Quick Vegan Chocolate Treat. Keep Your Raw Food Diet Simple!

I almost didn’t post this as an actual recipe, but I’d be remiss not to. The raw food diet is often surprisingly simple. When you’re dealing with whole-food plants, the flavors are out of this world. Combine a few together and you’ve got a fast and easy solution to any candy craving.

Of course, my favorite “candy” is what I call “sun candy,” otherwise known as fresh fruit! But there are other simple raw vegan sweets you can throw together in a pinch. This is one of them.

One day, I was putting together a new raw food dessert recipe for my book and got the munchies while doing so. So I sprinkled some raw cacao nibs on top of fresh raw almond butter spread on a medjool date and had a snack that was more delicious than any factory-produced junk food candy bar.

Plus, bonus, this kind of sweet treat is actually very nutritious!

Raw cacao is chocolate in its purest form. No additives, preservatives, dairy, or refined sugars. Cacao is loaded with antioxidants and PEA (phenethylamine), the “feel good” chemical. The nibs alone can be pretty bitter, I’m warning you! They are an acquired taste and I do not suggest you dive into them thinking they will taste like a chocolate candy bar on their own. But paired with some dates, you’re good to go!

dates

Dates taste just like caramels, plus they are so good for you. They are rich in vitamins and minerals and contain plenty of fiber. They are truly nature’s sweetest, chewiest, gooiest candies.

When I help people get off of refined sugar, I get them hooked on dates! Dates are not only great for raw desserts, but they are also fantastic in smoothies. I always try to keep some dates handy in my kitchen.

The sugar in dates is a natural preservative, so they almost never go bad. They just keep drying out over time. Tip: Always pinch dates and pull them apart before eating them. On rare occasion, dates can grow a tiny bit of mold inside. I learned this the hard way, yuck! But remember, we’re dealing with fresh, living foods. Not Doritos. Fresh, whole plant foods can spoil. It’s natural! Just keep an eye out for it.

Now let’s talk about raw almond butter. Food of the Gods! Rich, mildly sweet, and creamy, raw almond butter is so delicious and can be used in a wide variety of raw food desserts, sauces, and dips. Almond butter derives most of its calories from fat, but it also contains protein and even calcium.

Almond butter really helped me transition to raw. In the early years I had NO idea what I was doing. As a result, some days I just didn’t know what to eat! I was also accustomed to a different kind of full feeling, so I craved fats more than I do today. Truth? Some days I would just eat raw almond butter by the spoonful because I was hungry but didn’t know what kind of raw food meal to make.

Funnily enough, because I had stripped away the processed foods that were keeping me toxic and fat, I still lost weight even though I was eating so much almond butter. Today, I would not eat as much of it because I prefer to eat a more balanced raw vegan diet.

So there you go. No official recipe needed. Just giving you another window into how raw food works in the real world, and how it can work for you.

The fact is, successful long-term raw foodists are not spending hours in the kitchen prepping, soaking, sprouting, and dehydrating. Those kinds of gourmet raw foods might look amazing & fancy, but who has the time? I have to get my kids to school, sports practices, lessons, you name it. And I work & exercise regularly. Make your plant-based diet work for YOUR uniquely busy life. I’m living proof that you can eat deliciously and nutritiously with a minimal amount of time, effort, or planning.

Yours in delicious heath,