I don’t know what it is, but every night after dinner I crave something sweet. In fact, I love sweets, but it’s the sweet-and-salty combination that I crave the most. There was a time when I could easily devour an entire one-pound bag of peanut m&ms in a single sitting. And don’t get me started on Snickers bars…I’m pretty sure I just did the Homer Simpson gurgle/drool when i said that. I realize now though that the guilt and the nasty, sugar-coma feelings that follow such indulgences are simply not worth it anymore.

Does that mean that I no longer enjoy amazingly decadent desserts? Heck no!

It only seems fitting that the first dessert recipe I post should be my absolute favorite! But this is not just any dessert. This is a wonderful raw dessert made from nutritious ingredients. How can a dessert be good for you and still taste delicious, you might ask? Well, when it contains antioxidant and vitamin-rich ingredients like walnuts, coconut, avocados, bananas and cacao, there’s just no way you can go wrong!

Let me break this down a little further:

~Walnuts are high in omega-3 fats, important for their role in reducing inflamation throughout the body. They are also high in antioxidant and anti-inflammatory phytonutrients known to decrease the risk for certain types of cancers.

~Bananas are an excellent source of vitamin C and potassium.

~Avocados, considered by many to be a super-fruit, are high in fiber, vitamins K, C, B5, B6, and potassium. They are also high in oleic acid, known to assist our bodies in the absorption of fat-soluble nutrients and proven to lower the risk for heart disease. It’s also (obviously) one of my favorite foods

~Raw cacao powder is high in antioxidants, dietary fiber, and magnesium.

~Coconut is an excellent source of dietary fiber and lauric acid, which has powerful anti-bacterial properties and is known to strengthen the immune system.

So many amazing ingredients! And because this dessert is completely raw, all of the nutrients and natural enzymes in the foods remain intact, allowing our beautiful bodies to truly reap the benefits that these foods provide! Sound amazing? I think so!

Now for the recipe

Mini Raw Cocoa-licious Pies
Makes 2 mini pies

For the crust:

-2/3 cup walnuts
-1/3 cup shredded coconut
-2 medjool dates. pitted
-pinch of sea salt

Instructions: Combine all of the crust ingredients in a food processor. When the mixture begins to stick, press into pie dishes using your fingers (before I had the mini pie dishes I used small, round tupperware). Place the crust in the refrigerator or freezer while preparing the filling. So far, it will look something like this:

For the filling:

-1/2 avocado
-1/2 banana
-1/4 cup almond milk
-3 Tbs. cacao powder
-1/4 tsp. stevia or 2 tsp. honey
-pinch of sea salt

Instructions: Blend all of the filling ingredients in a food processor or blender. Make sure to do a taste-test to ensure that you reach your desired sweetness. Once done, pour the filling into the pie crusts and return to the fridge or freezer for at least 15 minutes (I’m impatient so I put them in the freezer). Now the pies will look something like this:

At this point, you can either eat the pie as-is or add whatever toppings you like. The sky’s the limit! I prefer to top mine with my homemade coconut whipped cream (I’ll be sharing the recipe for this very soon) and cacao nibs or shredded coconut. Yep, I’m drooling again. I love that I can enjoy this dessert knowing that I’m satisfying my sweet-and-salty craving and doing my body good. I hope you enjoy as much as I do!

I’ve also provided an easily-printable version of the recipe:

Reference: whfoods.com