Chocolate Caramel Cookie Crumble Slice - Raw, Vegan, Gluten Free, Delicious

It has been a while since I last made a slice. I had been craving one for far too long so I decided it was time that I went ahead and made one. They are so incredibly easy to make - way easier than baking...I just didn't seem to have any time. But now, on July 14th, 2015, I present to you the quadruple C's. Chocolate Caramel Cookie Crumble...Slice. Shall we?

Chocolate Caramel Cookie Crumble Slice

Ingredients:

For the chocolate cookie base:

~ Cacao powder - 5 tbsp

~ Cashews (or almonds, hazelnuts or walnuts) - 1/4 cup

~ Almond flour - 1/4 cup

~ Maple syrup - 3 tbsp

~ Coconut oil - 2 tbsp

For the middle cookie goodness:

~ Unsweetened shredded coconut - 1/4 cup

~ Maple syrup - 2 tbsp

~ Almond flour - 1/2 cup

~ Coconut flour - 1/4 cup

~ Vanilla - 1 tsp

~ Coconut oil - 1 tbsp

For the caramel:

~ Mejool dates - 2 cups

~ Coconut milk - 3 tbsp

~ Almond butter - 1 tbsp

~ Coconut oil - 1/3 cup (add extra by the tbsp if you want it creamier)

For the chocolate coating on top:

~ Click here for my super easy chocolate recipe (vegan)

Instructions:

1. First let's make the chocolate cookie base. This is delicious. Put all of the ingredients in your food processor and blend until well combined. The texture will be pretty crumbly but it should be able to stick together. Add more coconut oil by the tbsp if necessary.

2. Put the chocolate cookie crumble in a container (mine was 8x4in) and smoosh it all evenly to the bottom. Place in the freezer. The chocolate cookie base is complete.

3. Now put all of the ingredients for the middle cookie goodness into your food processor and blend until well combined. The texture should be a tid crumbly but less than the chocolate cookie base was.

4. Take your container out of the freezer and add the middle cookie goodness on top. Smoosh it evenly as the second layer and place the container back into the freezer. Middle cookie goodness DONE.

5. Next comes the caramel. Blend all of the ingredients in your food processor until well combined. To get a proper caramel consistency, blend until it all becomes thick and runny. This may take a little more than a minute - all depends on your blender.

6. Take the container out of the freezer. Scoop (or pour) the caramel into the container evenly. Put the container back into the freezer. BOOM. Caramel layer complete.

7. Put all of the ingredients for the chocolate coating into a small mixing bowl. Mix.

8. Take your container out of the freezer. Evenly pour the chocolate on top. Place the container back into the freezer.

9. You just made a Chocolate Caramel Cookie Crumble Slice and after 60 minutes of letting that deliciousness firm up in the freezer, you can slice and enjoy. Good job.

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Healthy Coconut Cream Pie In 10 Steps - Sugar Free, Gluten Free, Vegan

You better believe me when I tell you that this pie is delicious. Otherwise you'll just have to make it and see for yourself. Don't be thrown off by the list of ingredients. They're all healthy and wholesome - one ingredient just happens to be tofu. Hehe.

You will not taste the tofu. Only goodness.

Make, eat, enjoy.

Healthy Coconut Cream Pie

Ingredients:

~ Tofu - 1 cup

~ Coconut shreds - 1 cup plus 3/4 cup

~ Maple syrup - 1/4 cup

~ Vanilla - 1 1/2 tbsp

~ Coconut oil - 2 tbsp plus 1 tbsp

~ Nuts (Walnuts, almonds, cashews or a combination) - 3/4 cup

~ Dates - 1/2 cup

~ Cinnamon - 1 pinch (optional)

Instructions:

1. First thing's first. Preheat the oven to 350F.

2. Now you are going to make the pie crust. The pie crust is made from the nuts, 1 tbsp of the coconut oil, the optional cinnamon and 3/4 cup of the coconut shreds. Put these 3 (or if you're using cinnamon, 4) ingredients into your food processor and blend until well combined.

3. Spread the crust evenly into the bottom of the pie tin. The crust should come up the sides a tid bit, like any normal pie crust would.

4. Place the crust in the freezer for 30 minutes to let harden.

5. While you are waiting on the crust, make the pie filling. Take the tofu, 1 cup of coconut shreds, maple syrup, vanilla and 2 tbsp of coconut oil and place all of these ingredients into the food processor.

6. Blend until well combined. The mixture should be very creamy.

7. Pour the mixture evenly into the pie crust and place all of this into the oven for 30 minutes.

8. Take the pie out of the oven, sprinkle a little coconut on top and place the pie back into the oven for another 7-10 minutes.

9. Place the pie in the refrigerator for at least 45 minutes before eating. The center of the pie needs time to set and the crust needs time to harden again.

10. You have just made coconut cream pie in 10 easy steps! Woo!

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Chocolate Chip Bread - Gluten Free, Vegan, Refined Sugar Free

I try to stay away from wheat because I don't always like the effects it has on the body. That being said, I really miss bread; Light, fluffy, delicious.

I also stay away from refined sugars because they are just plain bad for the body.

Now I can have bread AND chocolate...introducing Chocolate Chip Bread! Wheat free, refined sugar free and best of all, vegan! How is this possible??? Read on, my friends.

When I told my sister that I had made this, she was a little skeptical. It sounds too good to be true. There are so many ingredients that would need to be replaced in order to make bread GF/V and refined sugar free. I understand where her concerns were coming from. The beauty of this recipe is that there are not a bunch of weird ingredient substitutions - the recipe is nothing but wholesome ingredients mixed together to create a warm loaf of happiness.

Think fluffy but dense, moist (sorry to use that word) and sweet.

Chocolate Chip Bread

Ingredients:

~ Flax egg - 1 (1 tbsp chia seeds, 3 tbsp water)

~ Almond milk - 1 cup

~ Applesauce - 1/3 cup

~ Apple cider vinegar - 1/2 tbsp

~ Vanilla extract - 1 tbsp

~ Coconut sugar - 1/2 cup

~ Spelt flour - 2 cups

~ Vegan chocolate chips - 3/4 cup (recipe here)

~ Banana - 1 1/2 sliced (optional)

~ Baking powder - 3 tsp

~ Salt - 1 pinch

~ Cinnamon - 1/2 tsp

~ Nutmeg - 1/4 tsp

Lots of ingredients, yes. But never fear, this is still extremely easy to make! Let's get started.

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees (F).

2. Make your flax egg. Set aside.

3. Mix the almond milk and apple cider vinegar in a separate bowl. Set aside.

4. Make the vegan chocolate chips. Set aside.

4. After the milk has set for about 5 minutes and the flax egg has gotten all gooey and egg-ish, combine these into a medium bowl. Add the applesauce, vanilla extract and coconut sugar. Whisk until well combined.

5. In a separate medium sized bowl, combine the spelt flour, vegan chocolate chips, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Mix until well combined.

6. Now mix the bowl of liquid ingredients with the bowl of dry ingredients (you guessed it) until well combined.

7. (This step is optional) Slice the banana and mix in with the other ingredients.

8. Poor the mixture into a bread tin (or any other sort of tin that you feel would work. The batter tin should be at least 4 inches deep. The container that I used was 6x6in.).

9. Your oven should be preheated by now so place your soon-to-be bread in for about 45 minutes. Depending on the depth of your container and how strong your oven is, the time will vary. Start checking if your bread is done about 37 minutes after putting it in the oven. The bread is ready when it smells heavenly and a fork can be poked into the loaf and come out clean.

10. Let cool before serving. The bread is delicious warm but nobody wants a burnt mouth!

See? You just made some really tasty, icky-ingredient-free bread in just 10 steps! Congratulations!



*I found the original recipe for this bread here but I changed some things in the recipe above to make it appeal to my taste buds even more!

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Coconut Almond Slice - Gluten Free, Raw, Vegan, Refined Sugar Free

I love slices but I am not a fan of making them due to the clean up. Not that the clean up is that bad, but since my tiny apartment doesn't have a dishwasher and I have to clean my food processor by hand, I tend to steer clear of recipes that require them.

So why am I giving you the recipe for a slice if I don't even like to make them? This one doesn't require a food processor! *round of applause* *joyful dancing*

Rest assured, this recipe is extremely simple (as all the recipes that I post tend to be) so you can make this hassle free.

Why should you make this slice other than the fact that it doesn't require a food processor? Well, it's the perfect combination of savory and sweet. The coconut compliments the chocolate, the chocolate compliments the almonds, the almonds compliment everything. It's the perfect combination.

So let's get right to it, shall we?

