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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Simple Easy Raw Cheesecake - Raw Vegan, Gluten Free, Refined Sugar Free

If you have never tried vegan cheesecake before, don't stick your nose up until you have taken at least one bite.

It tastes the same, looks the same and it is potentially prettier than cheesecake made with actual cheese...plus the ingredients are all wholesome and healthy. So basically what I am saying is vegan cheesecake is better. Better for you, better for the animals. *Happy cheers*

So how do you know I'm not just talking up a recipe that I am about to give you? Well, cheesecake has been one of my favorite (if not my no.1 favorite) foods since the first time I tried it, back before my age even hit the double digits. I have high cheesecake standards.

I had not tried vegan cheesecake until earlier this year when my friend introduced it to me and I've been a fan ever since.

So here is a small list of reasons you should make raw vegan cheesecake:

1. Tasty

2. Pretty

3. Healthy

4. You only need a small slice to feel satisfied

5. Have it for breakfast, lunch, dinner or dessert - you won't feel guilty! Sure, I think we can all admit to eating a slice of cake with all of the processed sugars for breakfast...but now you can eat a slice of cake without all of the processed sugars and feel full enough to not need a second slice (although you might want one because it tastes so good).

Q: So what's in this cake?

A: Well, there is a full list of ingredients below but it is basically just dates, nuts and cashews, a little coconut milk and some lemon juice.

Now before we get started, keep in mind that this is the most basic cheesecake recipe. Once you know the basics then you can go on to making prettier, more exciting and/or more flavorful versions. Raspberry cheesecake? Blueberry cheesecake? Strawberry cheesecake with chocolate drizzle? The possibilities are endless!

Simple Easy Raw Cheesecake

Ingredients:

~ Cashews - 2 cups, soaked overnight

~ Coconut milk - 3/4 cup

~ Dates - 1 cup

~ Nuts - 1 cup (best to stick with almonds or walnuts)

~ Shredded coconut - 1 cup

~ Maple syrup - 1/3 cup

~ Juice of a lemon - 1/2

~ Coconut oil - 1/4 cup

~ Vanilla extract - 1 tbsp

~ Cake tin - Preferably a cheesecake tin but any tin around 23cm x 3.5cm will do, like the one I used to make the raw carrot cake.

Instructions:

1. Soak the cashews if you haven't done so already. Do this by putting the cashews in a bowl and filling it with water the night before you plan on making the cheesecake. I always find soaking to be a pain when I want something immediately, but patience is key. :)

2. First we will make the crust. In your food processor, blend the dates, nuts and shredded coconut until it has reached a doughy consistency. You should be able to roll it in a ball if you wanted to...not that you are going to do that.

3. Spread the crust into the bottom of your cake tin until it's about 1/8 of and inch thick. Place in the freezer for 10-15 minutes to harden the crust a tid before adding the cheesecake.

4. While the crust is hardening, blend cashews, coconut milk, maple syrup, lemon juice, coconut oil and vanilla extract in your food processor. Blend until it has reached and smooth and creamy consistency. This is going to be the cheese part of the cake.

5. Evenly spread the 'cheese' on top of the crust.

6. Place in the freezer for at least 6 hours before enjoying. (More waiting...UGH.)


So you want to get more creative than just a simple cheesecake? Keep reading!

~ Try adding berries in with the cheese ingredients. Still blend until smooth and creamy. A pretty color should have been created.

~ You can also get creative with different layers of colors. Add different berries to achieve different colors. Between each layer, refreeze the cake for 10-15 minutes to assure the colors don't run into one another.


Q: How did I get mine to look and taste the way it does?

A: I spread 1/3 of the 'cheese' evenly over the crust. I plopped some raspberries on top. I froze the cake for 10-15 minutes. I blended some raspberries into the remaining 2/3 of the 'cheese' until I reached a smooth and creamy consistency with a pretty color and then spread that over the plain cheesecake. I froze the cake for 6 hours. Then I had a blast eating a nice slice.

