Salted Caramel Infused with Chai Tea

Delicious caramel free of refined sugars, butter and health concerning ingredients? Ummm yes please! Creamy and sweet, with a hint of saltiness paired with the subtle chai tea flavors make this caramel sauce a winner in my sweet indulgences lately. Not only that, but it is (almost) raw, vegan and super quick to make!

I’ve had this caramel in some almond milk for a sweet drink, on top of homemade ice cream, with strawberries dipped in it, but mostly just out of the jar with a spoon.

This sauce was an accident. I had set out to make some chocolate creation. After putting the dates, mesquite and coconut oil in the blender, I realized that I was out of cacao powder (gasp!!!) How did I let that happen?? AND I was out of almond milk. I was sipping on some chai while I was making this, so I figured I would use that to get the blender going. After tasting it I quickly recovered form my chocolateless upset. It was delicious. Salt came to mind very quickly and in a matter of seconds the blender was going again to create this beautiful concoction that I have made a few times already.

While I am proud of my creation, I must admit, it’s hard to screw up when using such wholesome and delicious ingredients.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup Coconut oil
• 10 soft Medjool Dates (approx 1 cup)
• 1 tsp mesquite
• 1/4 tsp salt (more or less to taste)
• 1/4 cup chai tea (more or less depending on the consistency you like)

Steps:

• boil some water and pour over chai tea, let steep for 5 minutes and strain
• add all ingredients to blender and blend on high until a nice and smooth texture is acheived
• store in an airtight container int he fridge for at leaf a week (maybe more?)

Note: Depending on the ingredients and how things got mixed, the caramel may or may not harden while in the fridge. The first time I made it it got hard in the fridge but quickly soften when put in some warm water. The second time it kept it’s creamy texture but I needed to put it in some walt water to be able to pour it over ice cream. No matter the texture though, it will become liquid again when warm and it will always taste delicious 🙂

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Raspberry Rawcoroons

Deliciously nutty, slightly tangy, mildly sweet, these rawcoroons are the perfect dessert, mid day snack or even quick breakfast treat. It had been a while since I made rawcoroons. For some time there I was making them almost as soon as a batch ran out. It was one of my favorite treats to bring to parties, camping, potlucks, etc…. as they travel so well and are generally such a hit. In all honesty, I am surprised that this is only my 3rd rawcorron post. I have created so many flavors over the years! If you are interested in seeing my other two posts, I made a cacao one, and a lemon cashew one. Noticing that this is just my 3rd post, you can expect to be seeing me pulling out some old recipes and photographing them so I can share them with you here!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups shredded raw coconut, quickly pulsed in the blender to break them down a bit
• 2 cups ground raw almonds, ground in the blender to create almost a flour like quality but not so fine
• 1/2 cup freeze dried raspberry powder, ground in the blender
• 2 TBS lucuma powder
• 1/4 cup + 2 TBS coconut sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup melted coconut oil

Steps:

• mix everything in a large bowl until very well combined. I like to mix all dry ingredients first then add the wet ones.
• scoop in ball shape and put on a dehydrator tray, on the mesh screen
• dehydrate at 105*F for about 10 hours or until crispy on the outside and slightly moist on the inside
• will save for at least a week on the shelf, even longer in the fridge

Cacao Energy Clusters

These little clusters are packed with nutrient dense ingredients: flax seeds (high in omega 3’s, good kind fat), cacao powder (powerful antioxidant, god for fighting free radicals), maca powder (good for energy) amongst several other amazing ingredients.

This recipe kinda just happened. I had made a lot of sprouted buckwheat when prepping for making raw granola, and didn’t feel like really putting anything fancy together so just threw a bunch of ingredients in the bowl, thinking I was going to be making another granola. Before putting it in the dehydrator I tasted it and it tasted so good I immediately wrote down what I had used in order to not forget! When it came out, instead of being a granola, it was more of an energy cluster. Not only because it stuck together in convenient clusters, but also because the flavor was so rich that I don’t think I could actually eat a whole bowl of it. A few clusters was enough. I packed some for a hike and my daughter wanted some for her school snack. I am so happy I wrote down the ingredients so I can make this again.

So here it is. Another kitchen happy “accident” 🙂

Ingredients:

• 3 cups sprouted buckwheat, or buckwheat that has soaked for at least 8 hours, then rinsed really well
• 1 cup oats
• 1 cup sunflower seeds
• 2 TBS mesquite powder
• 2 TBS maca powder
• 1/4 cacao powder
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
• 1/8 tsp salt

Steps:

• mix everything together in a bowl, adding the wet ingredients last
• spread on a dehydrator sheet, tapping it down to make it more compact
• dehydrate at 115* for about 12 hours or until dry and crispy
• store in an airtight container for weeks! (Although ours lasted barely a week)

If making this in the oven, put it on the lowest setting for about an hour, try it and keep checking every 10 minutes until fully done.

Vegan Raspberry Ice Cream with Peanut Butter Chocolate

Happy Valentines Day!!! This treat is more delicious than the title suggests. “More” because it is soooo creamy and dreamy that you wouldn’t guess it’s vegan.

