I truly adore raw desserts and I tend to stick to them exclusively, even when I’m not strictly raw. It’s a pretty awesome feeling, digging into a dreamy decadent dessert while knowing that it’s composed entirely of whole, healthy, nutrient-rich ingredients. Vitamins and minerals make everything taste better!
However, most raw desserts are centered entirely around nuts: crumbly walnut crusts and chewy almond cookies and silky cashew cheesecake, and on, and on. They’re delicious and they’re nutritious, but nuts carry a few of their own issues. For one, they’re quite high in calories. But more importantly, they can be rough on digestion. I find that too many nuts will disagree with me, especially in combination with fruit. It’s a common phenomenon and many people experience it – Damian calls it “nut belly”. Or more like, “nut belly, groooooan”.
So recently I’ve focused creating amazing raw desserts that are totally nut-free. And I’ve had some awesome success! This recipe, for example, brought to my palate a sensation I hadn’t thought possible to experience while raw: perfectly buttery, perfectly flakey, perfectly perfect pastry crust. It’s magical.
The secret ingredient is coconut flour, my new favorite ingredient. My particular coconut flour was sent to me by Coconut Secret, and not to sound like an ad or something but man, this stuff is revolutionary! It’s completely changed my ideas of what’s possible in the world of unbaking. Seriously life changing! Coconut Secret is a great company and they have an awesome little line of raw products (which I’ll talk about another time), but you can get coconut four from many sources. I’ve seen it in a bunch of different bulk bins. (As a note, not all coconut flour is raw, so double check if that’s important to you).
Strange new ingredient aside, these treats come together quickly and easily.
Ingredients:
Crust:
1 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup alt milk
1/3 cup coconut oil, melted (more for greasing)
1/4 cup agave nectar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Filling:
2 cups dried apricot halves, soaked at least 4 hours
2 cups water
Instructions:
Use coconut oil to grease an 8″ baking tray. Combine all crust ingredients in a mixing bowl and completely combine. If you need to melt the coconut oil, you can float it in a small bowl within a larger bowl of hot water. Once the batter is mixed, press it into the bottom of the baking tray.
Place all soaked apricots in a blender or food processor. Add enough of the soak water to form a thick but smooth paste – probably just over a cup. When the apricots are fully blended, spread them evenly on top of the crust.
Refrigerate to set for a few hours.
Perfect for tea time. Enjoy!
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http://coconutandberries.tumblr.com Emma
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http://craftylittlegnome.blogspot.com/ Adrienne Audrey
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http://www.sarathomas.etsy.com sara thomas
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Megan
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RK
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Sierra Dawn
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http://windycityvegan.wordpress.com Monika {windycityvegan}
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http://windycityvegan.wordpress.com Monika {windycityvegan}
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Kelly H.
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http://www.thedomesticvegan.com Jess – The Domestic Vegan
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http://bonzaiaphrodite.com Sayward
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http://windycityvegan.wordpress.com Monika {windycityvegan}
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http://bonzaiaphrodite.com Sayward
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http://www.positivelybeauty.com Cristina | Positively Beauty
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http://www.paleo-project.com/impromptu-girls-night/ Impromptu Girl’s Night | The Paleo Project
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Kristina
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Kristina
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http://bonzaiaphrodite.com/ Sayward Rebhal
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Nikki
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http://bonzaiaphrodite.com/ Sayward Rebhal
