vanilla cheesecake with chocolate crust, strawberries, cacao nibs + pistachios

Every part of this is epic. Chocolate cookie crust. Creamy vanilla cashew cheesecake. Strawberries topping it all off. I was going to put this recipe in my COOKBOOK (it is still extremely exciting for me to type that word) but I reached over 15,000 likes on facebook yesterday and thought "Hey, these guys deserve something special for being so freaking amazing, loving and supportive". So here ya go.

It kind of tastes like a giant Oreo, plus strawberries. Eeeexxxccellent. You know what else is excellent? The fact that every single recipe in my upcoming book is going to be just as awesome as this one. I'm not kidding around - I am putting my ALL into this book because I really want it to be a practical tool in the kitchen, as well as a powerful one to impress. Wink wink. Also, I am perfectionist and have to be proud of what I create. There will not be one boring or mediocre recipe in the entire {un}cookbook. That's my promise!

The toppings for this cake are optional but they make it so perdy, don't ya think? I'll be keeping it in the freezer until Saturday, when I'll be hosting a raw vegan dessert party. Yes; that IS the best four word combination possible. As you know, I've been making at least one dessert recipe every day and I figured I can't eat them all - as much as I'd like to - so I may as well share them! Other ways to give away loads of desserts: I'm going to be catering the desserts for a friends party next weekend, and also handing out my extra recipes to the homeless people downtown. Wholesome nutrition for everyone!

vanilla cheesecake with chocolate crust, strawberries, cacao nibs + pistachios 

Crust:

1 cup pecans

1 cup dates

2 tablespoon cacao powder

Cheesecake:

1 cup each of cashews, pine nuts, shredded coconut, and dates
1/2 cup water, as needed

Seeds from one vanilla bean (and/or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)

2 tablespoons each of maple syrup and melted coconut oil

Topping:

Strawberries
2 tablespoons cacao nibs
2 tablespoons pistachios, roughly chopped

To make the crust: pulse the pecans in your food processor until they become a rough flour. Add the dates and cacao and process until it begins to stick together. Press into the bottom and halfway up the sides of a small spring form pan (mine was about 6 inches) and put in the fridge. 

To make the cheesecake: blend all the ingredients until smooth and thick. Pour into your crust and then refrigerate overnight so it can set and the flavours can develop. Two days is even better. Decorate with the toppings and enjoy! 

avocado banana chocolate milkshakes with vanilla bean coconut cream

I assure you, these WILL bring all the health-conscious and morally compassionate boys to the yard. What other kind would you want running around on your lawn anyway? The recipe is a rich, creamy, chocolate milkshake made with bananas, avocado and dates. I topped it off with whipped vanilla bean coconut cream and cacao nibs. It is actually perfection, and I don't take any credit - as per usual, this is all thanks to Momma Nature. 

If you don't like or have avocado, you can use this "milkshake" recipe instead. It basically just has more bananas and is equally delicious, in my humble opinion. 

I guess sometimes you just need to drink a giant whole food milkshake, not stopping to breathe, and fighting anyone who tries to steal a sip, then of course lick the glass clean afterwards... right!? I mean, it contributes to a healthy mind and body! Necessary pleasures are... necessary.

I WILL say that this recipe has a proud amount of fat - but don't run and hide from me just because I said that, okay? They are super healthy fats that your gorgeous bod needs to thrive. Just keep your other fat intake low on the day you eat this and you ain't got nuttin' to worry about. In fact - expect to see your skin and hair look a bit shinier. Coconut milk is mega awesome for you, and so is the mean, lean, green avocado.

avocado banana chocolate milkshakes with vanilla bean coconut cream: serves 3 or 4

Chocolate millshake or use this recipe:

1 avocado

1 banana

1 cup dates

1 large scoop Vega chocolate protein powder (or 2 tablespoons cacao powder + 1/4 teaspoon stevia)

1-2 cups vegan milk 

1-2 cups ice

Whipped coconut cream:

1 can coconut milk, left in the fridge or freezer overnight

Bean from 1/2 vanilla pod

1/8 teaspoon stevia 

To make the milkshake: blend all the ingredients until smooth, adding as much vegan milk and ice as needed to make it thick, creamy and cold. Adjust according to taste, then fill up 3 or 4 glasses.

