Lemonade Parfaits with fresh summer berries

Sink your spoon into this summertime treat: my Lemonade Parfait. Dairy-free and filled with lemonade and fresh berry flavor, accented by nutty crunchy toppings like crushed walnuts and nutty granola.

Lemonade by the Spoonful. This tall tower of lemonade bliss makes a beautiful dish to serve for breakfast, brunch, an afternoon pick-me-up or even a lively dessert. My silky lemonade pudding is rich and creamy with bright fresh lemon flavor in each bite. This protein-rich, fiber-rich and antioxidant-rich parfait is a pretty summer treat to feel good about enjoying! Easy recipe too!..

What to do with lovely summer berries? Parfait them!

Silky Surprise. This pudding is so easy to make because it is made using silken tofu. The tofu makes this pudding rich in plant-based protein.

Make to taste. This is a recipe that comes with a basic set of ingredients and can be modified quite generously to fit your tastes and what meal you are serving this parfait as. If you are serving it as a dessert, you can be a bit more generous with the sweetener and coconut oil. If this is for a healthy breakfast, go a bit lighter on those ingredients.

For the crunchy accents, aka crunchies, you can use a wide variety of favorites. I used crushed walnuts, a sprinkle of freshly ground flax seeds and some raw cacao granola I had in my pantry. But you can use any nut or seed you'd like - and any granola variety you have handy. Or make your own.

You could even add a few sweet spins on this parfait..

* Whip it. Add a dollop of fresh coconut whip in between the silky layers.
* Leftover Baked Goods. Crumble a homemade chocolate chip cookie in between the layers. Or a crumbled up muffin will also work.
* Creative Crunchies. Get creative and add what you crave to crunch! Granola, crushed vanilla cookies, chopped nuts or ground seeds, spirulina crunchies,toasted coconut, crushed pretzels or graham crackers.
* Fruit Galore. Add a wide variety of fruit slices to the parfait. Lemonade flavor pairs well with many ingredients. Try mango, kiwi, berries, banana, citrus, peaches, cherries, apples and more.
* Fruit Sauce. Add some fresh raspberry sauce topping.
* Make it PINK! Make a pink lemonade parfait simply by blending in 2-3 fresh raspberries or strawberries when you blend your pudding.

Or simply follow my recipe below. And let the summertime lemonade refreshment begin!



Lemonade Parfaits with fresh summer berries

Silky Lemonade Pudding
vegan, makes about 1 1/2 cups - pudding makes about 2-3 large parfaits

14 ounces silken tofu (organic)
2 small lemons or 1 large, squeezed + zest from 1 lemon
1/4-1/3 cup maple syrup (grade B) - (agave can be subbed in needed)
1-4 Tbsp organic virgin coconut oil (I used 2 Tbsp)
tiny pinch - 1/4 tsp salt (salt to taste, I used pink Himalayan salt)

optional:
a few drops natural lemon and/or vanilla extract to boost flavor
dash of cayenne (spicy accent)

My Parfait - as shown:
(for each parfait glass)
2 Tbsp crushed walnuts
2 Tbsp raw chocolate granola
1 tsp ground flax seed
1/2 banana, thinly sliced
3-5 strawberries, sliced
a few blueberries or blackberries
fresh lemon zest on top

Directions:

1. Drain your silken tofu and transfer to a bowl. Place in microwave for 10-15 seconds just to warm the tofu a bit. (You want all ingredients to be room temperature or warmer when blending so that the coconut oil stays silky.)
2. Juice and zest lemons, remove any seeds from juice.
3. Warm coconut oil so that it is in a liquid state.
4. Add the warmed tofu, a few spoonfuls of the liquid coconut oil, lemon and zest, optional extract, salt and 1/4 cup maple syrup to a food processor or high speed blender. I used my Vitamix. Blend starting on low and move to high until everything is silky smooth. Do a tiny taste test and add more sweetener and salt as desired. I added 1/3 cup total maple to my pudding but you may want a bit less or more depending on your tastes. If you want a richer, more mousse-like pudding, you should blend in a few more spoonfuls of melted coconut oil.
5. Transfer the pudding to a medium bowl - scraping the sides of the blender to get every last bit. Place bowl, covered, in the fridge.
6. Chill pudding for at least two hours before serving. Best if chilled overnight - for maximum firming of the pudding. Cold pudding will be thicker than warmer pudding due to the coconut oil.
7. Serve by assembling your parfait in layers. Alternate add berries and crunchy toppings to a tall parfait glass. Garnish with a few pretty berries and a lemon slice.

