Easter weekend is upon us and with it comes shiny mountains of chocolate wrapped in coloured foil.

Healthy Treats

This year, you can abandon the supermarket options with our collection of 4 delicious Easter treats. Each one has been tried and tested, and remains true to living a healthy lifestyle.

We all love a little indulgence over Easter so we asked Marketa from Nourish By Nature to whip up some recipes for you to enjoy. Happy Easter!

Chocolate Easter Eggs

Bliss balls decorated as Easter eggs
Makes 25 pieces

Ingredients

• ½ Cup Almonds
• ½ Cup Desiccated coconut
• ½ Cup Sunflower seeds
• ¼ Cup Cacao powder
• 1 Cup Dates – soaked in warm water for 30 minutes

For decorating

• ½ Cup good quality Chocolate – melted (I used Trade aid Darks chocolate drops)
• Coconut
• Small beetroot
• Turmeric powder
• Macha powder or sprinkles of your choice

Method

1. Place almonds, coconut, sunflower seeds and cacao powder into food processor. Process until fine
2. Drain dates, add to food processor and process until well combined
3. With your hands roll the mixture into egg shapes placing them onto tray
4. Chill in the fridge until firm (about 1 hour)
5. To prepare your colourful coconut sprinkles:
   • Divide coconut into three small bowls
   • For yellow sprinkles add turmeric – start with ¼ tsp and keep adding until your desired brightness
   • For green sprinkles add Matcha – start with ¼ tsp and keep adding until your preferred intensity
   • For pink sprinkles add few small pieces of peeled beetroot. Poke and squash the beetroot with fork to release the juice. Keep mixing with coconut until you get your desired colour. Add more beetroot pieces if necessary. Remove the beetroot when you are done.
6. Melt the chocolate
7. Dip each egg half in chocolate and sprinkle with coconut or 100’s and 1000’s if you wish
8. Store in airtight container in the fridge.

Mini Carrot Cakes with Whipped Coconut Cream

Super easy and delicious
Makes 6

Carrot Cakes

Ingredients

• ½ Cup Dates – soaked in warm water for 30mins
• 1 Cup Desiccated coconut
• ¼ Cup Cranberries
• 1 ½ Cup Carrot – grated
• 2 Tbsp Ground flax seeds
• 1 Tbsp Water (use the sweet water from soaking the dates)
• 1 tsp Cinnamon
• Pinch Nutmeg
• ½ tsp Fresh ginger – finely grated
• ¼ Cup Pumpkin seeds
• ½ Cup Walnuts

Method

1. Drain the dates (reserve the water)
2. Place all ingredients except pumpkin seeds and walnuts to food processor and process well
3. Add pumpkin seeds and walnuts to food processor and process, keeping some texture
4. Line muffin tin with food wrap or paper liners (you will need only six holes lined)
5. Spoon the mixture evenly into line muffin holes and press firmly
6. Chill in the fridge for couple of hours

Whipped coconut Cream

Ingredients

• 1 Can of coconut cream
• 1 tsp Maple or Agave syrup (or other sweetener of your choice)
• 1 tsp vanilla

Method

1. Chill the can of coconut cream overnight. The cream content will separate from the coconut water when chilled properly
2. Scoop the solid part into bowl. You can use the coconut water in your smoothie if you like
3. Add sweetener and vanilla and whisk for few minutes until smooth and fluffy
4. Place back into fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving.

To serve, remove the cakes from the tin, arrange on the plates. Spoon or pipe the cream on top of each cake, dust with cinnamon.

Chia Pudding

Perfect breakfast for Easter morning

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

For the chia pudding

• 1 ½ Cup Milk of your choice
• 1/3 Cup+1Tbsp Chia seeds
• 2 Tbsp Maple or Agave syrup
• 2 Tbsp Cacao powder
• 1 tsp vanilla

To serve with

• 2 Bananas, sliced
• 1 Cup Muesli or granola or of your choice
• 1 Orange, cut into wedges for decoration
• Mint leaves for decoration

Method:

1. The night before whisk together all ingredients for chia pudding in a bowl, cover and let set in refrigerator overnight. Tip: if you prefer the convenience of just two ingredients you can mix flavoured milk and chia seeds – Little Island has nice chocolate coconut milk
2. In the morning stir the chia pudding to break any lumps
3. Place sliced bananas at the bottom of your serving dishes,
4. Add chia pudding (reserve approximately 4 tablespoons for decoration)
5. Top with muesli or granola
6. Decorate with tablespoon of chia pudding and stick in the “carrots”

Making orange “carrots”

Cut mint leafs with to resemble carrot greens – scissors worked better for me than knife
Pierce the orange wedge with a toothpick and insert the mint leaf

Raw Banoffee Pie

Ingredients

Crust

• 1 ½ Cup Almonds
• 1 Cup Brazil nuts
• 1 Cup Dates – chopped
• 2 Tbsp Nut butter of your choice – I like to use Pic’s Peanut butter

Caramel filling

• 1 Cup Dates – soaked in warm water for 30 minutes
• ¼ Cup water from soaking the dates
• 1Tbsp Nut butter
• ½ tsp Vanilla
• Pinch salt
• ½ Cup Almond meal (ground almonds with skin on)

Whipped Coconut Cream

• 1 Can of coconut cream
• 1 tsp Maple or Agave syrup (or other sweetener of your choice)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 to 3 ripe bananas – sliced
• Chocolate for decorating – melted or grated, both work well

Method

Crust

1. Place Almonds and Brazil nuts into food processor and process finely
2. Add dates and nut butter. Process until well combined
3. Line cake tin with baking paper
4. Press the mixture into the bottom and the sides of the tin firmly
5. Refrigerate while you make the caramel filling

Caramel Filling

1. Drain dates, but keep the water
2. Place all ingredients except almond meal into high speed blender. Blend into a creamy paste
3. Add Almond meal and blend well
4. Pour the filling into the crust and smooth the top with spatula
5. Freeze until set (at least 3 hours)

Tip: You can prepare the crust with the filling one day ahead and keep in freezer overnight. Remove from the freezer about 1 hour before decorating to soften.

Whipped Coconut Cream

1. Chill the can of coconut cream overnight. The cream content will separate from the coconut water when chilled properly
2. Scoop the solid part into bowl. You can use the coconut water in your smoothie if you like
3. Add sweetener and vanilla and whisk for few minutes until smooth and fluffy
4. Place back into fridge for at least 30 minutes before decorating.

To decorate:

1. Cover all surface of the caramel with sliced bananas
2. Spoon the whipped coconut cream on top
3. Arrange another layer of banana slices
4. Add some more cream
5. Sprinkle with grated chocolate, or drizzle with melted chocolate.