Today’s recipe is Dark. Very dark.
Just as dark as the Raw Vegan Dark Chocolate Coconut Snowballs I made.
And takes about as long….5 whole minutes. And only requires a VitaBaller, food processor or Magic Bullet.
Also see the post I did a few months ago about making your own LaraBars. A little light on pics but very good content & info to ensure LaraMaking Success. I was getting ready to move, close on a house, board a plane for a day trip, it was a hectic time to say the least.
It’s really a snap to do, and so I decided to pimp up my game over here and get to work on some Dark Chocolate Fudge Balls!
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5 Minute Raw Vegan Dark Chocolate Fudge Balls
1/4 c raw cashews (not soaked)
1/2 c medjool dates, pitted (I used 6 medium medjools. Not huge ones, medium-sized. Mine are from TJ’s and some of their containers have the huge medjools, but these were not.)
1 Tbsp Dark Cocoa Powder (I used Hershey’s Dark)
Yields: 13 Balls, feel free to double, triple, quad the recipe. I like working with smaller batches that way if I want to tweak flavors or textures, it’s easier for me.
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First, grind your cashews into a fine powder. The finer the better. Then add the pitted dates.
Grind again.
Add your 1 Tbsp Dark Cocoa (or Cocoa).
Or, Don’t add in any Cocoa and keep your Balls Blond (TWSS)
Grind again. I have always felt that a 2:1 ratio of dates to nuts works best when making raw bars. And as I have mentioned before, as a Vita-Mix user, you know when you have achieved Perfect Raw Dough Consistency when the whole wad spins around like a tennis ball inside the canister. It can happen in a matter of a second, so watch closely and don’t overblend. You will soon go from dough to chocolate puree.
I took my dough wad out
And see, when it’s The Right Dough Consistency, it will all just pop outta the canister, no gloppy-n-sloppy canister cleaning required.
Because it was 94F here this morning, the dough was feeling a little too warm to work with so I roughly divided into ball shapes with a spoon and popped the plate into the fridge for an hour.
Came back and formed 13 beautiful dark balls
3 Ingredients: Cashews, Dates, Dark Cocoa Powder
Oh wait 4 Ingredients: TLC added with each one of these too!
Optional Add-In’s & Extras (and Katie has mentioned some of these too):
Add Vanilla, Hazelnut, Peppermint, Almond, etc. Extract
Roll finished product in Carob, Coconut, Cocoa Nibs, Cocoa Powder, Powdered Sugar
Add in Carob, Coconut, Cocoa Nibs to the “dough” mixture
Shape into logs, bars, balls, squares, hearts, Gingerbread men, stars, Christmas Cookie Cutter shapes
The sky’s the limit, get creative!!!!!!!!
So you’d like to see a dinner or a vegetable, ok I can oblige. Hugh Jass Salad with brock, cauli, tomatoes, cukes, yellow peppers, and topped with my Homemade Slaw Dressing.
And as if the Dark Choco Fudge Balls for Dessert weren’t enough…
….I popped a few Raw Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls, too.
Love the raw dessert recipes. I can’t wait to try them. However, I have a nut allergy in the family. Any favorite nut free recipes? Also, to weigh in on your question about exercise solidarity….I run and prefer to run alone. It’s such a singular experience and I like it that way. I like to run with my hubby in official races we sign up for but, only for a few miles. I take hot vinyasa yoga classes as well. I would love private instruction as I don’t think I benefit from bring in a group, but maybe I do and don’t it. In sure the energy in the room affects me more than I realize.
Raw desserts do have lots of nuts. I would check out raw vegan dessert cookbooks for ideas about ways to work around them from coconut to dates; to seeds. Where there’s a will, there’s a way.
Love the raw dessert recipes. I can’t wait to try them. However, I have a nut allergy in the family. Any favorite nut free recipes? Also, to weigh in on your question about exercise solidarity….I run and prefer to run alone. It’s such a singular experience and I like it that way. I like to run with my hubby in official races we sign up for but, only for a few miles. I take hot vinyasa yoga classes as well. I would love private instruction as I don’t think I benefit from bring in a group, but maybe I do and don’t it.
