{RAW} Cookies, Bars, & Truffles- Demystified

When I first met my husband, he was a raw foodie. His diet consisted mostly of cacao smoothies, kale salads, and lots of fermented stuff. In one of his books I found some recipes for raw truffles that sounded delicious, but was too intimidated to try them. I just didn't understand how those ingredients could possibly make a "dough" and solidify into a "cookie"? Many months later my lovely friend shared an incredibly simple raw truffle recipe with me. I was shocked... and absolutely hooked! Seriously. They were far better than any chocolate snack I had ever had. So, my curiosity led me to a great book in the library- see here. I tried a few of the recipes from the book, and quickly realized that raw desserts were just the most delicious, quick, and easy recipes ever. Pretty soon I started experimenting, and I found out that you can't mess these up! There is no such thing as exact proportions when making raw cookies, bars, or truffles. Not to mention that it is an absolute blast to experiment around with. So, if you've never made a raw dessert.. let's move out of your comfort zone and try something new today! You won't regret it. I'm going to share a few basic recipes to give you an idea of what the necessary ingredients are. There is a lot of room for deviation, creativity, and mistake with these recipes. 

So, the very first recipe I tried was the one given to me by my friend. Here it is:

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups of organic walnuts
• 3/4 cup of raisins 
• 1 T of organic honey
• 2 T organic cacao powder

 Blend walnuts in food processor. Add raisins, and process again. Add remaining ingredients, and process until you have a thick, cohesive dough. Easy, huh? You have a few options as to what you can do with your "dough". 

1. For a truffle- Roll it into 1 inch in diameter balls, then roll in shredded coconut or cacao powder. Freeze for 2 hours, then move to refrigerator. Store in the 'fridge for up to 1 week. 

2. For a cookie- Roll into 1/2  inch balls, then flatten into cookie. You can top these with a sprinkle of crushed walnuts, cacao powder, or shredded coconut. Freeze for 2 hours, then move to refrigerator. Store in the 'fridge for up to 1 week. 

3. For a bar- Press mixture into a 8 by 8 (or similar) square, or rectangular shaped dish. You can top these with a sprinkle of crushed walnuts, cacao powder, or shredded coconut. Freeze for 2 hours, then move to refrigerator. Cut into squares, or long rectangular bars. Store in the 'fridge for up to 1 week. 

After experimenting, I quickly realized you can use any nut, most any dried fruit, and any add-in(s). Try replacing the raisins with dried figs, dates or apricots! You can even play around with the proportions! Essentially, as long as you have a thick, cohesive dough- it will work! I want to note that cacao is not technically SCD legal, and I am not currently including it into my diet. However, you can substitute that add-in with: grated lemon and ginger, lemon and rosemary, cinnamon and pumpkin, etc. Get creative! And don't be afraid of ruining your mixture. I'll give an example: If you wish to add a few tablespoons of pumpkin puree and cinnamon to your mixture, your "dough" may not be thick enough. So, just add a few tablespoons of ground walnuts, coconut or almond flour. It's as simple as that. 

Here's what the finished product looks like! 

I also make a lot of of my treats without nuts! Unless you soak your nuts, they aren't the easiest things to digest. Here is another example of a simple recipe I base a lot of my treats from:

Ingredients

• 1 cup of organic shredded coconut (I use this- it's the best!)
• 3 tablespoons of organic coconut oil or cacao butter (I use this or this)
• 1.5 tablespoons of organic honey

That's all you need as the base. From there, you can go several routes. For the lovely yellow truffles below (my husband refers to them as "princess puffs"), I added 1 tablespoon of organic lemon zest, and 2 tablespoons of grated ginger. I also chose to use the Nutribullet to blend my mixture, as apposed to a food processor.  Any of these "doughs" can be used a a cookie, truffle or bar. Check out more tips below. 

A few tips and ideas...

• Coconut oil and cacao butter both solidify in the refrigerator. So, adding this to your mixture adds moisture, and helps it keep it's form when refrigerated.
• Freezing your cookies, truffles, or bars for two hours before moving them to the refrigerator really melds the flavors and creates a more consistent texture. It isn't necessary, but highly recommended.
• To add some crunch to your treat, try mixing in some chopped nuts to your already blended mixture. You can also top your bars with chopped nuts, or roll your truffles in them!
• Try adding spirulina powder to your mixture for an even healthier treat! It helps to rid the body of heavy metals, and is a good source of vitamins and protein. Find it here, from Earth Shift Products.
• Add organic hemp seeds for a protein boost! I use these, from Earth Shift Products.
• Use organic cacao butter for a creamier, smoother texture and flavor. I use this, from Earth Shift Products. 
• Use this chocolate sauce to dip your truffles in, or top your bars with. It will also solidify in the freezer, since it's made with coconut oil.
• Don't be afraid to get creative!

Feel free to message me if you have any questions, comments, or concerns.

Thank you,

Namaste,

Tyler