Coconut Almond Slice

Ingredients:

~ Shredded coconut - 2 cups

~ Coconut oil - 4 tbsp (for the coconut), 1/2 cup (for the chocolate)

~ Coconut sugar - 1/2 cup

~ Vanilla - 2 tbsp (for the coconut), 1 tbsp (for the chocolate)

~ Maple syrup - 1/4 cup

~ Cacao powder - 1 cup

~ Almonds (pre sliced or slice your own) - 1 handful

~ Salt - 2 pinches (for the coconut), 1 pinch (for the chocolate)

Instructions:

1. First you are going to make the chocolate. Click here for the really easy recipe. It will take you about 90 seconds to make it. Once it's been all mixed together, lay almost all of it out (save a little extra for drizzling on top of the slice) in a flat pan. This is going to be the base of the slice.

If you thought you were thinking ahead by putting the first layer in the freezer, do no such thing! That time will come but it's not yet.

2. Next you are going to make the coconut layer. I found this layer really enjoyable to make for some reason. Probably because it doesn't require a food processor. *more joyful dancing*. Mix the shredded coconut, coconut oil, vanilla, maple syrup and salt in a large bowl.

3. This is the step that you will put the first layer (the chocolate) in the freezer. Freeze for about 2 minutes, or until the chocolate is firm but not completely hardened.

4. Take the first layer out of the freezer and evenly spread the coconut on top.

5. Put the sliced almonds on top of the coconut layer and gently press them into the coconut. This is just so they will not fall off as easily when the slice is being cut.

6. Drizzle the remaining chocolate on top of the almonds.

7. Place the slice in the freezer for 30 minutes or more.

8. Slice into bars and enjoy!

Mmmm.

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Rad Black Bean Brownies

The idea of using black beans to make brownies has always intrigued me, but I never had any great desire to actually make them. That was until I had a brownie craving.

Once my heart was set on brownies, my original intention had been to try out making them with avocados. That obviously didn't happen because 1) my avocados weren't ripe enough and 2) I wanted to use an avo in my dinner that night. On a student budget, avocados are a luxury. It's a hard knock life.

The idea of avocados in brownies still scares me. That will have to be my next experiment.

We aren't gathered here today to talk about nonexistent avocado brownies, though. We're here to talk about these rad black bean brownies of which I am now a major supporter.

These things actually taste like brownies. They taste like the delightfully unhealthy treats you buy at the bakery. The little (or big) chocolatey squares that cause a party in your mouth and warmth in your heart. The treats that we people call brownies.

Don't believe me? Try them out!

Rad Black Bean Brownies

Ingredients:

~ Black beans - 1 cup

~ Flax egg - 2

~ Coconut oil - 2 tablespoons

~ Cocoa powder - 1/2 cup

~ Salt - 2 teaspoons

~ Vanilla - 1 teaspoon

~ Coconut sugar - 1/2 cup

~ Baking powder - 1 teaspoon

~ Water - 4 tbsp

~ Fair trade coffee (espresso, instant, etc...) - 1 teaspoon

~ Vegan chocolate chips - click here for an easy recipe!

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to a toasty 350 degrees.

2. Make the vegan chocolate chips. To make the chocolate chips, follow the Creamy Homemade Chocolate recipe and once the chocolate has hardened, chop into tiny chunks. These are the chips.

3. While the chocolate chips are hardening in the freezer, make your 2 flax eggs. Q: What on earth is a flax egg??? A: 1 tbsp chia seeds + 3 tbsp water = 1 flax egg.

4. Blend everything in your food processor except for the vegan chocolate chips. Now you have brownie batter! If the consistency seems too thick, add a tbsp or 2 more water. This batter will not be as runny as brownie batter from a box, so don't go overboard with the water.

5. Mix in the vegan chocolate chips.

6. Spread the batter evenly in a tin and let them bake in the oven for 18-20 minutes. They're finished when you can cut into them with a knife and the knife comes out clean.

Wait for the brownies to cool before cutting into squares. You just made some seriously rad black bean brownies. Reward yourself with a party in your mouth.

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Creamy Homemade Chocolate

Here's a quick post about how to make creamy homemade chocolate.

This is vegan, healthier than what you'll buy in stores and equally or more delicious.

The measurements in the recipe can be altered to make a larger or smaller portion.


Creamy Homemade Chocolate:

Ingredients:

~ Cacao powder - 1/2 cup

~ Coconut oil - 1/2 cup

~ Coconut sugar or maple syrup - 1/4 cup

~ Vanilla - 1 tbsp

~ Salt - 1 pinch

Instructions:

1. Pour all ingredients into a medium sized bowl and mix.

2. Pour into a container and spread evenly.

Store in the freezer. You just made chocolate! You go, you!

