This is a fantastic dessert recipe perfect for Valentine’s Day. This tasty dessert contains all the luscious chocolate-y goodness of regular pudding– but it’s even better!! It contains no dairy  or gluten whatsoever. I consider this recipe to be raw, but because there is pure maple syrup in it…it technically is not raw. Regardless, anyone you make this for on Valentine’s Day will love. And if you don’t have anyone to make it for than you are lucky and can have it all to yourself!!

Raw Coconut Chocolate Pudding  (adapted from Raw Food Real World)

• meat from two coconuts (approx. 2 cups)
• 3/4 – 1 cup coconut water
• 1/2 cup raw cacao powder
• 1/4 cup coconut palm syrup
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla bean powder
• pinch of Himalayan sea salt
• raspberries and strawberries

Starting with 3/4 cup coconut water, blend all ingredients in blender until smooth. I used my new Vita-Mix for this!!!! Adjust thickness by adding more coconut water if desired. I served this with raspberries and strawberries and thought it made the perfect combination. Enjoy!

For another healthy Valentine’s recipe, check out this raw coconut yogurt.

Head on over to One Green Planet to grab this yummy recipe!

I hope you all had great holidays and fun New Year’s celebrations! I had a great Christmas, spent in Whistler with my family and my boyfriend. It snowed the whole time, and I gave snowboarding a go. Our car was jam-packed so when we picked up a little Christmas tree there one was only one place for it…thanks Mom! We also had no room to bring up ornaments for the tree….but we are a festive family and thought of something suitable

New Year’s was also spent in Whistler and my boyfriend and I enjoyed a great meal at Earl’s and more than enough jagerbombs!!

With the holidays behind us though, it’s time to get back on track! But that does not mean you have to skip dessert. 

Raw food desserts are amazing because they taste delicious and sweet, as dessert should, but they are made with healthful and nutrient-dense ingredients! I first tried this coconut cream pie in a raw food class that I took. It blew me away that something could taste this good and not only be healthy, but also contain so few ingredients. It was so rich and satisfying that just a small portion is all you need.

This recipe can make one large 9-inch pie, but I chose to make 5 smaller pies instead.

RAW Coconut Cream Pie

Crust:

• 2.5 cups dry coconut flakes
• 1/8 tsp sea salt
• 1 cup packed, finely chopped dates
• 1/4 tsp raw vanilla powder, or 2 vanilla beans

• 1 1/4 cups coconut milk (this is coconut meat and water blended together- not canned coconut milk.
•  3/4 cups coconut meat
• 3/4 cup packed, finely chopped dates
• 1/2 tsp vanilla powder
• 2 pinches salt
• 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp raw scented coconut butter

Blend all ingredients except coconut butter in blender until smooth. Add coconut butter last and blend until smooth. **If you have a Vita-mix this will be easy…if you are like me and don’t have one, you may need a bit of extra liquid or to do small batches. I ended up using a food processor for this step because my blender sucks.** Pour into prepared crust and top with coconut flakes. Refrigerate or freeze for about an hour. Enjoy!

The other day it was one of my best friends birthday, and I was super excited to make some cupcakes for her! She works at Starbucks and I thought I would make some adorable Starbucks themed cupcakes. We also recently took a trip to Seattle and of course hit up Starbucks every single day!

Pike Place Market

Taylor + Randi at Starbucks

Pike Street

I made a basic vegan yellow cupcake, filled them with a delicious caramel sauce, and topped them off with a swiss meringue buttercream. Of course if you make these, you’ll have to discreetly steal some supplies from Starbucks….hehehe!

