Raw Healthy Treats for Valentine Sweets

Today is Valentines Day. I love to scrounge in the kitchen and cook up something sweet and gooey and chocolaty for my hubby and family. But we don't need the high sugar content and I do want healthy—and raw makes it even better. What did I come up with?

Raw Chocolate Macaroons

Chocolate macaroons are to be savored, and these are tasty as can be! Raw ingredients, shaped, and dehydrated, with a slightly crusty outside (similar to a baked product) and a delicious choco-coconutty inside.

I modified a recipe from Live Raw by Mimi Kirk.

Ingredients:

2 cups flaked coconut (unsweetened)

3/4 cup raw almond meal or flour

1/8 tsp salt

1/3 cup honey, agave, or brown rice syrup (I used a mixture of honey and rice syrup)

2 Tbsp coconut oil

1/2 tsp vanilla

3 Tbsp raw cocoa powder (or substitute carob)

In food processor:

Process coconut, almond meal and salt till blended. Add in remaining ingredients and pulse till mixed well. Make small rounded shapes in your hands and flatten the bottom on a nonstick dehydrator sheet. Dehydrate at 110 degrees for 10 hours. 

Options: You could dip these in melted chocolate if you want or leave out the cocoa powder and add almond extract for a different taste.

Then I decided to make:

Apricot Squares

I found a recipe that used dried apricots which I had on hand. This recipe is from an E-Book: Have Your Cake and Eat it Too: Guilt Free Desserts for the Whole Family (I don't know where I purchased it from and I can't easily find it online, but it's an awesome raw recipe book). I have modified it (like I do practically everything). It has a bit of a buttery-crunchy bottom and top layer (pecan crumble mixture) and an apricot-banana sweet center, and loaded with healthy vitamins, minerals and fiber. (JJ gave this a thumbs up)

Bottom (and top) Layer:

Process these ingredients until you get a crumb-like consistency:

1 cup raw pecan pieces

1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 Tbs sucanat

1 cup almond meal

1/3 cup honey (or agave)

1/4 cup raw coconut oil

1/4 cup raw coconut manna

1/2 cup raw flaked coconut

1/2 tsp salt

Place half of mixture aside for topping. Press half onto 9 x 9 inch glass pan and refrigerate.

Filling:

Place the following ingredients into food processor and process until mixed well:

1 cup dried apricots, soaked for 2 hours and then drained

2 bananas

1/3 cup dried cane juice

1 Tbs lemon juice

1/3 cup almond meal

1 tbsp psyllium husk powder

1/4 tsp salt

Spread apricot mixture onto bottom layer in pan. Sprinkle the pecan crumb mixture you have set aside on top. Refrigerate. Cut into squares. Yummy!

I hope your Valentine's Day was a delightfully healthy and loving one!