Raw Vegan Christmas Cake
One of my all-time favourite desserts to dig into during the holiday season has always been Christmas pudding! Growing up in Australia, it wasn’t the ideal type of dessert to eat for Christmas, which usually falls on a stinking hot day in the middle of our summer, however this northern hemisphere adopted treat, along with mum’s roasted turkey and all the traditional trimmings, were always something to look forward to with the family!
Now, as a health-conscious Nutritionist, I am a firm believer in the concept of eating foods that are suited to your seasonal climate and your environment. I’ll take it a step further and say that I believe the foods we consume as individuals should also be influenced by our genetic and cultural dispositions, as in, our bodies are better suited to eat foods that our historical heritage would be more inclined to eat from a geographical perspective (but I’ll leave this discussion for a future post).
So today, as Christmas Day approaches, I took it upon myself to re-create my mum’s traditional hot Christmas pudding, with my own healthy and ‘Aussified’ version, specific to our hotter climate… A raw Christmas cake that is also gluten-free, dairy-free and free from any refined, inflammatory sugar; yet one that does not compromise on taste!
In fact, the taste can almost match that of the conventional Christmas pudding, only this one is actually healthier for you, with a much lighter consistency!
And the best news is… it doesn’t take days or hours to make like the conventional pudding. It actually takes less than 20 minutes to make, so can even be made on Christmas Day if you’d like a healthy treat to enjoy with your cuppa after a day of food indulgence.
Here is the easy recipe:
Time to prepare: 20 minutes
Serves: 15-20 people
Ingredients:
2 Cups Pitted Dates
1 Cup Raw Almonds
1 Cup Walnuts
1 Cup Mixed dried fruit
½ Cup Cashews
1 Tbs Orange zest
1 Tbs Organic Coconut Oil
4 drops Doterra Wild Orange oil
½ teaspoon cinnamon powder
1/4 cup chopped pistachios (for topping optional)
Method:
Place all ingredients EXCEPT the Mixed dried fruit into a food processor. Start by pulsing the mixture until combined, then continue to mix until all ingredients mixed, but nuts are still chunky (as desired).
Stop the processor. Add the mixed dried fruit and pulse through the mixture until just mixed through evenly. Try to maintain the fruit pieces in the mixture.
Line a rectangle pan approximately 30cm x 20cm with baking paper or use silicone pan, and pour the mixture into the pan, pressing it down firmly at an even thickness distribution throughout the pan. Sprinkle the top with optional chopped pistachio nuts if desired or leave plain.
Set in the freezer for 10 minutes, before removing and slicing up into bite size rectangles (or use Christmas shape cookie cutters for extra fun). Enjoy perfectly with a nice cup of tea or coffee for a light dessert option on Christmas Day, or any time of the year if you’re a fruit cake fan.
Refrigerate in an airtight container. Keeps for up to 2 weeks in the fridge. (If it lasts that long!)
Wishing you and your family a safe and merry Christmas, and a happy and healthy new year!
In health,
Deena x