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Cinnamon Buns - Raw Vegan and Delicious

On this day, the 22nd of April 2015, I have succeeded in making the world's finest raw vegan cinnamon buns. All of the ooey gooey cinnamon walnut goodness with a mouth watering vanilla frosting...none of the processed ingredients, chemicals, added sugars and/or preservatives. Today is a good day.

The fact that this recipe is easy enough that even somebody who is so challenged in the kitchen that they manage to burn their breakfast cereal (which doesn't require an oven, toaster or microwave) just makes me adore this recipe even more.

Eat this for breakfast (because they are actually healthy), brunch, an afternoon snack, dessert, a midnight snack, all of the above or anything in the middle. Cinnamon buns are a classic food that deserve love and respect. I'm sure that you will give them nothing but that after you make these.

Raw Vegan Cinnamon Buns

Ingredients:

The dough:

~ Almonds - 1 cup

~ Flax seed - 1 cup

~ Maple syrup - 1/4 cup


The filling:

~ Dates - 1 cup

~ Water - 1/2 cup

~ Cinnamon - 4 tbsp

~ Coconut oil - 2 tbsp

~ Salt - 1 pinch

~ Raisins and/or walnuts - sprinkled as you wish (I personally believe the more the merrier)


The vanilla frosting

~ Cashews - 1 cup

~ Coconut oil - 1/4 cup

~ Orange juice or water - 4 tbsp

~ Maple syrup - 1 tbsp

~ Vanilla - 1 tbsp

Directions:

The dough:

1. In your blender, grind the flax seed to a powder.

2. Add almonds and maple syrup. Blend until you have a doughy substance. Add a small amount of water if need be.

Set aside. You just finished making your dough. That was made faster than you can say 'raw vegan cinnamon rolls'. ;)

3. On a clean and flat surface, evenly spread the dough into a rectangular shape. This does not need to be perfect - mine sure wasn't.

4. Set aside.

The filling:

1. Blend dates, water, cinnamon, coconut oil and salt until the dates are a complete paste and all of the ingredients are combined.

You just made your filling in a matter of seconds! *Dropped jaw*

2. Spread the filling evenly on top of the dough.

3. Add walnuts and/or raisins if you're feelin' it. I went for some walnuts and I have no regrets other than I wish I had added more.

The fun part:

1. Starting at the bottom and working your way to the top (Drake, anybody?), roll the filling-covered dough into a sushi type of roll. Unsure of what I mean? Click here for a simple how-to guide.

2. Place your beautiful cinnamon roll in the fridge for 30 minutes (give or take a few, until firm).

The frosting:

1. While the cinnamon roll is in the fridge, take this time to make the frosting. The frosting is not required but it adds to the tastiness, so why not?

2. Blend all of the ingredients together.

You made frosting in one step! Woohoo!

3. Ice each roll individually or ice the entire thing altogether. Any way that you do it will be delicious.

This cinnamon roll and frosting will keep in the refrigerator for one week - if it takes you that long to finish it.


I found this recipe via Rawified. I've given the recipe that I followed but the original is a tie different. If you're curious in seeing the original and seeking out some more of her delious recipes then check out her page. :)

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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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Orange Cranberry Coconut Bites

I am a big fan of making bite sized snacks like this because they're easy and require minimum work. All you have to do is put the ingredients in your blender and the machine does the rest. The most exciting part (in my opinion) is that although they are raw, they don't need to be frozen! It's nice to have a treat every once in a while that isn't freezing cold. Otherwise I would eat banana ice cream every day!

These little guys are soft to the touch and refreshingly zesty. Eat up!

Orange Cranberry Coconut Bites

Ingredients:

~ Dates - 1 cup

~ Unsweetened desiccated coconut - 1/2 cup + 1/4 cup for rolling

~ Orange juice - 1/4 cup

~ Dried cranberries - 1/4 cup

Instructions:

1. Blend the dates in your food processor until they are finally chopped.

2. Add the coconut and blend until just combined.

3. Add the orange juice and cranberries. Blend until well combined.

5. Roll into bite sized balls and cover in the remaining coconut.

6. Munch munch, chomp chomp.

Refrigerate these little guys if you aren't planning on eating them all at once. These keeps them more firm - plus there's some OJ in there so let's keep it fre$h.

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