Chocolate that’s good for you!

What? Yes, you read that right. Chocolate can be good for you. Sadly, I’m not talking about the Cadbury’s dairy milk, processed, full of numbers kind. No, I am talking about the raw, unprocessed and totally delicious kind. Meet my latest obsession, raw cacao.

In terms of health benefits, the primary difference is that raw cacao contains high levels of antioxidants and minerals, while refined chocolate does not. Raw cacao is also extremely high in magnesium. Wondering what to do with it?

Raw Vegan Chocolate Crunch Pudding

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup Mixed Nuts (cashews, almonds, and walnuts)
• 1/4 cup Rolled (not instant) Oats
• 1/8 cup Raw Cacao Powder
• 2 tbsp Organic Agave Nectar
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1/8 cup Almond Milk

How to:

In a food processor, blend nuts, oats and cacao powder. Once they reach the texture of flour, add in agave and vanilla. Blend until dough forms. Put dough into blender and add Almond Milk. Blend until pudding consistency. Refrigerate. Enjoy! :)

Adapted from: https://riiaeatsright.tumblr.com/tagged/riiasrecipepage

Raw Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Truffles

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Walnuts
• 1/4 cup Rolled Oats
• 8 Pitted Dates
• 1/4 Peanut Butter (find one that is 100% peanuts, ie. not kraft!)
• 1/8 cup Cacao Powder
• 1 tbsp Organic Agave Nectar (or Maple Syrup)
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract

How to:

In a food processor, blend walnuts, oats and dates. Once they reach a floury texture, add in peanut butter, cacao powder, agave, and vanilla. Blend until dough forms. Roll into little balls. Refrigerate. Enjoy! :)

Source: https://riiaeatsright.tumblr.com/tagged/riiasrecipepage

Raw Vegan Protein Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup Raw Almonds
• 1/3 cup Rolled Oats
• 3 tbsp Organic Agave Nectar
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• Handful of Raw Cacao Chips
• 1 scoop vegan vanilla protein powder

How to:

In a food processor, blend almonds, protein powder and oats. Once they reach the texture of flour, add in agave and vanilla. Blend until dough forms. Mix in cacao chips with a spoon. Roll into little balls. Refridgerate. Enjoy! :)

Adapted from https://riiaeatsright.tumblr.com/tagged/riiasrecipepage

Raw Cacao Cake

A cute one to make for a dinner party or when you’re trying to impress!

Ingredients:

• 240g walnuts
• Dash salt
• 12 pitted medjool dates, un-soaked
• 6 tablespoons raw cacao powder
• 2 tablespoons agave syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean extract
• 3 teaspoons water
• Optional – fresh fruit to garnish (blueberries and or raspberries)

How to:

• Blend nuts and salt in a food processor until finely ground. Add dates, raw cacao powder, agave and vanilla, process until mixture begins to stick together. Add the water and process briefly.
• Line a dinner plate with greaseproof paper. Add the mix and form into a 5-inch round cake. Wrap the cake in the greaseproof paper and place in the freezer for around half an hour or chill for 2 hours in the fridge.
• While it sets happily, you can make this delicious icing or frosting or if you prefer it without any icing and are slightly impatient (like me), simply cut up into squares and eat as brownies!

Frosting:

• 2 tablespoons raw cacao powder
• 1-2 tablespoons agave (to taste)
• ½ teaspoon vanilla bean extract
• 1 avocado

How to:

Blend the ingredients. Remove the cake from the freezer/fridge. Place on a serving place. Ice the cake with the frosting mix and place back in the fridge to set for around 1 hour. You can also garnish with fresh blueberries or raspberries, serve and enjoy!

Hot Chocolate

A favourite winter treat is Hot Chocolate. It makes me shudder thinking of the huge dollop of whipped cream on a traditional one. You can still totally enjoy your favourite drink (maybe even more since you won’t have the sugar hangover or post-milk tummy cramps). With a little pinch of cinnamon, you’ll also stabilise your blood sugar. Delicious and nutritious!!!!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup almond milk
• 1-2 tablespoons of raw cacao
• 1 teaspoon agave syrup (or more to taste)
• Sprinkle of Cinnamon.

How to:

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Very carefully warm up, remove from heat before it boils so you can make sure you still get all the health benefits of the raw cacao.

Some ready made options

My favourite is Loving Earth’s range. The mint and/or orange combos are my current obsessions (see below).

Some important notes!

It’s important to note that raw cacao is still chocolate and like all treats, should be had in moderation. In fact, after a recent binge (and the unpleasant after effects) on my new addiction, Loving Earth’s LuvJu bars, I started to look into why exactly I was suddenly struggling to sleep and feeling a little anxious as well!

Turns out, raw cacao contains over 300 naturally occurring chemicals (including caffeine) and because these chemicals are presented to us in raw form, the chemicals in raw cacao can sometimes be more potent than processed chocolate. These chemicals stimulate our neurotransmitters and can have a significant impact on the central nervous system, gastrointestinal system, cardiovascular and endocrine system which can even result in anxiety, insomnia, gastrointestinal disorders, adrenal fatigue and many more.

I guess as a chocolate addict, like all addicts, I was looking for a way to justify the usage or consumption of my (daily) drug of choice. So as with all indulgences, moderation is key. In order to get all the amazing benefits of raw cacao without the nasty anxiety, hyperactivity, racing heartbeat and insomnia.

Repeat after me... A piece, not a bar of raw chocolate... One, not 5 raw chocolate truffles.