I find that during the first week of the year, I see an awful lot of people (vegans specifically) eating more raw foods. Pictures of juices, salads and interesting dips fill my screen and you can just FEEL the healthiness of it all emanating from the computer. I totally support eating healthier in the New Year, especially after all of those holiday meals, but I know firsthand that after a couple of days you’re going to be craving some sweets and the comfort of warm food.
When those obstacles come up, that is where this recipe comes in. Not only is this recipe raw, it’s full of ingredients that will keep you full after indulging in a slice; unlike most desserts with processed sugar and lots of empty carbohydrates. I’ve made a raw chocolate mousse-like pudding before, but the undertone of avocado was a little strong for those who aren’t used to the idea. I made sure to make this dessert suitable for healthy vegans and not-so-healthy omnivores alike. The more raw desserts that I make, the more delicious they turn out and this was no different. To put it bluntly, I’m in love! 
One of the things I love most about this dessert is that there is the perfect amount of crust, I am a huge fan of crust so it’s a little thicker than recipes that I’ve made in the past. Raw desserts sometimes take a lot of time to make, but with a little planning ahead, this pie comes together in no time!
Ingredients:
- 2 Cups Raw Almonds
- 6 Large Medjool Dates, pitted
- 1/4 tsp. Vanilla Extract
- Pinch of Sea Salt
——–
- 3 Cups Raw Cashews, Soaked for 3 hours and drained
- 1/2 Cup Avocado
- 1/2 Cup Maple Syrup
- 2 Large Medjool Dates
- 2 Tbsp. Coconut Oil
- 3/4 Cup Raw Cacao Powder
- 1/2 Cup Water
- 2 Tbsp. Fresh Lemon Juice
- 1/4 tsp. Sea Salt
——–
- 1/4 Cup Cacao Powder
- 3 Tbsp. Maple Syrup
- 2 Tbsp. Warmed Coconut Oil
Directions:
- Place almonds, dates and vanilla extract into a food processor and process until the “dough” forms a large clump or ball. You may need to scrape some mix off of the sides a couple of times to get the size of the almonds more consistent.
- Pack the dough 3/8″ think into a 9″ pie pan of spring form pan, and place in the freezer for at least 30 minutes. In the meantime, work on the chocolate mousse filling.
- Using a food processor or high-speed blender puree the raw cashews with the water, maple syrup, avocado and lemon juice until it is very smooth. Make sure to keep tabs on how warm the appliance is getting, if you need to, pause so that it can cool down so that it does not inadvertently warm your mixture. Once smooth add in dates, coconut oil, cacao powder and sea salt; mix until it is smooth once more.
- The mousse mixture will be thick, so you will need a scoop it out of the appliance and into the near-frozen pie crust. Smooth the filling until it is even and without bubbles. Place the pie into the freezer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours for it to set.
- While the pie is in the last stages of cooling, make your chocolate drizzle by stirring the remaining cacao powder, maple syrup and warmed coconut oil in a small cup. It may take 1 or 2 minutes for you to stir it into complete smoothness, once it is mixed cut out a slice of pie and drizzle it all over!
- Chocolate Drizzle Sauce
The texture turns out so rich and creamy, but not too heavy. This chocolate pie is an absolute dream to eat.
You better believe that I had no problem eating that slice fairly quickly after I took pictures of it. Lucky for you all, I was able to restrain myself for so long!
See! 
