Dairy Free on Valentine’s Day

Being dairy free on Valentine’s Day feels like a drag – all those velvet covered  heart shaped boxes of yummy chocolate.  Chocolate roses, chocolate fondues… everything about Valentine’s day is about indulgence – and indulgence usually means full fat cream, butter and dairy laden chocolate!

I’m here to save you! 

(Sweet hearts above are dairy free!) – source

You can check out my post from Valentines last year – full of Valentine’s Day treats including a nut based lemon cheesecake, banana lemon pie, banana soft serve with caramel and chocolate sauce and my favorite – chocolate love affair cookies!

Up at the top of my list today – Fruit Kebabs with Brownies and Chocolate Drizzle

A link to a few other tasty treats – (note the rolos are not dairy free)… this link includes – chocolate dipped figs with pecans, chocolate drizzled jube jubes (sooo good!)

I made this chocolate fudge at Christmas time and it was LOVED by everyone.  I also warmed up some peanut butter in the microwave and swirled it through – SO good!

My ABSOLUTE favorite caramel recipe – I used this to make turtles and peanut clusters – it takes about 5 mins total, and your dairy free loved one will feel SO loved!

Over Christmas I made Oh She Glows Sinless Sticky Toffee Date Pudding – it was incredible and gooey!!

 

Not a pretty picture but what can you do?

Peanut Butter Cups

These little beauties are a favourite around our house. Also last year they won a Christmas baking contest! They are so simple, yet so tasty!

• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1 TBSP coconut oil (optional, but adds to the flavours)
• 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
• 1/2 cup icing sugar
• Mini cupcake liners (Dollar store often has fun holiday themed ones!)

-Melt chocolate chips and coconut oil in a double boiler until smooth.

-Mix peanut butter and icing sugar together to form a dough. If dough is sticky to touch, add extra icing sugar.

-Add a bit of melted chocolate to cupcake liner. Tap on counter until chocolate fills bottom of liner.

-Once all liners are full, put into fridge or freezer until solid.

-Once chocolate is solid, take a dime size amount of peanut butter dough and roll into a ball, then flatten.

-Add to liner; keep the peanut butter dough away from the corners of the liner.

-Cover with a bit of melted chocolate – tap until peanut butter is covered.

-Return to fridge/freezer until harden.

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Something I want to make very soon – Chocolate Dipped Oreos!! (yes Oreos are dairy free!!)

(source)

Melt some dairy free chocolate (like Endangered Species 72%) with a little coconut oil in a double boiler on the stove. 

Dip the Oreos in the chocolate and cover completely.  Place  dipped Oreos on parchment paper – now’s the fun part! Decorate with sprinkles, or edible sparkles – you could have fun with this one!!

Place dipped Oreos in the fridge until hardened, and then place each Oreo in a Valentines (or red) cupcake liner!!   Voilà – a beautiful jester of the deepest dairy free love! 

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How about some chocolate fondue??? (I loooooove chocolate fondue)

Make this to taste (may need to adjust ingredients – this is just a rough guess of what I put in);

1 TBSP - Raw Cocoa Powder

2 TBSP - Maple Syrup (or Agave)

2 TBSP Warm Water

vanilla

Optional;

spices if you like – get creative – cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, chilli powder, curry

1 TBSP – Peanut Butter, Tahini or other nut butter (Cashew would be dreamy)

1 tsp. – macca powder (optional – but good to help with the feelings of LOVE!)

Liquor – Sub Kahlua (which is dairy free) or an orange liquor for the water.

Mix it all together and get dipping!

Ideas for dippers – fruit, dried fruits, angel food cake, graham crackers, marshmallows, brownies

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Oh and then there is Chocolate Covered Katie's 20 Valentines Day Treats! (SERIOUSLY drooly)…

Remember – ANY vegan recipe is dairy free – and 99% of Raw recipes are dairy free (there are a few with Raw Dairy in them?!)

 

Hope you have a beautiful Valentine’s Day and you find something sweet for yourself and for your sweetie!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Balls

The first of many guest posts coming up in the next week!!  

Kristina from Spa Bettie is here today, with another tasty dairy free treat!!

Make sure to check out her blog, it’s wonderful and jam packed full of beautiful bright photography and the cutest puppy around!

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I am honored to guest post for Jessica while she is getting married and enjoying the sunny beaches of Mexico! Congrats, again, Jessica! So happy for you and excited to hear about all the details!

First I'm sharing my recipe for a great energy snack I make all the time, then showing the special adaptation I made just for Valentines Day and for Jessica!

Of my many no bake energy ball recipes, and this is the most popular at our house:

peanut butter chocolate ball

1 cup peanut butter 1/2 to 3/4 cup millet puffs 1/4 cup cocoa powder

Combine peanut butter and cocoa until blended; add puffs. You may need to mix and adjust, mix and adjust. I added more peanut butter after I started rolling – they do stick together.

Makes 20 one inch balls, with some sampling as you go. Store in refrigerator.

For Valentines, for friends getting married, for a Saturday afternoon, I made this recipe into a tasty treat.

Instead of shaping into bite size pieces, simply flatten the mixture into a pan -

I used a 9x9 square. Melt a package of vegan marshmallows -

I used Sweet Sara chocolate peppermint

YUM! Spread the melted marshmallows over the top, refrigerate to set.

The chewy top with mild peppermint flavor is a perfect marriage with the nutty chocolate base. Thank you again,

Jessica for having me here while you are in Mexico! I wish you and David the best!

Alternatives for Valentines Day…

So if this is your first dairy free Valentine’s Day, you must be feeling sad…

Chocolate is basically the theme of Valentines Day and there isn’t much chocolate or yummy desserts out there that you can easily find…

So I’ve done another round up for you, of YUMMY dairy free deserts!!

First off… RAW Lemon Cashew Cheesecake…  Oh yes, you heard it right (AMAZING)

I even made if for some cheese cake lovers, and they said it was delish.

Up next, RAW banana lemon pie… another winner here folks.  This one was made at my raw food course this summer, and was easily one of my favorite pies ever!

Or how about a dairy free ice cream sundae?  With chocolate sauce AND caramel sauce?  What a treat!

Then of course, there is my favorite… “Chocolate Crinkle Love Affair Cookies”  You all know these are my FAVORITE!!

Another recipe well know in blog land is some Cashew Cream!!  Basically you soak cashews, rinse then and then blend them with water.   You can add in orange zest, vanilla bean or whatever you like and volia – you have a yummy cream sauce for over any of your deserts,   check out here for the exact instructions.

Last but not least… if you go to THIS link – there are a TON of video for raw/vegan (aka dairy free) desserts!!

What do you think?  Are you feeling better now about the day of LOVE (and chocolate?)

If you have a great dairy free treat link – please feel free to post it under comments or on my facebook!

Since I won’t be here to say it.  If you celebrate Valentine’s Day – Happy Valentines Day to you!!  If you don’t – then… have a nice day on that day…    

  Ps.  Today is my last day of posting manually – every other day is set up to do it automatically, so please come back, even though you might not see me on facebook or twitter!! I have some great guest posters up for you, and on my actual wedding day, a picture of my dress!!!!!!!!!!!!!