How the balls do you get your vita to make this into a ball? I’ve been making these and adjusting (less dates, more nuts, etc) and I can’t get it to be a big ball in my vita…so I’m left scraping it out from under the blades and the corners…what’s your secret? Do you stir around the cashew/nut powder/flour before you add the dates? That’s the only thing I haven’t done….you know, they always taste awesome though…. :)
Thanks!
smart move working your charm on your neighbor .. after all how could anyone resist your sweet sweet face :) the new furniture is so fabulously chic!
hope the yoga class is amazing tomorrow, darling! I want deeeeets!! ya heard?!
love to you!
I think I can make this even though I don't have a food processor, right?! I have a cool blender so I think it will work! What do you think?
Thanks for getting back to me about the tahini! I'll see what a little agave can do next time.
YUMMM that apple crumble looks delicious!
I love the new furniture, west elm's stuff is so chic and modern it looks perfect in your house!! Love the fluffy pillow too! :)
you are going to ROCK your yoga class this weekend, I know how nerve racking it can be teaching at new locations with new people in the class, it can be intimidating, but I know you will do great!!!
xo happy friiiday!
Cute furniture. I'm not getting anything new at the moment. Instead, I've been cleaning out the house. Jacob's nearly 7 years old, so it's been a while since I've baby-proofed the house. I've got a lot of work to do.
YAY! Q and A post! :)
I am definatly going to make this Raw apple crisp when I go home for Christmas!! I SUCK at baking baking.. but raw baking.. i may be give you a run for yo dough balls ;-)
tee hee.
LOVE YOU!
how do you get certified to teach yoga/fitness classes?
Hey! Thanks so much for checking my site out! It made my day=) I love your furniture btw. SO gorgeous. The apple crisp looks fabulous too!
Usually when im in the car I like to just listen to music and think. It honestly depends on my mood. If I have alot going on I use my car time as just some quiet me time..if not I talk on the phone. Sometimes it gives me a few minutes to call my family and catch up with them which is really nice!
Have a super day!
um, your shell lamp is GORGEOUS! love love love it…and of course your new furniture too!
your apple cruble is a staple in OUR dessert lives so I am glad you are re posting it!
today's yoga pose is the best!!! i actually did those last night! funny!
so commute time. at first I thought you meant…as a passenger and I was going uh uh uh…knit!
ha
but then I realized you meant driving. I try and use that time to be quiet with my head! not always easy. if I need a pick me up I listen to the commedy channel in my XM radio…often I get books on CD and listen to that…
but my drive (45 min each way) is my time to just clear my head and I try to do just that~
so excited to hear about Saturday!
have fun!
Yep, we have the same furniture, but ours is white. Love it!
That crisp looks so fabulous… thanks for the recipe!
Wishing you a great weekend!
Love the remodel! Our furniture is very similar / same color!
You new furniture looks so sleek! I really like your style, it's very classic.
That crumble is making me drool! I'd be so tempted to drink that juice too. Seriously, YUM!
In the car I like to either blast music and sing or drive in complete silence so I can think. It's refreshing to drive without the radio on sometimes.
GOOD LUCK WITH TOMORROW!! You're going to do an awesome job :) I'd go to your class if I were in AZ!
I love the bedroom furniture and your bed looks very cosy.
Taylor
I love that you're always able to still smile and look at the camera in all of your yoga poses! Good luck tomorrow, I'm sure you will be awesome!
Nice new furniture! :)
The apple crisp looks so good! YUM!
I have seen that creamer in the stores, but I don't drink coffee. I would of totally loved that back in the day when I did (I would drink it black because soymilk was the only vegan option and it tasted nasty in coffee)! :)
Listen to all you favorite music on an IPod. That's my favorite thing to do in the car. Gets me in a great mood, which would be perfect before you teach yoga!
Wanna swap furniture??? lol LOVE your set.. very very chic!
Yeah, Chia Seeds Direct doesnt mess around with their shipping.. that took what like 2 days from cali?? AWESOME.. I cant wait to start using em.
Everyday on my commute home, I call my dad. I KNOW its not good to be on the cell phone, but I use an earpiece thingy so I still have both hands on the wheel. YES I know its still really bad to drive and talk but honestly its the only time I really have to catch up! It also makes my drive fly by!!
Good luck on Saturday..woo :)
Averie, I made those chocolate chip cookies last night… Oh. My. Goodness. Heaven in a dish! The boyfriend even approved. :)
Thanks for sharing so many great recipes with us!
Amazing, as always!