I bought some out of season, over priced, still pretty tasty, raspberries earlier this week because I really wanted to make this Valentines Day treat for my kids. Every now and then I go out of my habitual seasonal produce shopping because what I have in mind sounds so delicious that I must make it, like really soon. And I am so glad I did not wait for spring to make this!!

This guilt free silky smooth indulgence paired with the amazingly deliciously simple crunchy peanut butter chocolate hearts made for a perfect Valentines for my family last night (although I will not wait a whole year to make it again 😉 )

Ingredients for raspberry ice cream:

• 1 cup raspberries
• 1 cup soaked cashews (30 minutes in hot water, or 4 hours in cold water)
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 cup almond milk
• 2 TBS lucuma (optional but it adds to the creamy texture)
• 1 cup coconut milk cream (the full fat cream that comes in cans)

Steps:

• put first 5 ingredients in the blender and blend on high until super creamy and nuts completely broken down
• add the coconut cream and finish blending
• if using an ice cream maker, follow directions for that
• if you don’t have an ice cream maker you can freeze these in ice cube trays and once frozen put them in a food processor or blender to create a nice cold mixture. (You might need to add a little liquid if doing it in the blender.)

This is so tasty that you don’t have to make it into ice cream! You can just eat it straight out of the blender as a yogurt substitute!

While waiting for ice cream, make your chocolate hearts.

Ingredients for chocolate hearts:

• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 1/4 cup cacao powder
• 2 TBS natural crunchy peanut butter
• 2 TBS honey or other liquid sweetener (adjust according to desired sweetness).

Steps:

• in a saucepan, put the coconut oil and barely heat it up. Just enough to get it to starts melting.
• Turn off the heat and add all ingredients except for honey.
• Mix well until uniform
• add the honey and mix until honey is very well incorporated in the mixture
• pour in little heart shaped molds if you have them, if not you can pour this in anything (Ice cube trays, small containers, large containers), and set in the freezer to set
• the small molds I have only take about 10-15 minutes to set

Chocolate Pudding? Or Fudge?

Last night I was craving chocolate. As a chocoholic, that’s most nights for me 🙂 And as a true chocoholic I wanted my fix quickly. This pudding is SO quick if you have all the ingredients on hand. Which I did 🙂 It takes less than 8 minutes to make. Whaaa?!?!

What I love about this other than the rapidity of it, is that it completely changes consistency after letting it sit in the fridge for a couple hours(if it makes it that long). I get smooth silky pudding right off the bat, and then something more fudgey like….. It becomes thick and rich and just so yummy.

Oh and yes, in true Pamplemousse style, it is under my standards of healthy.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups grain sweetened chocolate chips (no refined sugars) but if all you got is regular chocolate chips, it’ll work just as beautifully
• 14 oz organic silken tofu
• 3 TBS maple syrup
• dash of salt
• 2 TBS coconut oil (totally optional, I just have a tendency to add coconut oil to a lot of my food)
• 1tsp cinnamon (again, optional but my daughter LOVES cinnamon, so it goes in a lot of things as well)

Steps:

• In a double boiler melt the chocolate with the maple syrup
• once all is melted turn off heat, add the coconut oil and mix until melted
• in a food processor blend the tofu with the cinnamon and salt
• add melted chocolate
• blend until well combined
• you got yourself a treat!!!

Eat immediately for a pudding, or put in the fridge for at least 30 minutes for something more dense. I sometimes use this to top muffins with an extra special treat 🙂

Basic Chocolate Sauce

This is my basic raw chocolate sauce that I use for so many chocolate treats in my house. I build off of this to create all kinds of delightful satisfying temptations. I need to share it with you guys as I will be referring to it quite a bit in this blog. I have used a version of it in my banana ice cream as well as in my raw persimmon pie. So stay on the lookout for more yumminess to come here!!

As the name indicates, this is a basic, simple healthy chocolate option. Three ingredients and just minutes away from mouth watering bliss (if you are a chocoholic like I am, this is key).

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/2 cup  cacao powder
• dash of salt

Steps:

• in a double boiler melt all the ingredients (you can do this in a pot on the stove top, just make sure to have it on very low heat and turn off the heat before all the oil is melted, and finish melting by whisking).
• whisk together until well combined
• either pour it in a jar with a tight fitting lid (this is my favorite option) or pour in in a bowl
• if in a jar, shake it vigorously every 5 minutes until it has come to room temperature, the sauce will become thicker.
• if in a bowl, just whisk it until it has come to room temperature.

This last step is very important as it will allow for all the ingredients to cool while blending together. If you do not do this the oil and honey will separate, creating a very sweet bottom layer and a very oily dark chocolate upper layer when it cools completely. This is especially important when making raw chocolate in the freezer. I have made raw chocolates without blending all the ingredients together and the honey layer was all gooey and stuck to the bottom of the mold while the top was super dark in chocolate flavor. It wasn’t bad at all mind you!! Just not a nice chocolate that I could easily pop out.

