Have you ever eaten a decadent and rich chocolate dessert and found yourself thinking afterward, “Maybe I shouldn’t have eaten that“?

You may not even need a single reason to eat a decadent chocolate dessert besides you just crave and want it. Let alone three reasons. But since I have a big sweet tooth, enjoy making sweet desserts and eating them frequently, I want my desserts to be delicious and healthy enough to be enjoyed—pretty much anytime I want.

So I often develop my recipes factoring in three reasons—taste, texture and nutrition. We have them all here in this raw chocolate raspberry torte recipe.

1. Taste:

Rich, raw cacao combined with the slightly butterscotch-like, tangy flavor of maca root powder, this gives the chocolate a new depth of richness. Raspberry fruity sweetness yet tart profile cuts through the chocolate. The chocolate flavor is enhanced and balances out the nuanced palate well together.

2. Texture:

It’s perfect if you crave ganache-like richness. This recipe is a combination of a fudge consistency and smooth mouth feel, thanks to the healthy fats like avocado and coconut oil. But there is one more reason that makes it even better.

3. Nutrition:

Besides the health benefits of eating dark chocolate, here is the main secret ingredient credited for its nutritional boost: black beans. Full of fiber and protein (1 cup cooked contains 15g of fiber and 15g of protein), this legume has the best health-supportive profile among its group.

Bonus: It takes less than five minutes to make. And yes, you can eat it right away!

Raw Raspberry Chocolate Torte

Yield: 6 to 8 in small ramekins or a pie dish 

Ingredients:

• 1 can of black beans, cooked (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 3 large or 4 medium medjool dates, pitted and chopped (soaked in 1 tbsp of warm water for about 15 minutes if possible)
• 1 Tbsp coconut butter + 3 Tbsp extra virgin coconut oil (or if you don’t have coconut butter, you can replace all with 4 Tbsp total extra virgin coconut oil)
• 1/2 of an avocado
• 1/3 cup raw cocoa powder
• 2 Tbsp raw honey (can be substituted with agave nectar if you’re vegan or any sweetener of your choice)
• 1 tsp maca root powder
• pinch of ground cinnamon and sea salt
• Optional: 20 drops of chocolate raspberry flavored Stevia drops (If you don’t enjoy stevia taste, substitute this with sugar or sweetener of your choice. Adjust to your taste/sweetness level as necessary)
• Optional: add fresh raspberries to each ramekin or around the rim of the pie dish

Directions:

1. Rinse the black bean through cold water. Drain well.
2. Put the black beans, coconut butter and coconut oil in a food processor. Pulse for several seconds.
3. Add in the rest of the ingredients. Process it until the consistency becomes smooth and thick.
4. Use a spoon or spatula to scoop it out to six to eight small ramekins or a shallow pie dish. Or just eat it straight from the food processor if you’re not sharing it!

Surely, eating anything that we crave for its richness and taste is good for our soul sometimes. But how about a raw chocolate dessert that is equally decadent and gives you three reasons to feel good about anytime?

Hope you give this a try—please kindly share if you have any question or your comments below if you enjoy this as much as I do!

Josie Huang is an evolving yogini and yoga teacher. Outside of yoga, she is a curious foodie; a knowledge-thirsty Registered Dietitian to-be; a health and fitness enthusiast who loves creating, eating, sharing clean and delicious foods. She is a fledgling following her life long passions for health, yoga, food and nutrition altogether. As she is exploring different loves in her life, she remains dedicated to staying open to all phases of her journey. You can find her via her website, twitter or Facebook.

 

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Ed: Bryonie Wise