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Chocolate & Coconut Pumpkin Bars (Raw, No Bake)

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Vegan-Chocolate-Pumpkin-Coconut-Squares With a can of pumpkin in my hand, I was on a mission to make something tasty. I didn’t feel like cookies or cake or pie or fudge (WHAT?!), so I hopped on Pinterest and scoured the site for pumpkin treats I could make right here, right now.

Then I got distracted by quotes. And cute kitten pictures. And the next thing I knew, an hour had gone by and I hadn’t looked at a single pumpkin recipe. Focus, Cassie! Focus.

Chocolate-Pumpkin-Coconut-Squares-Vegan Okay. I will focus. Search “vegan pumpkin dessert”. Find lots of cookies, cakes, pies and fudge. NONONONOTHANKYOU. After searching for almost another hour (OMG WHAT IS HAPPENING, PINTEREST?!), I finally stumbled upon a recipe that looked yumz!

These no bake chocolate coco pumpkin bars. Okay FINE, these will do. As if I was settling or something. Man, I am grouchy when I’m on Pinterest too long.

Chocolate-Pumpkin-Coconut-Squares Whipped up a batch, ate them all in 2 days. Didn’t share with my fam. They went bonkers. Made more, with slight changes to the recipe. They ate them, and I was the best mom/wife ever again. Awesome. I always knew I was the best. Score!

These guilt-free treats are so good. And they’re pretty! And you all know how much I loves me some pretty food. It makes my soul happy.

Pumpkin-Coconut-Squares So today I encourage you to make some pretty food. It’s the weekend! Celebrate with some chocolate & coconut pumpkin bars. Preferably in front of the TV with a super scary movie playing. Halloween is coming and it’s time to scare yourself. And eat tasty fall treats. YES PLEASE.

Chocolate & Coconut Pumpkin Bars (Raw, No Bake)
 
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Recipe type: Dessert
Serves: 8
Ingredients
  • 10 dates, pitted
  • 1 cup almonds
  • 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • ¼ cup shredded coconut
  • ¼ cup coconut oil
  • 1 small banana
  • ¼ cup pumpkin puree
  • 2 tbsp agave
  • ½ tsp vanilla
  • ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
Instructions
  1. Add dates, almonds cocoa powder and 1 tsp of cinnamon to your food processor. Process until it all comes together into a ball.
  2. Transfer the mixture to a 9x5 baking dish and flatten it out in the pan. Set aside.
  3. In small bowl, combine the shredded coconut and coconut oil. Mix well until thick (you may need to add more coconut oil or shredded coconut to get it to a spreadable consistency). Spread this mixture on the chocolate almond mixture in the pan.
  4. Add the banana, pumpkin puree, agave and 1 tsp cinnamon into your food processor and process until smooth. Pour over top of the coconut mixture and smooth it out so that it covers the entire dish.
  5. If desired, sprinkle some coconut on top.
  6. Freeze for 60 minutes or until set. Cut into squares and serve. Store in the freezer. Remove for a few minutes to thaw before eating.
Notes
Adapted from Running to the Kitchen.

 

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Apple Pie Smoothie

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Apple-Pie-Smoothie So I woke up the other morning with the desire to eat pie. Apple pie.

I must have been dreaming about pie or something, because I woke up, with droll all over my face, ready to bake me a pie for breakfast.

But then I came to my senses. “Pie isn’t for breakfast, silly!”, I said to myself.

Apple-Pie-Smoothie-Vegan But I still craved apple pie. So what did I do? I made a smoothie of course! I normally have a green smoothie in the morning, but since my apple pie craving was SO SO STRONG, as in, MUST HAVE IT NOW, I went with a smoothie that tasted like apple pie.

I just threw a bunch of pie ingredients into a blender, added more liquid (duh), and let the blender whirl. And wouldn’t you know it? This smoothie tasted just like apple pie! Without the delicious flaky crust, of course.

But still – YUM.

Easy-Vegan-Apple-Pie-Smoothie I was drinking apple pie! From a glass! In the morning!

I’m such a rebel.

Vegan-Apple-Pie-Smoothie Now you can be a rebel, too. Go ahead, drink some pie.

Apple Pie Smoothie
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Smoothie
Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • 1 large apple, sliced (I used a honeycrisp apple)
  • 1 large banana
  • 1½ cups non-dairy milk (I used almond milk)
  • 1 large date, pitted
  • ½ tbsp chia seeds
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp nutmeg
  • 3 or 4 ice cubes
Instructions
  1. Add all ingredients to a high speed blender and blend until smooth!
Notes
Use a nut-free non-dairy milk to make this recipe nut-free.
Use a non-dairy milk other than soy milk to make this recipe soy-free.

