I’m really into no bake treats at the minute. I’m rarely using the oven now it’s getting warmer, but I still want a little something sweet ready to snack on in the fridge. If you love peanut butter and chocolate as much as I do, this recipe could well be your new BFF. These peanut butter fudge bars give you ALL the good flavours, take just 10 minutes to prepare, set in the fridge and you only need 5 ingredients!…
chocolate
Raw chocolate cheesecakes
One of my favourite things to do is make a healthier version of a classic sweet. Especially if I can make one that’s good enough to have post workout. Cake is for anytime, not just for dessert, right? These chocolate cheesecakes may look just like their sugar laden counterparts, but they’re protein packed, refined sugar, dairy and gluten free and full of wholesome ingredients!…
Chocolate almond slice
It’s almost the weekend (and my birthday), so I’m starting celebrations early with this sweet, crunchy chocolate almond slice! Gooey, sweet date caramel infused with almond butter, crushed almonds, puffed rice and dark chocolate all in one bite. Sound good? These are super easy to make, no bake, refined sugar and gluten free and taste like heaven! This 6 ingredient recipe is going to change your life, it really couldn’t be any simpler!
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Coconut caramel tarts
I’ve been making these all week to perfect the recipe. Currently third batch deep and I’m relieved to say I’m finally happy with the pastry. These coconut caramel tarts are pretty much all the things I love squeezed into one sweet little sized pud. My kinda self care. Vegan, gluten free pastry, baked into sweet little shells in the oven and then filled to the brim with layers of sweet dairy free heaven! There’s a little disc of chocolate at the bottom, followed by a lush salted date caramel and then a peanut butter coco whip on top. Yep… I went all out. They’re rich, but not too sickly sweet, in fact I just had one for breakfast. It’s the weekend so that’s totally okay, right?
I wanted to make these as easy to prep as possible, with ingredients you’ll likely have in your pantry at home. Of course they taste sweet and creamy, but they aren’t laden with refined sugar and grains like your standard fancy pud. They’re easily made gluten free too, just be sure to grab some gluten free oats, or sub the oats for more almonds.
I got a DM from a fellow date lover on Instagram this week, saying how addictive salted date caramel is. I have to agree, this stuff tastes dangerously good. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed dunking my failed pastry cases into it. Medjool dates are also dangerously expensive. Her tip was to buy Deglet Noor dates, much cheaper but still plump and juicy when soaked in boiling water. You can use any dates really, or even raisins! I have had great success with them in other recipes, the boiling water soak works a treat.
The pastry almost defeated me, but the trick is to make sure the dough sticks together a little in your fingers before you press it into the tin. Too crumbly and it will fall apart when you take them out the tins. The second most important thing is to not over bake – I foolishly cooked them for 12 minutes and ended up with rock solid tart shells. Thankfully third time round they came out perfectly, so I’ll hope you give this one a whirl!
I’d love to know if you try this recipe, please leave me a comment below or on my Instagram.
- 1 cup almond meal
- 1.5 cups ground oatmeal
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 1-2 tbsp water
- 1 cup medjool dates, pitted, soaked in boiling water
- 1 tsp salt
- ⅓ cup water
- 1 bar of sugar free dark chocolate
- 1 tin of coconut milk, chilled overnight, cream only
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 3 tbsp smooth peanut butter
- edible stars, coconut chips and cacao nibs/chocolate shavings for topping
- Preheat oven to 180•c. Grease 6 mini tart pans with a little coconut oil. Add almond meal, ground oatmeal, vanilla extract, ½ tsp salt and 4 tbsp maple syrup to a food processor and pulse until combined. With the processor still on, slowly pour in coconut oil. Process until incorporated and you have a crumbly dough. The dough should be moist enough to stick together between your fingers. If not, add a tbsp of water and blend again, checking again and adding a tbsp more water if needed.
- Push dough into prepared tart pans, using a teaspoon to flatten out the bottom evenly and pop in the oven for 8-10 minutes, until slightly golden. The dough may puff up a little, so you can use some baking beans/dried chickpeas in the middle of each tart. Take out from the oven and allow to cool.
- Make your caramel filling. Drain soaked dates, saving the water. Add dates, ½ tsp salt and ½ cup or the date water to food processor. Blend until smooth.
- In a small bowl over a pan of simmering water, melt bar of chocolate slowly. Gently pop tarts out of their tins and pour a tbsp of chocolate into the bottom of each tart. Spread out evenly with a teaspoon. Pop in the fridge to set, then remove and spread over a tbsp of date caramel on top of each tart, leaving a little room on top for the coconut cream.
