Superfood Recipe:
Euphoria Inducing Raw Raspberry Chocolate Cream Bars
BY JULIA CORBETT
decadent, raw, delicious. these vegan raspberry chocolate cream bars are a treat for the palette and for your health. photo: julia corbett
Few know this, but Cacao beans are fantastically rich in a very unique molecular compound known as Phenethylamine or PEA for short. It’s actually a naturally occurring substance in the body that is elevated during
times of pleasure and specifically when we are feeling love or deep connection with another person, in part because it stimulates highly pleasurable endorphin and neurotransmitter releases. However, when cacao beans are refined into conventional chocolate, this heat sensitive compound is often destroyed in the process.But these lusciously rich, raw raspberry chocolate cream bars are infused with copious amounts of raw cacao, making them a euphoria-inducing source of PEA as well as a number of other synergistic mood and health boosting compounds as a result of the mouth watering, nutrient-dense, whole food ingredients:
Lucuma is a sweet, maple-tasting fruit that is native to Peru and abundant in iron, niacin (B3) and calcium.
Cacao is the most chemically complex food ever identified under scientific analysis making it the most unique, nutritionally compacted, and culinarily versatile ingredient known to man.
Raw Honey is rich in naturally occurring vitamins and minerals, enzymes, amino acids, antioxidants, pre- and probiotics, and a host of other phytonutrients and medicinal compounds, which vary depending on what type of plant bees harvest their nectar from.
Although usually served as a desert, these raw raspberry chocolate cream bars can also double as breakfast or a sweet superfood infused snack for a midday pick-me-up. A few squares are all you need—each bite is borderline medicinal in it’s health boosting and healing properties. And perhaps best of all, they stay good for days so feel free to make a large batch and snack on them all week.
Raw Raspberry Chocolate Cream Bars
these raspberry chocolate cream bars taste like a little slice of heaven. photo: julia corbett
Coconut Chip Crust
1 1/2 cups coconut flakes
1 cup pecans or other favorite nut
1/4 cup raw honey (or other liquid sweetener)
1 tbsp lucuma powder
1/4 tsp each cinnamon, vanilla bean powder, fine sea salt
1/4 cup raw chocolate chips (optional)
Directions
Mix coconut flakes and pecans in a food processor until broken down into a coarse flour. Add all remaining ingredients and process until mixed and combining into a loose dough. Press into a parchment paper lined 8×8” brownie pan. Evenly press to the edges, then for a cleaner edge, cover the crust with another piece of parchment and use a straight-sided glass to roll over the crust like a rolling pin, and even out, removing the second sheet thereafter.
Raspberry Cream Layer
1 cup cashews, soaked a few hours then drained
10 oz raspberries
1 cup filtered or spring water
1/3 cup coconut oil, softened or liquid
1/4 cup raw honey (or other sweetener)
2 tbsp Adaptablend (herbal superfood powder) or lucuma powder
1/2 tsp vanilla bean powder
a few pinches sea salt
Directions
Drain cashews, and place into blender with all remaining ingredients, adding the coconut oil last. Blend on medium to high speed until smooth. Pour over crust and tap on a hard surface to even out the pan, or use a spatula. Set in freezer for at least 1-2 hours before pouring the next layer on.
Chocolate Mousse Layer
1 cup cashews, soaked a few hours then drained
1/2 cup raw chocolate chips, melted
1/2 avocado
3/4 cup filtered or spring water
3 tbsp raw cacao powder
1/3 cup raw honey
1 tbsp coconut oil, softened or liquid
1 tbsp mucuna extract powder (optional)
1 tsp lemon juice or zest
1/2 tsp cinnamon and vanilla bean powder
a few pinches sea salt
Directions
Melt chocolate chips over a double boiler on low heat, stirring once it starts to melt, and taking off heat once melted (use a small glass bowl over a small pot, and fill the pot with about 1-2” water, and place the bowl on top, the water should not touch the glass bowl). Drain soaked cashews and place into a high power blender. Add all remaining ingredients to the blender, except the raw chocolate chips and coconut oil. Add those in last and blend immediately, so none of the ingredients start to seize up (especially when they are cold). Blend on low to high speed, slowly raising the speed to mix until smooth. Pour over frozen raspberry layer and spread with a spatula. Set in freezer for at least 4 hours, or overnight before cutting into slices. Use a very sharp knife to cut, and wipe knife clean after each cut for more precise slicing.
About The Author
Julia Corbett is author of the recipe book Raw Cookies and maker of raw desserts filled with superfoods and herbal ingredients. She is owner of the superfood dessert company Diviana Alchemy and recently started the blog Dessert Medicine to share unique and delicious recipes that utilize tonic and adaptogenic herbs. Visit: dessertmedicine.com divianaalchemy.com