 

Spirulina Protein Power Bites

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I spotted it in the store a few months ago. It stood out and called my name: SPIRULINA.

Spirulina

I had heard about the almighty spirulina before, but I had never seen it at the store. Until THAT DAY. That day when I decided to look a little closer for this superfood that is such a rich source of calcium and iron.

And there it was. Sitting on a shelf. Calling my name.

Spirulina-Balls-Recipe

So I bought it. And it sat in my kitchen cupboard for over 2 months without being opened once. I’m a procrastinator, what can I say?

Spirulina-Balls

After seeing this full jar of spirulina at least 5 million times, I finally decided enough was enough, and set out to make something THAT DAY.

Spirulina-Balls-Vegan

It was a green smoothie. And it was delicious. I’ve made that smoothie a bunch of times now and even my picky kids will drink it!

But this is not that recipe.

Spirulina-Snack-Balls

I was feeling ambitious a few weeks ago, and decided to use spirulina to make something other than green smoothies, so I went with these adorable little bites of goodness.

And it worked – they are absolutely delicious, and healthy and everything I love in a snack.

But man are they ever GREEN. I stained my white t-shirt while making these, so if you plan to make them, I strongly recommend black everything!

Spirulina-Snack-Bites

 

Spirulina Protein Power Bites
 
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Recipe type: Snack
Serves: 15-20
Ingredients
  • 1 cup dates
  • ½ cup raisins or dried cranberries
  • ¾ cup almonds
  • 2 tbsp spirulina
  • 3 tsp lemon juice
Instructions
  1. Add all ingredients to a food professor and process until well combined.
  2. Roll into balls and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

 

Vegan-Spirulina-Balls

How to Make Homemade Almond Milk

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Homemade-Almond-Milk

Homemade almond milk. Is there anything better?

The correct answer is yes. Chocolate. But other than chocolate? NOPE!

And guess what? Homemade almond milk is one of the easiest things you can make yourself! No more processed milk from the store, for you. Yippie!

Plump-Almonds

First, start off with a bowl of delicious, plump almonds. To get them nice and plump like this, soak them in water overnight, or at least 8 hours.

Soaking your almonds allows you to get the almond milk smoother. Plus, soaked almonds are easier to digest! So go get soaking!

Almonds-in-Blender

Add your soaked nuts to a blender with 4 cups of filtered water. Blend for about 3 minutes, or until smooth, and white, and creamy, and omgosh so good.

Almond-Milk-in-Blender

Like this. Pretty, right? Yes – milk can be pretty. Especially this almond milk.

See how well the blender was able to do with the soaked almonds?

Pouring-Almond-Milk

Although the mixture is smooth, you still want to pour the milk through a nut milk bag to remove any sediment. I use this one that I bought off Amazon for under $10. Worth. Every. Penny.

Squeezing-Almond-Milk

Squeeze, squeeze, and squeeze some more, until no more milk is seeping through the bag. Set aside the almond pulp that is left inside the bag (refrigerate and use in smoothies or dry it out in the oven to make almond flour).

Add the milk back to the blender and add the agave, vanilla and cinnamon. Blend for another minute or so.

Almond-Milk-Homemade

Ta-da! Homemade almond milk in minutes (not including soaking time)! I told you it was easy. Pour into a large air-tight jar and refrigerate for up to 5 days.

And in case you were wondering – YES, it is delicious. I like it 1000x more than the store-bought stuff.

Next up on my list – homemade chocolate almond milk!

Vegan-Almond-Milk

How to Make Homemade Almond Milk
 
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Recipe type: Homemade Milk
Serves: 8 cups
Ingredients
  • 1 cup raw almonds, soaked for at least 8 hours
  • 4 cups filtered water
  • 1 tbsp agave
  • ½ tsp vanilla
  • ¼ tsp cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp salt
Instructions
  1. Drain and rinse your almonds, then add to a blender with 4 cups of water.
  2. Blend for about 3 minutes, or until smooth.
  3. Over a large bowl, place a nut milk bag, and then pour the almond & water mixture through the nut milk bag.
  4. Gently squeeze the bottom of the nut milk bag, releasing the almond milk into the bowl. Keep doing this until all of the milk has been released and you are left with a big lump of almond pulp in the bag (set that aside and use in smoothies or dry it out in the oven to make almond flour).
  5. Rinse out your blender and blender lid, and add the almond milk back into the blender, along with the agave, vanilla and cinnamon. Blend again for another minute or so.
  6. Pour almond milk into a large glass jar and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
Notes
*Make sure you shake up the almond milk before using, as it will separate while sitting.

 

Raw Vegan Dessert Pizza

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dessert-pizza

Summer makes me crave cold food, so when my husband suggested pizza for dinner the other night, I offered up a much cooler suggestion – dessert pizza!

That’s right. Dessert for dinner. Why not?

dessert-pizza-vegan

This ain’t your usual dessert pizza, though. Those are often made with a sugar cookie crust, and I just wasn’t in the mood for a big cookie for dinner (although I did consider it).

So, I thought I’d try for a raw crust, and since Medjool dates are always plentiful in our kitchen, I used those as my inspiration. I opted for a chocolate crust, because… well, IT’S CHOCOLATE. And you can’t complain about chocolate. Ever. Chocolate is always delicious.

homemade-dessert-pizza-vegan

I wasn’t really sure what would work best for the pizza “sauce”, so I tried cashew cream, but thickened it slightly, by adding less water than I normally do. It was perfect. Next time I may add some cocoa powder for an even bigger chocolate kick.

After freezing the crust and “sauce” until firm, I topped the pizza with fresh fruit, a drizzle of chocolate, and called it a day. A damn good day, if I do say so myself.

And I must add – my husband loved the pizza. OF COURSE.

vegan-homemade-dessert-pizza

Vegan Dessert Pizza
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Vegan Dessert Pizza
Serves: 8
Ingredients
Pizza Crust
  • 1 cup Medjool dates, pitted
  • ½ cup almonds
  • ½ cup rolled oats
  • 2 tbsp cocoa powder
  • ½ tbsp coconut oil
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ½ cup dairy-free chocolate chips (I used Enjoy Life brand)
Cashew Cream
  • 1 cup raw cashews (soaked for at least 2 hours)
  • ½ cup water
  • 2 tsp lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp agave
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp vanilla
  • ¼ tsp salt
Chocolate Drizzle
  • 2 tbsp coconut oil, melted
  • 1½ tsp agave
  • 2 tbsp cocoa powder
Fruit Topping
  • ½ cup strawberries, sliced
  • ½ cup raspberries
  • ½ cup kiwi, peeled & sliced
Instructions
Pizza Crust
  1. Rub a bit of coconut oil on your pie plate, lightly covering the bottom and sides of the pie plate. Set aside.
  2. Add the dates, almonds, oats, cocoa powder, coconut oil, vanilla and salt to a food processor and process until a chocolate "dough ball" emerges, about 2 minutes. Make sure there are no large chunks left in the mixture. Add the chocolate chips and pulse for just a few seconds. You don't want to chop them up, just incorporate them into the "dough".
  3. Transfer mixture to your pie plate press the crust into it, making sure to cover the bottom of the pan evenly. You also want to go up the sides of the pan a bit. Set aside.
Cashew Cream
  1. Add cashews, water, lemon juice, agave, and salt to your food processor or high powdered blender. Blend/process until smooth.
  2. Pour sauce over the pizza crust and spread around, without going all the way to the end of the crust (leave about an inch or so that has no cashew cream on it). Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for 4 hours, or until the cashew cream is firm.
Chocolate Drizzle
  1. In a small bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, agave and cocoa powder, until smooth. Set aside.
Putting it all together
  1. Remove the pie plate from the freezer about 30 minutes before you plan to add your toppings. This will make the pizza crust come out of the pan much easier. Remove and place on a large plate, cutting board or serving platter. Layer strawberries, raspberries and kiwis on your pizza, overlapping just a bit.
  2. Drizzle with chocolate, cut into pizza slices and serve.

dessert-pizza-recipe

Raw Vegan Breakfast Parfaits

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Raw-Vegan-Parfait

YOU GUYS. This breakfast? AH-MAZING.

And I don’t say that lightly. This is one of the best breakfasts I’ve had in a very, very long time.

The best part? It’s super easy, extremely healthy, and it’s raw (I’ve been trying to get more raw meals/snacks into my diet)!

Vegan-Parfait-Raw
The creaminess of the cashew cream works so well with the crunchy nut/seed mix and the soft fruit.

Just delicious!

I’ve also made these parfaits with strawberry & kiwi, mango & kiwi, and blueberry & raspberry. It never disappoints!

Raw-Vegan-Berry-Parfait

 

Raw Vegan Breakfast Parfaits
 
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Recipe type: Breakfast
Serves: 4
Ingredients
Nuts/Seeds
  • 1 cup raw almonds
  • 1 cup raw walnuts
  • ¼ cup chia seeds
  • ¼ cup flax seeds
  • ½ cup pumpkin seeds
Cashew Cream
  • 1 cup raw cashews (soaked for at least 2 hours)
  • ⅓ cup water
  • 1½ tbsp agave
  • ½ tsp vanilla
  • ¼ tsp cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp salt
Fruit
  • Any fruit you'd like (I used strawberries & blackberries)
Instructions
Nuts/Seeds
  1. Put all seeds and nuts into a food processor and process for a few seconds. Don't process too much or everything will turn into a flour, which is not what you want. You still want some big chunks.
Cashew Cream
  1. Add all ingredients to a high-powered blender and blend until smooth (add a bit more water if you want to thin it out some more).
Putting it all together
  1. Add a layer of berries, then nuts/seeds, then cashew cream, then more nuts, then a ton of fruit on top.

