients in food processor (except shredded coconut).
  2. Blend for a few minutes.
  3. Shape into balls.
  4. Roll into shredded coconut.
  5. Refrigerate for an hour.
  6. Serve and enjoy!

Other “nut/date ball” recipes:

Decadent Dark Chocolate Almond Pudding (RAW)

Posted on by

If you are a fan of chocolate, you will LOVE this pudding!

My daughter and I have been into puddings lately and I try to create different flavors every time.  Yesterday, I made chocolate avocado mint and it was delightful!  Today, I made this rich and decadent chocolate pudding.  It is sweet, smooth, chocolaty, delicious, and much healthier than your average pudding in a box!  Also, it only took me 5 minutes to make it!

Ingredients (for one serving):

  • 1 ripe organic banana
  • 1/4 cup of frozen blueberries
  • 3 to 3.5 tablespoons of organic raw cacao powder
  • 2 tablespoons of RAW almond butter
  • 1 tablespoon of all natural and organic vanilla
  • 6 to 7 PITTED medjool dates
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons of coconut water (if you don’t have this, just use filtered water)
  • Topping: organic unsweetened shredded coconut.

Directions:

  1. Place all ingredients in your Vitamix.  (Note: you can try using a regular blender or food processor, but I am not sure how smooth it would be…but I am sure it would still be pretty delicious)
  2. Blend together for a minute until the pudding is smooth (no lumps).
  3. Top it off with shredded coconut.
  4. Serve and enjoy!

Click here for more info on a VITAMIX BLENDER