orange lavender pudding with cashews

This recipe creates a pudding that is creamy, fresh and - let's face it - pretty cute. I love using fruit in desserts because... okay wait do I actually have to explain? This is a raw, vegan blog; obviously I like fruit. It's colourful, naturally sweet, nutritious and generally the all-around perfect food. You can practically live off fruit. The benefits of eating nature's vibrantly coloured candy are too many to count. Just eat a lot of it, okay?

Last night I was scouring the internet looking for some dessert recipes I could turn into raw vegan versions. I didn't actually find a recipe for an orange pudding but somehow it got lodged in my brain and stayed there. So I made it. At 10:00 PM while dancing to lame pop music. Yep. The idea to add lavender came this morning, while I was setting up the pudding for photos. I know I say this about a ton of things like chocolate, dates, bananas, coconut, etc. - but you really can't go wrong with lavender!

The recipe can't get much simpler or more whole-foods: blend some cashews, dates and oranges. Add some coconut oil and put it in the fridge. Sorted (as they say in the UK)! The next morning you have a luscious, sweet citrus infused treat to enjoy at anytime of the day because it's so healthy. Pudding for breakfast? Excellent. Lunch? Good choice. Snack? Go for it. Dinner? Alright, you must really like pudding. You should probably eat something else with dinner. Weirdo.

orange lavender pudding: serves 4

2 peeled oranges
1 cup cashews
1 cup dates
1-2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
1 teaspoon dried lavender flowers

Blend all the ingredients until smooth. If it is too thick, add the juice of another orange or two. Scoop into small, single serving dishes (like ramekins) and leave in the fridge overnight. The next day decorate the pudding with orange zest and slices, and more lavender flowers if you like. Get sexy with it. 

banana chocolate caramel ice cream cake

I dreamt about making this cake so I figured I better do it in what we like to call "reality" as well. It consists of banana vanilla ice cream, date caramel and avocado chocolate pudding. I decorated it with bananas and a goji berry coulis, but that's optional. I just like adding other colours for contrast. The crust is also optional, it's there to add another texture.

I consider food a form of art. Not simply because of it's visual appearance, but more so because of what it symbolizes: a beautiful, symbiotic relationship between our bodies, our selves and what we are made of. What we choose to consume and put in our precious bodies is literally what we choose to become, physically speaking. I want to be creamy bananas, gooey dates and luxurious avocados. Not the greasy, fried dead body parts of my friends. No thanks - that's gross. 

The banana ice cream got a bit icy (Boo.) so let this cake thaw for about 20-30 minutes until it gets creamy again. It's gonna be hard not to eat half of every layer as you make them and put them in bowls. I know I did. Like, what the heck, Nature - why you gotta be so awesome all the time? You're making the rest of us look bad. All I can do is play with your perfect creations and pretend to take credit for "making" them. Shh...

banana chocolate caramel ice cream cake:

Crust (optional):
1 cup almonds
1 cup dates

Caramel:
1 cup dates
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon almond butter

Chocolate pudding:
1 avocado
1/4 cup cacao 
1 tablespoon nut milk
1/4 cup agave nectar (or 1/2 cup dates + 1/4 cup water)

Banana ice cream:
3 frozen bananas
seeds of one vanilla pod

Goji berry coulis (optional):
1/4 cup dried goji berries
3 tablespoons agave nectar
1/8 cup water

Make the crust: pulse the nuts in your food processor until they become crumbs, add the dates and process until combined and sticking together. Press into the bottom of a spring form pan and set aside.

Make the caramel: process the ingredients in your food processor until smooth, thick and creamy. Place in a bowl and set aside. Follow the same instructions for the chocolate pudding and goji berry coulis.

Make the ice cream: blend the bananas and vanilla in your high speed blender until thick, smooth, creamy and white. It may take a minute but then it changes into ice cream really fast, so pay attention.