 

Raw Vegan Lime Tart with Cashew Cream

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Raw-Vegan-Lime-Tart

I saw this yummy dessert recipe on Neely’s site a few weeks back, and added it to my to-make file, until this past weekend when I finally made it.

And oh my, was it ever good. I’m ashamed that I waited so long to make it, because it was incredible.

Lime-Tart-Raw-Vegan

I made a few substitutions and added some ingredients to my preference, and in the end, this turned into one of my favourite desserts I’ve ever made! I thought I was a lemon lover, but… limes are certainly growing on me, that’s for sure.

I used my food processor to make the crust and my Blendtec blender to make the cashew cream, and both worked well. I wish I had a tart pan, because that would have made my “tart” look better, but I didn’t, so I just used an 8×8 baking dish (which was a bit too large, so I only spread the crust out using about 3/4 of the pan dimmensions).

It worked, and it tasted delicious, and that’s all that really matters anyway, right?

Vegan-Lime-Tart-Raw

Adapted from Neely Wang.

Raw Vegan Lime Tart with Cashew Cream
 
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Recipe type: Dessert
Serves: 6-12
Ingredients
Crust
  • 1 cup medjool dates, pitted
  • ⅓ cup walnuts
  • ⅓ cup cashews
  • ⅓ cup almonds
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp lime zest
Cashew Cream
  • 2 cups raw cashews (soaked for at least 4 hours)
  • ⅓ cup lime juice
  • 1 tbsp lime zest
  • ¼ cup agave
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ¼ cup water + more as needed
Instructions
Tart
  1. Add all ingredients to a food processor and process for a minute or two, or until everything comes together into a sticky ball.
  2. Press the processed tart ingredients into a baking dish/pan (I used an 8x8 dish, but an actual tart pan would work better!). Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Cashew Cream
  1. Add all ingredients into a food processor or high speed blender and process/blend until smooth and creamy, adding more water, as needed.
  2. Pour cashew cream over tart crust and smooth it out. Add a bit of lime zest on top, and refrigerate for another 30 minutes before cutting into bars/squares and serving.

 

How to Make Vegan Ricotta Cheese

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Vegan Ricotta

Oh a whim, I decided to make lasagna last week. It was a cold, dreary day, and I was seriously craving some comfort food – and lasagna is my comfort food of choice!

The only thing standing in my way of a delicious pan of hot lasagna was that I didn’t have any cheese to use. I only had a bit of Daiya shreds left (and I don’t like to eat much processed food, so I keep my Daiya consumption to a minimum, even though it’s delicious!), so that wouldn’t work.

After a bit of pondering, I figured I’d make my vegan ricotta cheese to spread throughout the lasagna. Thankfully, I had already soaked some cashews early that morning to use for something at lunch, which I never ended up making, so I used those cashews to make the cheese.

Ricotta-Vegan

It came together so easily, and in no time flat. After making this in my food processor, I scooped the ricotta into an air-tight container and let it sit in the fridge for about 20 minutes, while I prepared the lasagna noodles and marinara sauce. This gave the ricotta ingredients a bit more time to marinate.

This cheese spreads on lasagna very well, but – it’s not just for lasagna! Use this ricotta as a dip, spread on crackers, or even add a dollop to your salad. It’s very versatile. Any way you choose to eat it, this cheese is incredible!

Vegan Ricotta Cheese

Vegan Ricotta Cheese
 
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Use this vegan ricotta cheese in lasagna and pastas, as a dip, spread on crackers, or even in your salad. It's very versatile!
Author:
Recipe type: Vegan Cheese
Serves: Just over 2 cups
Ingredients
  • 2 cups raw cashews, soaked for at least 2 hours, then drained
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 3 tbsp lemon juice
  • ¼ cup plain non-dairy milk (I used soy)
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1½ tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ tbsp dried basil
  • ⅓ cup fresh chives
  • 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • ½ tsp salt
Instructions
  1. Add soaked cashews, garlic, emon juice, non-dairy milk, maple syrup, oil, basil, and chives to your food processor.
  2. Process until smooth, scraping down the sides as necessary. If your ricotta is too dry, add a bit more non-dairy milk. It took me about 5 minutes to process my cheese until it was smooth enough for me.
  3. Season with salt & pepper, to taste.
Notes
*You can easily change up the herbs in this recipe to suit your liking.
*You can use agave instead of maple syrup.
*You can use apple cider vinegar instead of lemon juice.