To make the whipped cream: take the can out of the fridge - DON'T SHAKE IT! Open it gently and scoop off the solid fat that has settled on the top. Put it in your mixer bowl (I have a Kitchen Aid), or a normal bowl if you have a handheld mixer. Add the stevia and vanilla beans and whisk until stiff peaks form. Top off your glasses with it and enjoy the heck out of what you just made. 

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. 

vanilla chocolate chunk cheesecake with peanut butter + coconut

This is my new favourite recipe, and you can probably see why. Chocolate, peanut butter, banana, coconut, vanilla - all in one gooey, decadent cheesecake. Just... YES. I made this for my boyfriend as an apology cake and I'm pretty sure it guarantees I am forgiven. Although I may have just jinxed it... Nawwwww. I'm good. Look at this thing. 

Seriously, make this for people who call you mean names for being vegan or eating healthy. They will never mock your diet choices again. It tastes so deliciously dirty. I crammed a piece into my mouth (sans cutlery) while moaning "OH. MY. GOSH." The boyfriend had two slices before it was even dinner time. 

A couple side notes: I sprinkled some date pieces, coconut flakes and cacao nibs throughout the layers for extra texture - I recommend doing this. The dates are chewy, the cacao nibs are crunchy, the coconut flakes are... coconut-y goodness. Also, I decorated the top with some chocolates I had made the day before. You can use my raw chocolate recipe here. 

vanilla chocolate chunk cheesecake with peanut butter + coconut: 

Crust:

1 cup oats (or buckwheat if you want it GF)

1 cup dates

Cheesecake:

2 or more bananas

1/4 cup melted coconut oil

2 cups cashews

1 1/2 cups dates

1/4 cup liquid sweetener, like maple syrup, if desired

Beans from one vanilla pod (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract) 

Water, as needed

1/4 cup cacao or carob powder

Topping:

3 tablespoons raw chocolate

3 tablespoons raw peanut butter (or you can use regular - it's up to you)

To make the crust: process the oats (or buckwheat) and dates until they stick together. Press into the bottom of a spring form pan and put in the fridge. 

To make the cheesecake: blend all ingredients - EXCEPT cacao or carob - until very smooth. Add as little water as possible to keep your cheesecake creamy. If you don't want to add any water, use some liquid sweetener or another banana. Now take out half the batter and put in a bowl. Add the cacao or carob in the remaining batter that is still in your blender and blend until it's incorporated. Now spread the vanilla layer and the chocolate layers on your crust, alternating a few times. Set in the freezer overnight and then drizzle with peanut butter and chocolate the next day. Enjoy! 

vanilla torte with chocolate "buttercream" frosting & maca slices

I fashioned this recipe after something called a Dobos torte. A reader asked me to make a raw version of it just as I was brainstorming what to make next... (fate or coincidence?) Whatever your beliefs, I think this turned out pretty yumtastically.
Yes, I do invent words.

Luckily most of you won't know what a Dobos torte is so I'm off the hook for not recreating it that well. It's supposed to be a vanilla sponge cake, thinly layered with chocolate buttercream and topped with hard caramel slices. I didn't make enough layers because (a) this cake doesn't need that many layers to make it filling and satisfying; I didn't want to make each slice a challenge to eat because it was too much and (b) I just didn't make enough cake or frosting. I'M NOT PERFECT, OKAY.

I chose to make maca slices on top because I couldn't think of anything to make a raw HARD caramel from. Date caramel is out-of-this-freaking-universe-delicious but it's not the right consistency for this. So maca powder blended with coconut oil, which turns solid here at room temperature (thanks, chilly Northern climates) did the trick and looks fairly decent, in my own subjective opinion. What say you?