This sauce will keep for weeks on the shelf. It will become very thick because of the coconut oil. Just put the container you keep it in, in some hot water to soften it up before using. (Or just eat it out of the jar with a spoon!)

Butternut Squash Shake

I bought my first seasonal butternut squash at the market this past week. I am excited for this season and all the fun recipes I will be creating! I chose to bring in this Fall  season with a delicious shake. It’s kinda like pumpkin pie in a cup, but really cold.

After making it I envisioned so many alternatives to making this, the possibilities are endless!! So glad the season is just starting 😉

I wish I would’ve taken a better picture, but I had 3 little children tugging on me as I was photographing their dessert. Their patience was running thin and I decided to stop the torture and give them their treat. I will probably be making this again, and will hopefully get a better picture.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup chopped butternut squash/ 200 grammes de butternut
• 1 tray on coconut ice cubes (my trays make 16 ice cubes)– For this I planned a few hours ahead and froze coconut milk in an ice cube tray, the good kind coconut milk, with the cream and all./ 16 glacons de lait de noix de coco ( j’utilise du lait de coco soit fait frais ou en cannette ou carton, et je congele au joins 4 heures)

• 4 medjool dates/ 4 dates medjool
• 1 large frozen banana, sliced/ 1 banana gelee, coupee
• 1 1/2 cups almond milk/ 1/3 de litre de lait d’amande (Ou un peu plus selon la texture desiree)
• 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice/ 2 cuillieres a caffe d’epices d’autumn melangees (canelle, noix de muscade, clous de girofle)

Steps:

• put everything in a blender and blast it on high until desired consistency/ mettez tout dans un blender et faites tourner a fond
• I topped this with a few chopped pieces of dates and crushed pecans/ j’ai ajoutee des morceaux de noid de pecans et de dates pour decorer
• this made enough for 2 adults and 2 children/ ca a fait assez pour 2 adults et 2 enfants

Chocolate Soft serve

I love chocolate and I love sweets. I also love having a treat at night once all the kids are in bed 🙂 But I also love my body and my health so I must be choosy of what I put in my body and how often. This one came together because I really wanted something quick and easy and I was really in the mood for soft serve This treat is just that! I think it took me under 3 minutes to put this together. And it hit all the right spots for me: it’s sweet, it’s chocolatey, it’s quick, it’s healthy, it’s creamy, it’s cold. It’s YUM!!!!

Ingredients:

• 1 frozen banana
• 1/4 cup almond milk
• 2 TBS raw cacao powder
• 1 large date (or any other sweetener you have on hand)
• pinch of salt

Steps:

• put all ingredients in blender and blend on high until smooth
• eat immediately!!

This was enough for just one serving. And in all honesty, if I have doubled the recipe, it probably would’ve still only been enough for one serving 😉

Cacao Rawcoroon

When it comes to my taste buds, I can never go wrong with chocolate, well… except for that one time…. but I learned 😉  

My husband is the same. If I present him with something chocolatey, I know he will devour it happily. So I created this rawcoroon after the lemon one. Because, well I love lemon too. And I was actually inspired to start making rawcoroons when I had an expensive store bought lemon one. So here is my chocolate indulgence for today. 

 

 

Ingredients:

• 2 cups almond flour (made from whole almonds blended down into a flour, not the store bought kind)
• 1 cup shredded coconut
• 1/4 raw cacao powder
• salt
• 1/8 cup maple syrup
• 1/8 cup coconut sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 TBS coconut oil

Steps:

• in a large bowl mix first 4 ingredients
• in a small bowl or blender mix remaining ingredients
• combine everything until well incorporated
• don’t let husband come in and eat everything out of the bowl
• scoop into little balls on the mesh screen of the dehydrator
• dehydrate for about 8 to 10 hours, depending on what consistency you want and also what size balls you made. I like mine crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. 

Makes about 12 golf size balls. 

 

 

Mango Sorbet with Strawberry Coulis

We just had a fun day in the sun and it seemed like the perfect way to end a great day was with ice cream. Although I do love ice cream and frozen yogurt, I try to limit the frequency of which I have them. Thankfully I had a bunch of frozen mangoes in my freezer ready to be made into sorbet!! This sorbet is so creamy and rich you wouldn’t believe it’s just mangoes!! I hope you enjoy this as much as we did 🙂 

 

Ingredients for sorbet:

• Frozen MANGOES!!! I had three small ziploc bags filled. That’s what I used. If it were all chopped up I would say maybe 2 or 3 cups? 

Ingredients for coulis:

• 1 cup fresh strawberries
• 1/8 cup coconut oil
• 1 TBS raw honey

Steps:

• make coulis first by blending all the ingredients on high until very well incorporated. Set aside.
• run mangoes through champion juicer with the blank attachment. 
• Put in bowls and enjoy!!!

This made barely enough for 4 of us. Next time I will add another ziploc bag of mangoes (or two 😉 )

I haven’t tried making this in the food processor like I do my banana ice cream, if anyone tries it, let me know how it turns out!!