You know, your salads get my tummy growling but your raw desserts send my brain into overdrive! And now…raw vegan apple crisp??? SERIOUSLY!?!?! You are just too amazing.
I'm back because I forgot to say GOOD LUCK on Saturday! Can't wait to hear about it, I'm so happy you're making your way in AZ!
Must. Buy. Apples!
I sing really loudly in my car. Like music blasted, dancing around, be still being safe! haha
Love the furniture pics – they all look so great! So simple and elegant, I just love it. LOL at the alligator wrestling and how great a neighbor helped you out.
I have no furniture pieces that match. NONE. We have a mish mosh of pieces handed down by family members, from auctions, furniture stores, second hand finds…
When I had a 40 minute commute from home to work I would often listen to audio books from the library! It was a great way to multi-task because way back then as I was coping with the loss of freedom as a new mother, I missed free reading time, and having someone read to me while I was in the car was perfect. It made the time in the car fly by and I felt like I was squeezing more me time in two times a day. I still load audio books on my iPod now to listen to during my runs and it works out great!
I love listening to music when I'm on the car ehheh :)
Everything looks delish as always!
that vegan apple crumble is awesome!! you are so flexible-im so jelous!
Yay for meeting new neighbors. ;)
And for your appple crisp. YUM.
I made more raw chocolate chip cookie dough the other day, and I just went with the feel of it, (no measurements), I almost had a show down with the vita mix. It burnt out right in the middle of grinding almonds, (which went almost to almond butter consistency). I quickly moved the sticky mess over to the food processor to save the day. It was epic.
In my car.. I think, a lot. As I'm an over thinker. If its late at night, and I have a long drive I give my brother a call and catch up.
I think we new "kids on the block" have to have a crazy thing that can get us to talk to the neighbors… Mine was about the 49 lawn and leaf bags we filled (even though we don't have a single tree on our 7000sq, ft. of property… and then again the next day when it didn't even look like we had raked for 6 hours! Teaching at a new place can be scary- but your going to do awesome- let me know how it works out for you!!! I'm looking into some new studios myself so I'll be right there with ya.. I need to make the chocolate snowballs.. mmm
Hey you gotta do, what you gotta do to get cool nightstands out of hard to reach places : ) Nice lamp!
Cool cream substitute! That will come in handy with the upcoming holidays.
I am so all over that apple crumble! I need to go to Natural Zing and get those darned oats! I wish I could get them from Amazon.
My favorite thing to do in the car? Sing! I love singing so I have music on all the time.
Your bedroom and furniture look so classy! Love it. Also, raw vegan apple crisp? Do you ever run out of ideas?
I also wanted to say thank you for always commenting on my high calorie, butter laden, gluten and dairy-full recipes when I know it's not something you eat. It really means alot to me, girl! :)
I was actually just trying to figure out what I should do with all of the apples I have in my kitchen! In my car I usually just sing so loud that I make myself hoarse! But, I also really love books on tape. Phoenix has a great public library system that you should definitely check out if that's something you'd be interested in!
Best of luck on Saturday! I love teaching at new locations but it always makes me nervous too! Oh my gosh that apple crisp looks so delicious. Going to look at the recipe now. The furniture looks awesome- sleek and simple (thats what Josh and I like too!)
The furniture set looks AMAZING Averie! And there's no better way to meet neighbors than asking them to help you with manuel labor. ;)
OMG that Apple Crisp sounds fabulous! PERFECT for Autumn.
xxoo
Heather
Love the raw cookie dough balls! Wow, that sounds like an ordeal with the night stand! Glad it all worked out. I've never seen that mimiccreme before– it looks cool! The apple crumble also looks amazing–it reminds me of thanksgiving, haha :)
Ok, so this is probably cause of all those years of music training and music theory/aural skills classes, but when I'm in my car I love to play music and then make up and sing harmonies to it. It's so much more fun than just singing the melody, and when you get a good harmony it sounds so cool! Haha ;)
Oh man, you are so flexible! Give me some of that flexibility!
P.S. if ya wanna see a ridiculous comment, check out my blog. See, I told you it's not just you! YOU are awesome; they are the ones who need a life.
You have to laugh sometimes at how people waste their time like that!
LOOOOOOVELY furniture!!
In my car, I sing. Loud. Hahaha ;)
Wow! Raw Vegan Apple Crisp?!
It looks so good!
I also read your post w/ the chocolate chip cookie dough balls! I definitely trying those!