For a healthy vegan dessert this pie is deceptively sweet and rich, which means that a whole week after Easter we still have half a pie left! This is not to suggest that it isn’t amazing, but it must be eaten in tiny portions (or you will regret it).

I cannot claim this creative recipe as my own it is from Oh She Glows and you should check out her original post for its beautiful photos. This was my second time making the pie and I use her recipe with only one alteration: I leave out the ground flax because I think the taste is better without it.

Chocolate Coconut Pie

Vegan, grain-free, processed sugar free

Ingredients:

Crust:

1 ¼ c. pitted dates*

1 ¼ c. coconut

2 ½ tbs. raw cocoa

1 tbs. coconut oil

¼ tsp. salt

Filling:

1 c. coconut milk (full fat)

300 g. chocolate

3-4 tbs. maple syrup/honey*

1 tsp. vanilla

pinch of salt

*soak ahead of time if they are firm.

* depending on how sweet the chocolate you are using is. If you use an unsweetened baking chocolate you will need all 4 table spoons, but if you use a baking bar or chips that are semi-sweet then you will want less or none at all.

Directions:

1.     Toast the coconut. This is not essential, but it only takes 7-10 minutes at 350 and adds to the texture.

2.     Line the 9-inch pie plate with saran-wrap. You absolutely want to do this. The second time I decided I would just grease the pie plate and I spent a long time carefully chiseling each piece of pie out.

3.     A food processor is the best way to prepare the crust, but if you don’t have one it is possible to do it without one. If you are not using a food processor you should definitely soak the dates. If you have an emersion blender that can be used to pulverize the dates, this is what I did the first time I made it.

4.     Start the crust by putting the dates either in a food processor or using an emersion blender or blender to pulverize them.

5.     Then continue to add the ingredients to the dates in order until they are all combined. If you are using a food processor do they whole crust in it. If you used a blender or emersion blender I would mix the other ingredients in by hand.

6.     Now the crust should be in a ball feeling sticky but pliable. Place the ball in the middle of the pie plate and begin flattening it out. Be careful to press the dough out evenly in all directions, so that you don’t end up with too much on one side. Set the crust aside.

7.     To prepare the filling begin by melting the chocolate in a double broiler or over low heat with consistent stirring. Once it is smooth let it cool to room temperature.

8.     Combine the melted chocolate and the coconut milk and whisk until smooth.

9.     Whisk in the sweetener, vanilla, and salt.

10. Spoon the filling into the pie crust and carefully set it in the freezer to harden. There might be a bit more filling than fits into the crust. Both time I put the extra in a ramekin and froze it as well.

I hope you guys enjoy this recipe as much as we have. Let me know if you make it and what you think of the results!

Andrey loves Bounty Bars, a popular imported candy bar here in Russia. They are very good chocolate filled with coconut just like a Mounds Bar, but like all mass-produced candy bars their ingredients list is full of lots of things that are difficult to pronounce. We all know that candy bars do nothing good for our health, but sometimes a sweet treat is necessary. For both Andrey and I Bounty and or Mounds bars remind us of our childhood, but when we split one today we are always struck by how overly sweet they are and then by the guilt of eating something that unhealthy. 

A few weeks ago Andrey was have a Bounty craving while we were picking some things up at the local health food store. The store sells goods from a couple of locals who make natural, healthier chocolate and candies and on that day they happened to have a chocolate bar filled with coconut. It cost 4 times as much as a Bounty, but we figured it was worth a try. Unfortunately, we were very disappointed. This bar was not sweet at al, it had a sour taste, and the chocolate was waxy. This experience sent me on a researching frenzy to find a simple, healthy recipe for Bounty bars I could make at home without any fancy equipment. I found my answer on Detoxinista. The recipe is super simple, I was able to whip it up on a day I was also baking bread and making soup. Even better the finished product is delicious, just sweet enough to satisfy and full of coconut flavor!

With Valentines Day around the corner it is the perfect time to whip up a batch of these for someone special. What’s better than receiving a homemade tasty treat that is free of the chemicals and guilt that come with the store bought box of truffles?

Coconut filled Chocolates

Makes 14-16 candies

Ingredients:

1 c. coconut

4 tbs coconut oil

2 tbs maple syrup or honey

2 tbs water

½ tsp vanilla

pinch of sea salt

1 c. chocolate chips/chunks for melting

Directions:

1.     Mix the coconut with the coconut oil until it is evenly distributed.

2.     I used maple syrup if you do as well add it and the water straight to the bowl of coconut. If you use raw honey I would mix the honey and water together first to soften the honey before adding it to the coconut.

3.     Add the vanilla and salt and mix completely.

4.     Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes so that the coconut absorbs the liquid in the recipe.

5.     Now use your fingers to turn the mixture into bite size balls and place them on a plate covered in wax paper. Put the plate in the freezer for 10 or more minutes.

6.     While you are waiting melt the chocolate in a double boiler or holding a small pot with the chocolate in it over a larger pot filled with boiling water. Make sure to continuously stir the chocolate until it is melted.

7.     Now the coconut bits should be fully hardened. Once the chocolate is cool enough to handle it is time to dip the coconut bites into the melted chocolate making sure to fully cover all the coconut.

8.     Place each bite covered in chocolate back on the plate and the plate back into the freezer.

9.     The chocolates will be hard enough to handle in about 15 minutes, but the longer you give them the more solid they will become.

10. To serve them you might want to take them out of the freezer a few minutes before so they are not quite as cold, but do not leave them at room temperature for hours because they will melt.