nut butter – StyleNectar

Raw Vegan Salted Caramel Nut Butter Cups

Mmm-mmm, I've had a bit of a sweet tooth lately haven't I? Hey, knowing these delicious treats are all so incredibly good for me… why not make them all the time! I just love having a little piece of something after dinner or with my tea in the afternoon. These Raw Vegan Salted Caramel Nut Butter Cups are as heavenly as they look and delicious as they sound. They bring to mind a certain Easter candy whose first name rhymes with Bradbury… chocolate covered ooey-goey sweetness – minus the guilt and with all the glow!

Check it out…

The coconut nectar "caramel" is a tasty little miracle worker that's: low glycemic, non-toxic, low fructose, digestion improving, medium chain fatty acid boasting meaning it improves heart health, contains 17 amino acids, a host of minerals, vitamins B & C and is hypoallergenic, antiviral/antifungal/antiseptic/antibacterial & antiparasitic aka majorly immune boosting!

Sprouted Raw Nut butters like pecan and cashew contain easily digestible protein brimming with heart-healthy fatty acids, phenolic antioxidants, photo-chemical substances including the polyphenolic antioxidant ellagic acid, B-vitamins and minerals such as magnesium and zinc.

And, should you be avoiding cacao for any reason (albeit extraordinarily healthy for many other reasons, cacao can be overtaxing to the adrenals for some individuals) simply swap it out with this amazing raw carob powder like I do. Carob is actually an evergreen flowering shrub belonging to the legume family and native to the Mediterranean region. Carob is loaded with iron and can help fight against osteoporosis due to its high content of calcium, phosphorous and magnesium. Carob contains polyphenols which lower cholesterol and account for carob's extremely powerful antioxidant properties. Finally, carob is caffeine and theobromine-free and contains Gallic Acid which works as an analgesic, anti-allergic, antibacterial, antioxidant, antiviral and antiseptic.

As always with all raw vegan StyleNectar recipes, the list of amazing benefits is seemingly endless… so should you care to delve into the incredible features of extra virgin coconut oil check them out here.

Gourmet chocolates that make us look and feel as beautiful as they taste…

YUM 🙂

Recipe for Raw Vegan Salted Caramel Nut Butter Cups

(Makes 1 dozen mini's)

Equipment: 12 mini muffin liners. Alternatively, use ice cube trays sprayed/coated with a bit of coconut oil to ensure easy release later.

Ingredients

1/2 cup extra virgin coconut oil, liquified (to liquify, simply place oil in a glass bowl over a barely simmering pot of water, stirring just til melted then removing immediately to keep raw)
1/4 cup cacao or sub a portion or all with raw carob powder
a pinch of sea salt or himalayan salt or to taste (See it's benefits here)
your favorite healthy sweetener to taste (I used 1 tsp liquid stevia)
raw coconut nectar - 2 or 3 Tbsp (Alternatively try substituting maple syrup or raw honey tho I've not tried either in this recipe yet so do so at your own risk.)
3 ounces cashew, macadamia or pecan butter ideally raw & sprouted (read about why I avoid peanuts & peanut butter here)
pinch of fleur de sel (or sub celtic or himalayan salt)

Method

Whisk together coconut oil, cacao, sea salt and sweetener until smooth and creamy. Taste to adjust flavors to your preference.
Place mini muffin tins into an 8 x 8 dish or other tray for stability.
Spoon a teaspoon of "melted" chocolate into each mini muffin tin, then place in the freezer for a few minutes to set.
Remove cups from freezer and spoon a tiny dallop of nut butter into each tin, followed by a teeny dallop of coconut nectar. Because coconut nectar is so stretchy, I assist the process by pouring with my left hand very carefully, and "cutting" the stream of nectar off w/ a knife in my right hand. Feel free to add the pinch of fleur de sel (or sub celtic or himalayan salt) at this point, or wait til step 6 and sprinkle it on the tops.
Place cups back in freezer for 20 minutes.
Remove cups from freezer and top with chocolate til covered. Sprinkle tops with a bit of Fleur de Sel (or celtic or himalayan salt) if you haven't already done so in step 4. Pop back in freezer for a good hour til fully hardened.
Store and eat directly from the freezer.

Enjoy!

What favorite sweet or savory indulgence would you like transformed into a beautifully delicious Raw Vegan version?

Share it below for a chance to have me recreate it for you!

All Love,

Juliane

Thank you for visiting 🙂

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Homemade Creamy Nut Butter

You've never had nut butter like this…

A batch of freshly shelled nuts, a little grapeseed oil, sea salt and some delicious, raw honey. Whiz together in a Vitamix (or other heavy duty blender)

and Voila!

A protein rich treat your kids (& you) will adore licked directly off the big spoon,

smeared on crisp apple slices,

or combined with your favorite jam and soft bread for a phenomenal NB&J sammie.

Fresh-as-can-be. And easily customizable! Add as much or as little sea salt as you prefer. Throw in some pecans, almonds or pistachios… add a little extra honey and some cocoa for a Reeses-Pieces affect. The possibilities are endless and always delightful. I suppose the only downside to this wonderful treat is that it doesn't last long!

Freshly made Homemade Creamy Nut Butter – it doesn't last long!

Homemade Creamy Nut Butter

Ingredients:

raw, organic (preferably sprouted) nuts such as almonds, pecans or cashews** (I usually use about 4 cups)
grapeseed oil to taste (Plus or minus 3 tablespoons per 4 cups nuts. Add as much or little to achieve your preferred level of creaminess. I err on the side of creamy as the butter will firm up in the fridge.)
himalayen salt to taste (I generally use 1/2 teaspoon per 4 cups of nuts- start with less & taste as you go- you can always add more)
raw honey to taste (I like a nice dallop per 4 cups nuts)

Method:

Add all four ingredients to your Vitamix or other heavy duty blender and blend until thoroughly combined and creamy.
Store in a glass jar in the fridge to prevent separation of the oil from the nuts.
**BONUS! Clean out blender by adding a bit of chocolate milk & 1/2 a banana. Whiz to combine. Chef's treat bonus smoothie! ok, these bonus smoothies are always happily devoured by my husband:)

Enjoy!

Creamy homemade Nut Butter ~ it never lasts more than a few days at our house!

**Update I now substitute raw, soaked & sprouted almonds, pecans, pistachios, cashews, sesame etc in place of peanuts in my nut butter because even raw, organic peanuts are highly allergenic, susceptible to molds, salmonella and toxins such as aflatoxin, which creates congestion in the liver, associated with liver cancer and is shown to stunt growth in children. As if this were not enough reason to avoid them, peanuts are also pro-inflammatory, pesticide laden and contain anti-nutrients known as lectins. I know, it's a food we associated with fond childhood memories, however I encourage you to do your own research on peanuts.

PS. Contrary to their name, peanuts are not true nuts, but a member of the legume family related to lentils, peas and other beans. As opposed to nuts like walnuts & almonds which grow on trees, peanuts actually grow underground which is one of the reasons they're so susceptible to molds. Their thin skins, unlike those of the hard shells on nuts, are highly permeable in the moist underground environment.

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