Vegan Yellow Cupcakes (adapted from here)

• 1 cup almond milk
• 1 tsp apple cider vinager
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt (increase to 1/2 tsp if using oil instead of vinegar)
• 1/2 non-hydrogenated margarine, softenened, or 1/3 cup canola oil
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 tsp espresso (I used instant)
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin pan with cupcake liners. Whisk the almond milk and vinegar in a measuring cup and set aside for a few minutes to get good and curdled. If using margarine: Sift the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl and mix. In a separate large bowl, use a handheld mixer at medium speed to cream the margarine and sugar for about 2 minutes until light and fluffy. (Don’t beat past 2 minutes.) Beat in the espresso and vanilla, then alternate beating in the almond milk mixture and dry ingredients, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl a few times.

If using oil: Beat together the almond milk mixture, oil, sugar, vanilla, and other extracts, if using, in a large bowl. Sift in the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and mix until no large lumps remain.

Fill cupcake liners two-thirds of the way and bake for 20 to 22 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack, and let cool completely before frosting.

Caramel Sauce (adapted from here)

1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks)
2 1/4 cups brown sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1 10-oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

Cut butter into evenly sized cubes and melt over low heat in large 3-4 quart saucepan.
Once butter is fully melted, add brown sugar, being careful to avoid the sides of the pan. If any stray sugar crystals fall onto side of pan, carefully brush off with a wet pastry brush.
Once butter and sugar are fully combined, add corn syrup and condensed milk. Clip on candy thermometer to side of pan.
Cook mixture on low heat (still continually stirring) for about a minute or two. Increase heat to medium and continue to cook/ stir until mixture reaches 225 degrees. Once the mixture is removed from heat, stir in vanilla extract.

Swiss Meringue Buttercream

3/4 cup sugar
4 egg whites
3 sticks unsalted butter (at room temperature)
1 tbsp vanilla extract

Heat sugar, egg whites, and salt in a heatproof mixer bowl set over a pan of simmering water, whisking until sugar dissolves and mixture registers 160 degrees on a candy thermometer. Return bowl to mixer, and whisk, gradually increasing speed from low to medium-high, until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 10 minutes. Reduce speed to medium. Add butter, a few pieces at a time, whisking well after each addition. Whisk in vanilla. Switch to a paddle attachment and beat until air bubbles are gone, 2 to 3 minutes more.

It’s that time of year when I get to start baking for Christmas! I loooove Christmas baking, and I kicked off the season’s treats with these Lemon Lavender Shortbread. I’ve made this recipe a few times now and it takes the rich buttery taste of shortbread and pairs it up with the delicate scent of lemon and lavender. These are so unique- I bet your family and guests will never have tried a cookie flavoured with lavender before. The recipe is a snap to make, but do make sure you follow the chilling times even if you are impatient

Lemon Lavender Shortbread (recipe from Epicure Selections)

• 1/2 lb (125 g) butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 heaping tsp lavender (I use this)
• 1 heaping tsp fresh lemon zest
• 1 cup all purpose flour

I was contacted by the company Olives & Things, a relatively new company made up of a Spanish woman and her Canadian husband with the intention of bringing 100% natural products of the Mediterranean and Spain to the world.

I was able to try the Cazorliva, a Spanish, cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil. I wanted to try it in a recipe that really focused on the flavour of the olive oil itself. I chose a Spanish tapa, “Pan con Tomate”. It’s basically toast with tomato and garlic and lots of delicious olive oil. It’s a widely eaten dish all over Spain.

Pan con Tomate

• 1 baguette
• 1-2 big juicy tomatoes
• 1 clove of garlic
• sea salt
• 1-2 tbsp Olives & Things Cazorlina extra virgin olive oil

When I saw this recipe over at France’s Beyond the Peel, I knew I would have to make it! I love that it uses wholegrain flour, has honey in the icing, and 3 whole cups of zucchini! Not to mention the chocolate and espresso combination has to be one of my favourites!

