Raw Cherry Ripe Slice

Chocolate, cherries and coconut – what’s not to love? This raw cherry ripe slice ticks all the boxes: healthy, easy, and it’ll impress the pants off everyone.

Given my kitchen endeavours are sometimes hit and miss, I’m always excited when a recipe I create turns out right. My choc peanut butter slice was one of those recipes – I’ve loved seeing people’s recreations of it on Instagram and it always goes down well when I share it with friends. But hey, anything with the combination of chocolate and peanut butter is pretty amazing no matter what, right?!

But I wanted to try my hand at a new sweet treat, so by making a few tweaks to the choc peanut butter slice recipe (why reinvent the wheel?), I came up with the below recipe for cherry ripe slice. It ticks all the health boxes – raw, vegan, paleo, refined sugar free, dairy-free, gluten-free and grain-free – but the most important things are that it’s a) delicious and b) easy. As with the choc peanut butter slice (I know I sound like a broken record but if you haven’t tried it yet, you seriously should), I usually don’t bother with desserts that seem complicated – you won’t catch me making anything very difficult. (Perfect example – this cake looks amaaazing but who has time for SEVEN layers?!)

I like keeping it simple, which this recipe is. All of the ingredients can be found in your pantry (except the cherries – I used fresh ones, but keeping tinned cherries in your pantry or a bag of them in your freezer works just as well) and many of the ingredients feature in more than one layer.

Onto the recipe!

RAW CHERRY RIPE SLICE
Makes approx. 16 small pieces

Ingredients

Base:
1 cup macadamias nuts
½ cup dates
1 tablespoon protein powder (vanilla or natural works best)
1 tablespoon water

Filling:
2 cups of desiccated coconut
1 cup of cherries, de-stoned
8 dates, pitted
¼ cup milk of choice (I used coconut)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup coconut oil, melted

Topping:
½ cup coconut oil, melted
½ cup cacao powder
1 tablespoon sweetener (I use rice malt syrup)
Pinch of sea salt

Method

To make the base, use a food processor to combine the macadamias, dates and protein powder. Once thoroughly combined, stir through the water. Line a small baking tin or plastic container with gladwrap (so the slice comes out easily) and press the base mixture in firmly.

To make the filling, combine all ingredients and spread over base evenly.

To make the topping, combine all ingredients and pour over filling evenly.

Leave to set in the fridge until hard, then cut into pieces and enjoy!

Note

It’s best to leave the slice in the fridge until just before serving, otherwise it gets a bit soft. If you know you’ll have to leave it out for longer than 15 minutes before it’s eaten (eg. at a picnic), then place the slice in the freezer for about an hour right before you have to take it out.

Well that’s all folks! Hope you enjoy and if you give this a go, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram @jenna.westphal and #jennawestphal so I can see your delicious creations and give you a repost.