Monday, November 11, 2013

Vegan Raw Dark Chocolate Syrup

Hi Everyone . . . winter is rapidly encroaching upon me up here in Maine.  This week's temps are predicted to be in the 30's by day and teens by night!  Not sure if I'm ready for that just yet!  Hunkering down, making tasty foods, and preparing for the Holidays sounds like fun, though. 

In today's short blog, I'm going to share with you one of my favorite Healthy Holiday raw chocolate recipes.  If you're a fan of all things dark chocolate, then throw a party and share this yummy treat with your friends.  It's absolutely fabulous!  Enjoy!

Raw Vegan Dark Chocolate Syrup

Chocolate syrup that's actually good for you?  This one is!  Because this syrup is free of refined sugar and sweetened with raw agave nectar, which rates low on the glycemic index, it is even suitable for diabetics.  My favorite way to enjoy this shiny, decadent syrup is to drizzle it over fresh pear, apple, or bananas slices, use it as a dip for sweet, ripe strawberries, or drizzle it atop muesli or parfait recipes.  I'm a big fan of raw, giant Texas pecans and I adore dipping them into the syrup . . . tastes like pure HEAVEN!

Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons raw agave syrup
- 2 tablespoons raw cocoa (cacao) powder
- 1 teaspoon raw, unrefined, virgin coconut oil
- 1/4 teaspoon natural vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- dash of ground cinnamon (Vietnamese cinnamon is wonderful!)
- pinch of sea salt

Directions:  Put the agave, cocoa, coconut oil, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt in a small bowl and stir vigorously to blend.  The mixture should resemble traditional chocolate syrup.  Store the syrup in a tightly sealed container and refrigerate for up to 1 month.

Yield:   About 1/3 cup

A Good Source Of:  antioxidants, B vitamins, magnesium, calcium, iron, sulfur, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper, protein, manganese, fiber, and healthful fat



NOTE:  This blog was written by Stephanie Tourles, lic. esthetician, herbalist, and author, and adapted from her book, Raw Energy:  124 Raw Food Recipes for Energy Bars, Smoothies, and Other Snacks to Supercharge Your Body. The information in this blog is true and complete to the best of her knowledge.  All recommendations are made without guarantee on the part of Ms. Tourles.  She disclaims any liability in connection with the use of this information.  It is for educational purposes only.