Chocolate Zucchini Cake (adapted from Beyond The Peel)

• 1/2 cup melted coconut oil (or softened butter)
• 1 1/4 cup raw cane sugar (1 3/4 cup coconut sugar)
• 4 eggs (*I used Ener-G egg replacer for 4 eggs)
• 1/2 cup full fat yogurt (*I used Greek yogurt)
• 2 cups sprouted whole wheat flour (*I used whole wheat pastry flour)
• 1/2 cup raw cocoa
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 cups grated zucchini (peel left on)
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts
• 2 tsp orange zest
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 2 Tbsp espresso or really strong coffee

These cookies are semi-healthy, made with whole wheat pastry flour, wholegrain oats, natural peanut butter, and dark chocolate chips. I used Ener-G egg replacer instead of a egg, but I’m quite sure a flax or chia egg would work perfectly, too. Lastly, butter could be replaced with Earth Balance to make this recipe completely vegan.

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies (adapted from here)

• 1/2 cup butter (or EB), softened
• 2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
• egg replacer for one egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 3/4 cups rolled oats
• 3 heaping tablespoons natural peanut butter
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, egg replacer and vanilla until smooth. Sift in the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt . Add the peanut butter. Lastly, stir in the oats and chocolate.

Scoop dough onto a parchment-lined or lightly greased baking sheet (I used a small ice cream scoop for evenly sized cookies.) The cookies should be two inches apart. Press down with a wet fork. Bake them for 10 to 12 minutes, taking them out when golden at the edges but still a little undercooked-looking on top. Let them sit on the hot baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a rack to cool.

I know I just recently posted a cupcake recipe….but really, is there such thing as to many cupcakes!?

For the last couple of years during the summer our town has been having outdoor movie nights. The most recent one was held in a park and the flick for the night was a 90′s classic- Jurassic Park. I knew I had to whip up a batch of dino- themed cupcakes! I used my favourite recipe for vegan chocolate cupcakes (again!) and decided on a cookies and cream flavoured icing. The Oreos in the icing tinted it grey and made me think of dirt and rocks (and dino poop as my friend pointed out…!) with the dinosaurs on top! We ordered a pizza, gathered up our blankets, and made plenty of popcorn. Cupcakes in tow we set up camp on the hillside to watch the movie. It was a bit chilly out but the sky was clear and it was great to be able to watch a movie we all love underneath the stars! The cupcakes were a hit, too

Chocolate Dino Cupcakes with Oreo Icing

Cupcakes:

• 1 cup almond milk
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt

If you’ve taken full advantage of strawberry season, you’re probably wondering what to do with the strawberries that you’ve bought or picked by the bucketload. A sorbet is a light and simple way to use up all those strawberries and not lose an ounce of flavour. This sorbet is vegan and  uses maple syrup as the sweetener as well as organic unrefined sugar.

Strawberry Sorbet

makes about 1 quart

•  2 1/2 pounds strawberries, rinsed and hulled
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• Pinch of sea salt

In a blender, purée the strawberries, sugar and syrup until smooth.  Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl.  Add a pinch of salt, stir and taste. If the mix isn’t sweet enough, simply add more sugar.  Refrigerate until chilled.  Freeze in an ice-cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instruction. Enjoy!

I also wanted to do a quick review of Clearly Fresh Bags.

I was given a sample package of Clearly Fresh Bags to try out. They are designed to prolong the life of your fruit and vegetables. I’ve tried these out for several days now and I’ve noticed a difference in the life of my avocados, and refrigerated vegetables. I find that avocados go mushy very fast but these bags kept them fresh longer. For things that require refrigeration, like carrots and celery, I just popped them in the Clearly Fresh Bags and then put them into the fridge. I would say that the bags helped them to stay crisp. My bananas were absolutely gross several days in…the bag was quite wet with condensation and the bananas were brown and mushy. I think the bags work better for refrigerated vegetables.

The bags are also recyclable if you take out the BreatheWay square.

It seems like these bags do what they say they will to an extent, although perhaps just using a regular ziploc bag would create similar results.  If you are interested in trying them out for yourself, or learning more about how they work, check out