- Prepare coconut cream topping. Open can of coconut milk and drain off the water, scoop out the solid coconut cream at the top. Using an electric whisk blend up until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Add peanut butter, a pinch of salt and maple syrup and whisk again to combine. Taste and add more salt or sweetener if needed. Your whipped cream should be thick and spreadable, but if it's runny, pop in the fridge to set a little. As soon as it's thick enough to spread, dollop some cream in each tart and smooth over with a spoon. Leave to chill for an hour, then remove and drizzle with melted chocolate. Top with coconut chips, candy stars and cacao nibs.
Marbled banana bread
Friends, I got a special recipe to share with you this week – marbled chocolate banana bread. This one is from my battered old cookbook and has been a staple recipe for over ten years now. It’s a keeper. You’re only an hour away from this delicious bread. …
No bake nut brownie
I promised to publish this recipe a couple of weeks ago and it’s finally here! Rich, indulgent, no bake brownie that’s refined sugar free, gluten free and vegan of course.
If you’ve never tried raw brownies before, bookmark this recipe now! I promise you’ll love them – any dessert that’s loaded with chocolate and doesn’t require baking is always a winner for me.
I’m a huge brownie lover but I’m always on the hunt for a healthy version. This one is made with cacao rather than cocao, which is unrefined and therefore more nutritionally dense. I’ve also added chia seeds and maca powder to the brownie base, for an extra helping of protein, b vitamins and omegas. The base is fudgey but with enough bite to hold together and the chocolate ganache is smooth, creamy and sweet, so rich and delicious that just a little slice will suffice.
Feel free to play around with the recipe, you could try different nuts or seeds, personally I love using hazelnuts because they taste so magical with chocolate. I’ve made the base with almonds and walnuts and both came out delicious. I’ve had fun testing out these brownies, they never seem to last very long which is a good sign!
Many thanks to two of my faves, Minimalist Baker and The Bojon Gourmet who have both inspired me with their incredible raw brownie recipes to try out whilst creating these! This recipe is heavily adapted from their recipes so I must say thank you!
I’m thrilled to be featured in the first edition of In The Moment magazine, out in the UK this month! Lots of my recipes are in there, along with an in depth interview with me about how I got into veganism, blogging and cooking. For more information check out their website here (these brownies are featured there too).
If you do try these out, please let me know – I’d love to hear what you think of them! You can also subscribe to my mailing list (just look on the right of this page) and you’ll get my recipes emailed directly to you before anybody else.
Sending you copious amounts of chocolate ganache,
Bo
xoxoxo
- 1.25 cup hazelnuts
- ¼ cup almonds or walnuts
- ½ cup raw cacao powder
- pinch of salt
- 2 tbsp chia seeds
- 1 tbsp maca powder
- 1 cup pitted dates
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ cup coconut oil
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup cacao powder
- 2 tbsp coconut milk
- Start by making the brownie base. Preheat the oven to 180•c . Add the hazelnuts to a baking tray and cook for about 10 minutes, until golden. Allow to cool then rub off as much of the skin as you can with a clean tea towel. Set about 2 tbsp aside for the ganache. Place remaining hazelnuts in a food processor and process until they are a fine, sandy texture. Now add in almonds, cacao powder, chia seeds, maca powder and salt and pulse until the mixture comes together. Set aside in a bowl.
- Add pitted dates and vanilla to the blender and pulse until it forms a paste. Add back in the brownie mix and pulse again until a rough dough is formed - it should stick together when you press it together, if not, add a tbsp of water at a time.
- Put mixture into a lined loaf pan, pressing down firmly to flatten out and pop in the fridge to set.
- Make the ganache topping by melting coconut oil gently over a small pan of water. Take off the heat and add in coconut milk, maple syrup and cacao powder. Whisk until totally smooth and leave to cool for at least 15 minutes. Pour over the brownie base and sprinkle with hazelnuts, cacao nibs and sea salt. Chill until firm, cut into slices and enjoy! Keep well in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Double chocolate and raspberry brownies
Double chocolate and raspberry has to be a match made in heaven, right? I love brownies but raspberries take this bake to a whole new level. …
Matcha choc chip ice cream sandwiches
Believe it or not, I really struggle with baking cookies. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve made loads of them before, but they have always either come out too cakey, too hard or just lack that not too crunchy chewiness that I long for. …
Mini Mocha Cheesecakes
It definitely is too late to say it now but happy New Year!! I hope it’s all been positive so far! Mine has been the best yet. I can’t wait to share more creations with you in 2017. The last year has been full of change from start to end, but I am so grateful for the journey and most of all for your support. Thank you for stopping by and supporting me on Facebook, Instagram, this blog or in person by eating my food! I really do love doing this and feel incredibly blessed to be able to inspire others to try eating more plants, or begin to think about food differently. It makes me all fuzzy inside when people try my recipes or try something new because of me. I love sharing the benefits of this lifestyle with as many people as possible. I’m full of ideas for 2017, pretty excited to see where this year takes me!
