Given my kitchen endeavours are sometimes hit and miss, I’m always excited when a recipe I create turns out well. 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 a new sweet treat so came up with the below recipe for cherry ripe slice. It ticks all the health boxes – raw, vegan, refined sugar free, dairy-free and gluten-free – but most importantly, it’s a) delicious and b) easy.

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)
1 tablespoon water

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

Topping:
100g block dark chocolate (70-80%)

Method

1. 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.
2. To make the filling, combine all ingredients and spread over base evenly.
3. To do the topping, simply melt the dark chocolate on the stove top over a low heat stirring frequently, then pour over the filling.
4. Leave to set in the fridge until hard, then cut into pieces and enjoy!

Notes

• 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.
• I used fresh cherries –but you could use tinned or frozen ones and it should work out fine.

Well that’s all folks! I hope you enjoy this and if you give this a go, tag me on Instagram @jenna.westphal and #jennawestphal so I can see your delicious creations and give you a repost.