Raw treats are delicious … until you’ve eaten ten of them. It’s the one downside to sweets: they’re hard to put away—that and the fact that they don’t do wonders for the waistline. But lucky for us, these cherry bites from Taline Gabrielian (aka Hippie Lane) are neither of those things. They’re refined-sugar free and perfectly bite-sized so you won’t overdo it.
“Cherry and chocolate—I’m in love … Made with a combination of dried cherries, coconut, cacao powder and creamy nut butter, then coated in homemade chocolate, [these are] a densely satisfying sweet and sour sensation, perfect for when you get that chocolate craving,” says Taline Gabrielian.
Don’t get us wrong, they’re insanely delicious but if you cut them into small slices it’ll help you show restraint. Then again, you’re in control of the “bite” size so don’t be afraid to be a little bit generous.
Cherry Bites Recipe
Makes 12
R | VGN | DF | GF | RSF
Ingredients
125 g dried cherries
60 ml melted coconut oil
360 g desiccated coconut
⅛ teaspoon Himalayan salt
1 teaspoon vanilla powder
2 tablespoons raw cacao powder
2 tablespoons macadamia or almond butter
45 ml rice malt syrup
Chocolate coating
375 ml melted coconut oil
175 g raw cacao powder
185 ml maple syrup
Method
- Place the dried cherries in a food processor and reduce to a paste. Add the coconut oil and coconut and pulse until combined.
- Add the salt, vanilla, cacao powder, nut butter and rice malt syrup and process until the mixture sticks together.
- Line a rectangular baking tin, measuring about 34 x 23 cm and 5 cm deep, with baking paper. Press the mixture into the tin and freeze for up to 1 hour.
- Whisk the chocolate coating ingredients together in a bowl.
- Place a sheet of baking paper on the kitchen bench, then set a wire baking rack on top. Remove the baking tin from the freezer and cut the cherry mixture into bite-sized pieces.
- Dip each piece in the chocolate and place on the wire rack to allow the excess chocolate to drain off.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge. The cherry bites will keep for 2–3 weeks.
+ Tips and Tricks … You can replace the nut butter with seed butter to make this recipe nut-allergy friendly
If you’re as obsessed with Hippie Lane’s vegan recipes as much as we are, you have to try her insta-worthy rainbow rolls and secret sauce.
Images and recipes from Hippie Lane: The Cookbook by Taline Gabrielian (Murdoch Books, RRP $39.99).
