Good morning foodies!
Do you like raw food? I absolutely do! I don't follow a raw food diet by any means, but I definitely recognize some of the benefits: all the ingredients remain unprocessed, natural, full of nutrition and health, just like mother nature offers them to us! I love raw desserts & energy bars because usually they are relatively easy to make and super nutritious. This time I tried to make some delicious raw & vegan cupcakes, so I'll be sharing with you the recipe and including it for the Fruits & Veggies Monday contest by @lenasveganliving. They did take me at least an hour to prepare though- so be aware!
Without further ado:
CUPCAKES (makes 6 big ones or 10-12 smaller cupcakes if you prefer):
2 cups shredded carrots (usually 1 very large carrot)
1 1/4 cups fresh dates
1 cup walnuts (or other nuts)
3/4 cup rolled oats
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup raisins
To make the cupcakes: pulse the nuts into powder in a food processor. Add the dates and coconut oil and process until it all gets sticky. My dates were very moist, so I didn't need to add any water, but if your mixture is too dry, then you can add some water. Add the rest of the ingredients and process until it's all evenly combined and still pretty sticky - I did this part in a bowl using my hands. Finally add the raisins. If the mixture is too wet, then add some more oats. Press it into cupcake tins or papers and let it set in the fridge for a couple hours at least. Another idea is to bake them at 250 degrees F (or 120C) for an hour or two, so they get warm and the flavors come out. The resulting cupcakes will not be as firm as the regularly baked cupcakes. Expect them to be really moist. But the coconut oil should still be able to keep them firm. I have tried both ways and they are just as delicious!
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CREAM:
1 cups cashews (soaked overnight)
1 tablespoons coconut oil
1 tablespoons maple syrup or dates (dates will change the color of the cream to darker but make the sauce taste yummier)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoons lemon juice
Pinch Himalayan salt
Water, as needed
To make the cream: blend everything together until it's smooth and thick, adding water as needed and checking the consistency continuously. You want it to be the texture of a thick yogurt. Try it. It's sooo good! I use this cream on top of almost all my cakes as well on crepes and pancakes.
CHOCOLATE SAUCE, NOM NOM:
Note that this recipe makes 2 cups - I used only 1/3 cup for the cupcakes (see below for homemade chocolate recipe)
1/2 cup date paste (blend dates in some water)
3/4 cup cacao powder or just grind some raw cocoa nibs, whichever you prefer
1/4-1/3 cup coconut oil or cacao butter, melted
a pinch of sea salt
water, as needed
To make the sauce: mix all ingredients until smooth. Add water as needed until it's "saucy" looking. If it's too thick and not "runny", add more water. It's so ridiculously yummy! Good luck not getting distracted here :) Swirl the chocolate sauce into the cashew cream and decorate your refrigerated cupcakes with it! If you want a firmer consistency, you can put the raw cupcakes in the freezer for 1/2 hour or so.
I hope you give these a try!
HOMEMADE CHOCOLATE
You can make a delicious homemade chocolate with the remaining sauce. Just spread the sauce on parchment paper to your desired thickness, using the back of a spoon to smooth out the surface. You can add any topping of your liking. Some ideas: your favorite nuts chopped to tiny pieces, goji berries, tiny pieces of cocoa nibs etc. Just press them on top of the chocolate sauce. Refrigerate or freeze until it becomes solid before you can enjoy your homemade goodness. What I love about homemade chocolate is that you can control the amount of sweetness, there is no added soy lecithin or any other added stuff that doesn't belong there! Yay for us!