Reading food blogs constantly sets of food cravings. I could be eating a perfectly healthy lunch or breakfast when all of a sudden a giant slice of German chocolate cake pops up on the screen and I get one of those I-need-chocolate-right-this-moment feelings. They’re awful. I’m sorry even to add to that.

When Caroline posted these cheesecake bars, it set off a craving just like that. Before I knew it I had already begun laying out the ingredients to make a version of them that day. These might be marginally better for you, but they’re still definitely a rich treat. The crust is an almond cookie base, the filling a cashew cream “cheese”, and chocolate a soft coconut oil ganache. All together it makes the perfect blend on richness and sweetness.

Chocolate Cheesecake Bars

Ingredients:

For the crust:

• 1 1/2 cups almonds
• 2 Tablespoons almond butter
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 2 Tablespoons coconut oil
• 2 Tablespoons agave nectar

For the filling:

• 2 1/2 cups cashews, soaked for 3-4 hours
• 2 Tablespoons coconut oil
• 5 Tablespoons agave nectar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean
• 1 teaspoon nutritional yeast*
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice*

*These ingredients aren’t entirely necessary but they will add a more authentic tang to the filling to simulate real cream cheese.

For the ganache:

• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/3 cup agave nectar
• 1/4 cup coconut oil

Method:

1. Combine all of the ingredients for the crust together in a food processor and blend until it forms a clumpy dough.
2. Press the dough flat into an 8×8 pan.
3. Make the filling by blending all of the ingredients in a food processor until smooth.
4. Spread the filling out across the top of the crust into an even layer.
5. Make the ganache by melting the coconut oil and mixing it with the cocoa powder and agave nectar.
6. Pour the ganache on top of the cheesecake filling and spread until smooth.
7. Refrigerate for 2 hours until the ganache and filling have set. Cut into 16 squares and keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

The one thing I would do differently next time is add cacao nibs or raw almonds into the filling. The ganache on top is quite soft and doesn’t add the crunch factor I expected it to. Besides that, this is a knock-out dessert.

One of my favorite treats in the Summer when I was growing up was a Dairy Queen ice cream cone, specifically one dipped into cherry sauce that hardened up as soon as it hit the ice cream into a shell coating.

I have no idea how to make that.

But what I do know how to make is peanut butter magic shell, and that’s almost as good, especially with chocolate ice cream(or chocolate banana soft serve in this case).

Really, if you look up the ingredients in that cherry magic shell it’s about 20 things you can’t find in supermarkets and shouldn’t be putting into your body. This recipe has only 3 ingredients, all natural and easy to shop for. Let’s see Dairy Queen beat that.

Peanut Butter Magic Shell

Ingredients(For one bowl):

• 1 Tablespoon 100% peanut butter
• 1 Tablespoon liquid sweetener(maple syrup, agave, corn syrup, etc.)
• 1/2 Tablespoon coconut oil(preferably refined), melted or softened

Method:

1. Mix together the peanut butter, sweetener, and oil into a thick, even sauce
2. Pour the peanut butter sauce over plated ice cream. Wait a few moments for the sauce to harden before digging in.

This works best with ice cream straight from the freezer; if using softened ice cream or banana “soft serve”, the shell might not form immediately. Simply pour the sauce over the ice cream and refrigerate or freeze it for a few minutes until the shell has hardened

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have more eating to do.

This is by far one of my favorite dessert recipes; it’s one I come back to again and again, the kind I don’t need to look at the recipe anymore to know how to make.

Chocolate and peanut butter is already an established pair, so you don’t really need to do much to doctor or dress these up to make them a crowd favorite. Just a smooth layer of sweet peanut butter covered by a soft chocolate ganache is plenty impressive enough.   

The best part about this recipe is that it doesn’t need anything more than 4 ingredients that should always be in your pantry. If you want to elevate the flavor without much work, try using a special peanut butter like roasted honey or even almond butter. 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars(adapted from Oh Baby Bars)

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients(Makes about 24 servings):

• 3/4 cup peanut butter, runny or no-stir
• 7 Tablespoons butter, divided
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 10oz semi-sweet chocolate chips

Method:

1. In a large bowl, melt 6 tablespoons of butter along with the peanut butter until completely liquid.
2. Add the powdered sugar into the peanut butter and butter mixture and beat until completely incorporated. Press the peanut butter mixture into a loaf pan or a 9 x 9 pan for smaller portions.
3. Melt the chocolate chips and remaining tablespoon of butter together and mix. Pour this over the peanut butter layer.
4. Refrigerate until the chocolate has set. Cut at room temperature into 1 x 1 square servings.

Totally worth the effort.

Normally I like fudgy desserts, or just a piece of thick chocolate. But this Summer I haven’t been able to get enough mousse desserts, like this one or this one or this one. So naturally I had to try this recipe when I saw it on the Whole Foods website.

I’ve made chocolate and peanut butter tofu mousse before but never a fruit flavor. This came out really well in flavor, although the texture reminded me more of pudding rather than mousse. It’s thick and slightly dense with a sweet, bright flavor to it, perfect for hot Summer nights when chocolate is too rich(I’ve never experienced this myself but I hear some people do—weird).

Raspberry Tofu Pudding(lightly adapted from this recipe)

Ingredients(Makes 6 servings):

• 12oz fresh or frozen raspberries
• 1 16oz block silken tofu
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup corn or tapioca starch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Zest from half a lemon
• Chocolate and mint to garnish

Combine the tofu, raspberries, starch, sugar, salt, and zest in a food processor and blend until smooth and homogenous.

Pour into individual dishes and refrigerate until serving. Garnish with shaved chocolate and/or mint.

It does not get much better than this.

If you add in 3/4 cup of cocoa powder, the flavor gets even better. Although—I warn you—the color isn’t as appetizing.

I’ve been holding out on you.

I’m sorry.

I made this about a week ago and never got around to posting the recipe. But late is definitely better than never.

It all started when I went to London and had the raw chocolate, vanilla, and mint mousse parfait from saf, which was by far the best thing I had the entire trip. I had been thinking about it as soon as I got back. Luckily, it wasn’t too hard to recreate because the ingredients were listed on the side of the dessert so all I had to do was copy them.

Let me tell you this tasted exactly like the real thing, which is good because I’m not sure I can afford a plane ticket to London every time I get a craving for this mousse. So, if you’re like me and have no plans to be near Kensington Square anytime soon, bookmark this recipe. If you do have plans to be there, send me a postcard. And some mousse.

Raw Chocolate Mint Mousse

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cashews, soaked for at about 3 hours
• 6 Tablespoons maple syrup or agave
• 1.5oz unsweetened baking chocolate, melted
• 3 Tablespoons cocoa powder
• 10 mint leaves, finely chopped plus more for garnish
• 1/4-1/2 cup water

Combine the cashews, sweetener, melted chocolate, cocoa powder, and mint in a food processor and process until it makes a smooth paste.

If serving immediately, slowly add in water to the processor as it’s blending until it reaches a light and airy consistency. Scoop into serving dishes and garnish with extra mint leaves.

If serving later, add in a tad more water than you think you should until the dessert is slightly runny. Pour into serving bowls and refrigerate until serving. As the mousse cools, the texture will firm up. If it firms up too much, simply whisk a couple teaspoons of water into the mousse with a fork until it’s come back to the right consistency again.

I like this better than raw chocolate mousse made with avocado because it actually has the light and airy texture of an egg and cream mousse. The taste is very rich and very minty.

It’s a lot of fat, but I’m going to pull out the “healthy fat” card here. We’re all going to die of something; if raw chocolate mousse does me in, I’m OK with that.