When it comes to vegan and especially raw baking, you’ll learn that you just need some basic ingredients. Once you have them in your pantry you can play around with them and add more special ingredients or flavors if you like. My personal basics include almond flour, glutenfree oats, maple and agave syrup, coconut sugar, dairy-free milk, fresh dates, coconut oil or coconut mousse, sea salt, any kinds of nut butters, vegan chocolate chips, dark chocolate, cacao powder, carob powder and cinnamon.
If you have any specific questions concerning what brands I prefer, feel free to drop a comment or an email.
Alright let’s talk about the real thing!
These raw chocolate caramel slices have a carob top layer which combines so nicely with the chocolate, caramely flavor of the rest. Carob powder is my absolute addiction at the moment!
Base
1/2 cup almond flour (any other flour types might work as well, but you have to experiment)
1/4 glutenfree oats
7 medjool dates
1 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp coconut oil
a pinch of sea salt
Blend the oats until they reach a “flour” consistency. Add the almond flour and combine.
Add the dates, maple syrup, coconut oil and sea salt one by one until the mix is nicely combined.
You should get a doughy texture that will hold together nicely once you press it together with your fingers.
Line square baking tin with baking paper (or use silicon tin, highly recommended when available) and
Press the dough evenly into the bottom of the tin. Once the dough is spread evenly you can freeze to set.
Chocolate-Caramel base
14 Medjool dates
2 tbsp coconut oil (melted)
2 tbsp almond butter (substitutes are Tahini, peanut butter or sunflower seed butter)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup raw maple syrup
1/2 cup raw cacao powder
(pinch of warm water)
Blend everything together till nice and creamy. If you feel like the texture is too sticky, you might need to blend in some warm water. it often depends on the “dryness” of your nut butter.
Spread the chocolate mix over the base layer, which should have hardened by now, and set in the freezer.
Carob layer
1/3 cup melted cacao butter (substitute: coconut oil, shea butter)
1/3 cup carob powder
3 tbsp brown rice syrup (agave syrup, maple syrup, liquid stevia…)
a pinch of cinnamon (just because I love it!)
Stir down cacao butter, carob powder, rice syrup and cinnamon until everything is well incorporated. Pour over the sauce on top of the caramel-chocolate layer and freeze the whole thing for about 30 minutes.
