Chocolate, caramel and pecan slice (raw and vegan)

The Christmas festivities have once again begun. BBQ's, dinners, lunches and end-of-year-work-do's are in full sail and if you're like me who is wondering how to stay healthy over the silly season with all the delicious food that we get to indulge in, here is a dessert that is completely guilt-free. This one is a real winner. When you combine cacao, fresh dates, pecans and a few spices together, your taste buds will love you forever! One of these slices should be enough to make sure you skip the Christmas dessert table.

Ingredients

(Makes 12 slices)

Cake:

1 cup pecans

1 cup freshly pitted dates

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons raw cacao powder

Caramel icing:

3/4 cup freshly pitted dates

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon each of Cinnamon and nutmeg

2 tablespoons melted coconut oil

Water, as needed- around 3/4-1 cup depending on how thick you would like your icing.

Topping:

Handful pecans

Cinnamon

Nutmeg

To make the cake, put the pecans in your food processor and process until they become small crumbs. 

Add the rest of the ingredients and process until it all begins to stick together. 

Press the mixture firmly into a square or rectangle cake/slice tin.

Leave in the fridge for a few hours or overnight.

To make the caramel icing: blend all the ingredients until smooth, adding water as needed to get a caramel consistency. 

Cut the cake slice into 12 individual square pieces. 

Using a knife or spatula, spread a generous amount of the caramel icing on top of each slice.

Top off with pecans and a sprinkle of nutmeg and cinnamon!