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Granola Cups - Chocolate and Coconut

According to Google, granola is defined as 'a kind of breakfast cereal consisting typically of rolled oats, brown sugar or honey, dried fruit ad nuts.'

The granola you are about to enjoy consists of none of those ingredients! Okay, maybe this recipe is not considered the real deal granola, but it's so delicious and tastes so similar that I am going to say it is.

Feel free to make these into bars or anything else you can think up. You could totally put these in a bunny mold and hand out granola bunnies to everybody you know instead of boring old chocolate bunnies. Live life on the wild side.

Store these cups in the freezer. Otherwise they will completely fall apart because coconut oil is one of the main ingredients that holds them together.

Granola Cups

Ingredients:

~ Almonds - 1 cup

~ Unsweetened shredded coconut - 1 3/4 cups

~ Carob powder - 1/2 cup

~ Carob chips - 1/4 cup

~ Dates - 1 cup

~ Coconut oil - (melted) 3/4 cup

~ Salt - 1 pinch

Instructions:

1. Pulse almonds in your food processor until they are roughly chopped up.

2. Add dates and blend until well combined.

3. Add coconut, carob powder and salt. Pulse until combined.

4. Move ingredients to a mixing bowl and stir in the melted coconut oil and carob chips.

5. Spoon the goodness into a cupcake tin.

6. Allow to harden in the freezer for 3-4 hours.

Enjoy your granola-free granola cups!

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Reese's Eggs - Without The Bad Stuff

So you like Reese's eggs and wish you could devour them all at once, but you know you shouldn't because they contain ingredients like palm oil, sugar, hydrogenated vegetable oil, corn syrup, soy lecithin, corn starch, vanillin, TBHQ and PGPR. I feel your pain.

Luckily, all of your worries will be gone after you are finished reading this recipe.

Reese's Eggs Without The Bad Stuff

Ingredients:

For the chocolate:

~ Cacao powder - 1/2 cup

~ Coconut oil - 1/2 cup (melted)

~ Coconut sugar OR maple syrup - 1/4 cup

For the peanut butter:

~ Any nut butter - 1 cup (for a real Reese's taste, go with peanut butter)

~ Coconut flour - 5 tbsp

~ Maple syrup, honey OR coconut sugar - 4 tbsp

~ Vanilla extract - 2 tsp

Instructions:

1. Stir together all of the ingredients for the peanut butter. Any nut or seed butter will work for this recipe, but for an honest Reese's taste, go for the peanut butter.

2. Mold the butter into the shape of eggs, place on a cookie sheet and put in the freezer for about 30 minutes, or until firm.

3. While you are waiting, mix all of the ingredients for the chocolate together.

4. After 30 minutes, dip both sides of the eggs into the chocolate. Use a toothpick to pick up the eggs for maximum chocolate coverage. Or use your fingers - I don't judge. Place them back onto the cookie sheet.

5. Put the eggs back into the freezer for another 30 minutes, or until the chocolate has hardened.

BOOM. You just made Reese's eggs without all of the bad stuff. That wasn't so hard, was it?

You can decorate if you feel inclined. I sprinkled sea salt on 1/3 and lavender on another 1/3. They were delicious and they looked pretty too.

Indulge care free ;)

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Healthy Vegan Crunch Bars

Or more properly titled: Healthy Vegan Crunch Bars of Doom

Fair warning: These bars will turn you into a monster and you will devour them all within the hour.

Everybody loves the classic Nestle Crunch Bar. Not everybody loves the ingredients. With a list including Soy Lecithin, Vanillin and Sugar, I decided to make my own version of the tasty bar. Now you can munch and crunch all day long without a care in the world. *Happy sigh of relief*

Ingredients:

~ Cacao powder - 1/2 cup

~ Coconut oil - 1/2 cup (melted)

~ Coconut sugar - 1/4 cup OR Maple syrup - 1/4 cup

~ Brown rice cereal - 1 cup

~ Vanilla extract - 1 tbsp

~ Himalayan pink salt - 1 pinch


Instructions:

1. Mix the melted coconut oil, cacao powder, coconut sugar (or maple syrup), vanilla extract and himalayan pink salt in a medium sized bowl. Mix until well combined. Side note: this is your basic recipe for healthy chocolate!

2. Pour your brown rice cereal into the bowl and stir until all of the cereal has been covered in a tasty coat of chocolate.

3. Evenly pour the mixture into either a pan, glassware container, or whatever else floats your boat. I used a 4X6 inch glassware container to create a thicker bar.

4. Place the container in the freezer for 1 hour, or until hardened. Slice and devour.

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