Assemble the cake: spread the ice cream in the bottom of your spring form pan and then spread the caramel over that, mixing it into the ice cream a little with a spatula. Then carefully spread the chocolate pudding over this and put in the freezer overnight. When it's ready, let it thaw for 20-30 minutes then decorate with the coulis and serve with bananas and other fresh, organic fruit.

chocolate banana pie with coconut whipped cream

oh, baby! this pie rocks. or should i say... it RAWKS. (i know, i know. comedic genius. i think i might go on tour.) it's pretty much all raw but i can't lie - the coconut milk i used was not. i don't mind. this pie is too delicious to care. besides, before i went vegan i LOVED whipped cream and this vegan version hits the spot where whipped cream is missing in my life. it's actually better because it has hints of coconut.

i have made a pie like this before, and i felt i should make it again because well... do i need a reason? no. but now i have some nicer pictures of it. 

i would write a longer post but yesterdays post provided a pretty good summary of how i have been. busy but happy! i've actually gotta run now to make some fabulous quinoa sushi with my girlfriend while we watch lord of the rings. those movies are the most epic things that exist, i am pretty certain. 

try to think of something more epic. 

anyhoo - life is good. this pie TASTES good; makes ya feel good, look good - if someone were to bite you, it'd probably make YOU taste good. don't judge my logic. my excuse is that i am crazy. i am just rambling about nothing right now because there is some excellent music playing while i type this so i can't concentrate  but i also do not have the will power to turn off my music. wanna hear what i am listening to? check it.

chocolate banana pie with whipped coconut cream: makes one pie

crust:

1 cup pecans

1 cup walnuts

1 1/2 cups dates or raisins

pinch of salt 

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

filling:

3 peeled bananas (save one to slice)

1/4 cup cashew butter

2 tablespoons melted coconut oil 

1/4 cup agave/maple syrup

1/4 cup nut milk (use as little as possible)

pinch of salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup cacao powder

coconut whipped cream:

1 can coconut milk, put in the fridge overnight

seeds from 1 vanilla pod

1/8 teaspoon stevia or powdered raw sugar

to make the crust, process the nuts (in your food processor) into very small crumbs and add the dates or raisins and the rest of the crust ingredients. process until it all sticks together. press into a pie dish and put in the freezer.

to make the filling, blend all the ingredients until smooth then let it set and thicken in the fridge. when it's thick enough, spoon into the pie crust and layer with that remaining sliced banana. set in the fridge.

to make the coconut whipped cream, put your mixing bowl and whisk in the freezer. take the coconut milk out of the fridge and spoon off the really thick stuff on top (full fat, baby, mmm). put this in your mixing bowl with the stevia/sugar and vanilla seeds and whisk until it's thick! i have a kitchen-aid so it's really easy for me. spread this all over your pie and let it set in the freezer or fridge for a few hours. or... devour it right away.

chocolate banana berry pudding

first of all - one green planet is letting me write for them!!! <3 so check this post out on their website too. they're one of my fave vegan organizations and they cover all territories of the lifestyle in a very cool way.

now i have some questions for you: do you like bananas? do you like chocolate? do you like peanut butter? do you like berries? do you like delicious, health-giving food?

i sure hope so; because then you will love this recipe. it's so tasty, and as all food should be - good for you and your sexy bod. it's pretty much just fruit blended with some cacao and nut butter. you don't have to add nut butter though (if you want it to be fat-free).

i've made chocolate pudding with avocado before and it's freaking mind-blowing-good. but bananas and berries are amazing in their own right so this is an alternative version. eat it up! get your fruit for the day.

i can't understand why people would choose to eat processed chocolate pudding from powder that might cause chronic illness and cancer, when you can eat a whole foods fruit pudding that's cheaper AND will give you longer life, glowing skin, and optimal brain function. for me, it's a no brainer ;)

chocolate berry pudding: serves 1-2 

1 banana

handful frozen strawberries

handful blueberries

3-5 dates or prunes

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

2 tablespoons cacao 

1/4 cup non-dairy milk (or more, add as needed)

1 tablespoon nut butter/coconut oil to make it creamy (optional)

blend all ingredients together until silky smooth! easy easy easy. top off with goji berries and mint if you have them. best enjoyed in the summer sun with people you love. and music you love... like this song: