Attention all chocolate lovers: Do you ever feel guilty after indulging in your favorite sweet treat? Do you wish that there was a way that you could satisfy your sweet tooth guilt-free? Well, it’s time to celebrate! Cacao, or raw chocolate, is the superfood of the week. Known as the ‘good-mood brain food,’ cacao serves as a natural anti-depressant, gives you energy WITHOUT the help of caffeine, allows the body to absorb more of the healing qualities of herbs, contains high levels of antioxidants, magnesium, iron, and zinc (just to name a few!), and helps prevent of heart disease.
However, only cacao in its raw state has these amazing health benefits. So, can recipes involving raw chocolate be as decadent as your favorite Hershey bar? Try one of these sweet and savory recipes from our raw foods experts and then you can be the judge! We think that you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
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Sinful Chocolate Pie from The Art of Raw Food by Jens Casupei and Vibeke Kaupert
Crust:
3/4 cup nuts
1/2 cup raw cacao
1 1/2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 pinch of salt
Filling:
3/4 cups raw cacao
2 1/2 cups dates
3 tablespoons coconut oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
Garnish:
Fresh raspberries
Grind nuts into flour in a coffee grinder. Stir cacao, coconut oil, and salt with the nut flour until you get a solid mass. Spread the mass in as thin a layer as possible in a pie dish lined with wax paper. Mix the ingredients for the filling in a food processor until creamy. Pour the filling into the pie dish and leave it in the refrigerator for a couple of hours. If it has to be served quickly, you can place it in the freezer for about an hour instead. Serve on a plate with fresh raspberries or try with passion fruit. Yum!
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Superfood Trail Mix from Rawlicious by Peter and Beryn Daniel
1/2 cup goji berries
1/2 cup cacao nibs
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup Brazil nuts
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
Mix all ingredients together in a large jar. It’s super nutritious and will give your body true nourishment when you are hungry for a snack!
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CLICK HERE to learn more about The Art of Raw Food.
CLICK HERE to learn more about Rawlicious.
Mmm cacao…arguably the best of the Superfoods
Agreed!!
It’s pretty amazing that cacao contains the highest amount of anti-oxidants, isn’t it? I wish people can stop having the misconception that highly processed chocolate is good for the health! They are much better off with making a hot cacao drink!