If you'd like to use avocado instead of cashews, go ahead. I would have done that but my avocados chose to go rotten without telling me. What jerks. Just because they're sexy, beautiful and everyone loves them - they think they can do whatever they want. (Okay but actually I was just oblivious and let them go bad. Shut up.)

vanilla torte with chocolate "buttercream" & maca slices: 

Cake:

1 cup oats

1 cup buckwheat groats

1-2 cups dates

Seeds from 1 vanilla pod 

Frosting:

1 cup cashews (or 1 avocado) 

1/4 cup cacao

1/4 cup melted liquid coconut oil

1/4 cup maple syrup, date paste, or other sweetener

1/2 teaspoon vanilla 

Maca slices:
2 tablespoons each of maca powder, liquid coconut oil, and maple syrup 

To make the cake: pulse the oats and groats in your food processor until they are small crumbs. Add the dates and vanilla and process until it all sticks together slightly. Put in a bowl and set aside. 

To make the frosting: if you're using an avocado just throw everything in and blend. If not, pulse the cashews in your food processor until they become very fine crumbs, basically cashew butter. Add all the other ingredients and blend until smooth. Put in a fridge. 

Make the maca slices: blend the ingredients together then spread into a circle the same diameter as your cake. Let it harden in the fridge, this might take an hour or so. 

Assemble the thing: on parchment paper, press about 1/3 of the cake mixture into a thin circle layer with your hands. You can use a pan to help you shape it or draw a circle and use that to guide you. Transfer this carefully onto your presentation plate. Spread on 1/3 of the frosting evenly. Make another layer on the parchment paper and transfer it onto the first layers of cake and frosting. Continue until you run out. Cut the maca circle into eight slices and place on top of your cake. THEN EAT IT.

chocolate & vanilla ice cream sandwiches (suitable for hipsters)

I've made ice cream sandwiches before... but that was when I was just starting out with this whole blog thing. I'm so happy with where I am now. Thank you all for your kindness. Anyways - I was deciding what to make last night and ice cream sandwiches popped into my brain (not literally... that would be gross. How would that even work? Okay, never mind.) 

They turned out exactly as I had hoped. Soft chocolate pieces holding together raw, dairy-free ice cream. In fact, I used three different kinds of ice cream for these guys. Banana soft serve, olive oil, and vanilla caramel. Each one is unique and delicious in it's own special way... AW SO SWEET. (Now that I DO mean literally.)

My boyfriend liked them so much that he tried to eat them all but I was able to stop his beastly manner and satisfy his sweet tooth with just one. Must save the rest for my family! And... myself...

The crust is nut-free (if you don't add peanut butter) because I used mostly buckwheat groats - they are rawkin' and seriously nutritious; gluten-free too, which is never a bad thing. Another plus? These babies are suitable for hipsters! I used triangle molds for some of them so I know the trendy alternative youth of my generation will flock to these like a grimy pair of used sneakers. I'm not judging - I have only love for you (and you and you). To be honest, I myself have been called a hipster on many an occasion. Ain't no thang.

Make these for your sweet heart, your friends, family or complete strangers. I wish I had made more so I could eat more but alas, it's just one for every member of my family. Feel free to play around with the crust - I bet it would be awesome if you added a bit of cayenne. Let's get spicy up in here. 

I don't really remember what a conventional ice cream sandwich tastes like but it can't be better than this. Whole food frozen treats? Count me in! There's simply nothing better than indulging in something decadent and delicious, knowing you are making your body, the earth and the animals happy. Well I don't really have anything else to talk about for today so I will leave by saying: MAKE THESE! The recipe is below.

chocolate & vanilla ice cream sandwiches: makes 8-10, depending on the size

Crust:
1 cup buckwheat groats, preferably soaked in water for 1-3 hours
1/4 cup cacao powder
1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3 tablespoons hemp seeds
1 cup dates, or more as needed 
2 tablespoons nut butter (optional)

Ice cream:
banana ice cream OR
coconut ice cream (this is the more decadent option) 

To make the crust: pulse the dry ingredients in your food processor until it's like a rough flour. Add the rest of the ingredients and process until it forms a ball or clumps together.

Using half the crust mixture, press into the bottom of cookie cutter molds or whatever else you want to use. Scoop softened ice cream into each one and then set in the freezer for an hour or so, until the ice cream is hard again. Press on the remaining half of the crust mixture. Let them set in the freezer for 30 more minutes and then push them out of the molds, gently. Enjoy!