Aside from hibernating with the kittens, I’ve been scurrying about the kitchen recipe testing and my latest food crush are these raw mocha cheesecakes. It has been a recipe I’ve been dreaming of for a while because I love coffee… all types, black, milky, sweet, chilled, in cake form… I’ll take it all! Mocha seems like a safe option for people who may not like coffee because I’ve added a little chocolate and who doesn’t like chocolate? Actually I do know a couple of people, but still, more for you if they don’t like it!
These are indulgent, creamy, not too sweet treats but still dairy, gluten and refined sugar free. They really don’t take much effort to make, just remember to soak your cashews before hand, no matter how hard I try, I always forget. I definitely recommend enjoying a couple of these with a cup of the black stuff for the ultimate coffee shop experience!
Hope the year continues to keep you and your loved ones safe, healthy and well fed.
Peace and coffee,
Bo x
Base
- 2 cups almonds
- 1/2 cup desiccated coconut
- 1/2 tsp pink himalayan salt
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 2-3 tbsp maple/rice syrup or coconut nectar
Filling
- 2 cups cashews, soaked overnight and drained
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1/2 cup maple/rice syrup or coconut nectar
- 1 tsp pink himalayan salt
- 4 tbsp coconut oil
- 1/2 cup very strong black coffee, chilled
- 2 tbsp cacao powder
Chocolate drizzle (optional)
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 2 tbsp cacao powder
Toppings (optional)
- 1/2 cup chocolate coated coffee beans (grind 1/4 cup of beans for the mocha dust)
Line a square baking tray with greaseproof paper, leaving a little extra hanging over the sides for easy removal.Prepare your base by adding almonds, coconut, salt and cinnamon until a fine flour is formed. Add syrup a tablespoon at a time, until mixture sticks together between your fingers. Add a tablespoon of water if it’s too dry, or a little extra coconut if it’s too wet.
Press base mixture into a pan evenly. Set aside in the fridge while you make the filling.
Blend soaked cashews, coconut milk, vanilla, lemon juice, syrup and salt until very smooth and creamy, around 4-5 minutes. Pour roughly half the mix on to your base. Set aside in the freezer to set, at least 2 hours.
To the remaining filling, add coconut oil, cooled coffee and cacao. Pour over to make the third and final layer. Set for 2-3 hours in the freezer, then slowly lift out the pan and slice into little squares with a sharp knife.
To make the drizzle, add coconut oil, maple syrup and cacao to a small mixing bowl and mix with a fork until smooth. Drizzle over cheesecakes and top with coffee beans and mocha dust. Keep in the freezer for up to a month. Best eating after thawing for 10 minutes.
Chocolate and peanut butter marble cake
Do you like cake? Do you like chocolate and peanut butter? Yes? Well you’re in the right place, my friend. This chocolate peanut butter marble cake has been sent to satisfy your cake cravings. This was actually a treat for my boyfriend, who has been rambling on about a special cake for the past few weeks. He kept saying he doesn’t want anything fancy, just a ‘marble cake’. I dread to think what I’m going to have to make when he tells me his idea of ‘fancy’!
This baby is so easy to prepare but looks like it takes a lot of skill to bake (perfect for wowing that special someone). You can make it in a loaf tin, or two sandwich tins for a traditional cake. I bet it would be lush with a peanut butter cream in the middle. It’s made with spelt and plain flour, but feel free to sub with all spelt if you prefer, or a gluten free plain flour. I used ‘aquafaba’ for this cake too, which is basically the liquid from a tin of chickpeas or white beans. Sounds gross, but works amazingly well as an egg substitute and I promise it doesn’t leave any chickpea flavour at all.
Do you have a favourite cake? Please let me know if so in the comments below as I really enjoy veganising cakes. This cold weather has got me craving baking time too, so I’m on the lookout for new baking adventures!
Chocolate peanut butter marble cake
Dry
- 1 cup plain flour
- 2/3 cup spelt flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 cup avocado or coconut oil (melted)
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar
- 1/4 cup cacao powder
Wet
- 1/4 cup aquafaba liquid
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup nut mylk (I used almond)
- 1/3 cup peanut butter
- 1/2 cup boiling water
- Preheat oven to 180•c and line a loaf tin or two sandwich tins with greaseproof paper.
- Mix all dry ingredients apart from the cacao together in a bowl. Add all wet ingredients to the mix apart from the boiling water and stir well to combine. Add a little more almond mylk if you need to loosen the peanut butter.
- In a medium bowl, mix 1/4 cup cacao with 1/4 cup of boiling water. Now add half the cake mix to this bowl and mix to incorporate.
- To the remaining batter, add in 1/4 cup boiling water and mix. Now you should have one bowl of chocolate batter and one bowl of plain batter.
- Spoon dollops of each mix into your prepared tin. Once complete, swirl through with a chopstick to create the marble effect.
- Bake in the oven for 50 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Stores well in an airtight container for up to 4 days.