I have been reading and exploring raw foods over the past few months and I am really starting to enjoy creating new raw dishes or mainly raw. I am not interested in being 100% raw but I certainly love the benefits and how my body feels when I eat more fresh vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds etc... but even more so because I'm eating less and less of the processed foods. One day I will perhaps try a totally raw lifestyle...who knows!

So far I have made raw carrot & wheatgerm crackers in my dehydrator, plenty of nut truffles (how easy are these?!) and of course love my green smoothies. I have raw cacao powder and coconut oil but have really not created anything from them yet...until now.

This was a super simple recipe that replicates chocolate dipped fruit & nut. Whilst I still look at these as treats as the coconut oil is high fat, they are so much better than buying any store bought, sugar laden chocolate. I have to say I was surprised that it tasted so rich and delicious too. The coconut flavour is obviously noticeable but the richness of the raw cacao is so much more complex in taste compared to regular chocolate.

I think I need to try some more raw recipes!


Raw Chocolate Treats
yields approx. 1/2 cup sauce. 
serves 6 / approx 100 cal (per 1 tbsp sauce)
approx. macronutrient breakdown: 7.8g fat / 6.4g carbs / 1.5g protein
printable recipe 

Ingredients
3 tbsp raw cacao
3 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp cinnamon, ground

Frozen banana slices
Almonds

Dried apricots
(or other fruit/nuts)

Chopped nuts
Dessicated coconut




Method
Combine coconut oil, vanilla and agave syrup in a bowl and mix until smooth. If the coconut oil is solid (i.e. room temperature) then you can very gently heat it until it liquefies - but don't cook it obviously! Next, simply stir in the raw cacao until you have a rich, chocolate sauce.
Dip frozen fruit pieces into chocolate sauce and place on a silicone mat or baking paper. The frozen fruit should set the chocolate quite quickly so you have to work fast. For the nuts and dried fruit, it is the same process but obviously it won't set as quickly. Sprinkle or roll in coconut or chopped nuts if you wish. Allow to set in the freezer.