Desserts – most people’s (if not everyone’s) favorite course of meal. They’re usually the best kind of raw food you show off to entice your non-raw friends, too! A lot of my raw food recipes are desserts, and some of the top-rated raw desserts I’ve shared are loved by many. If you haven’t tried them yet, I’m positive you’ll also find them irresistible.

Raw lemon bars recipe

These lemony bars have a lovely lemony sweet flavor, and are perfect for an afternoon snack or quick dessert. The food processor is your best friend in this recipe, so be nice to yours! First to process are the almonds.

Process well until they turn into a fine powder. Then add dates, vanilla, lemon juice and lemon zest, and process again until well combined. Set the mixture aside. Meanwhile, mix dried coconut and salt in a large bowl. Add the lemon bar mixture into the bowl and mix once again using your clean hands. Finally, press the lemon bar dough into a glass dish and pop it in the fridge for about an hour. You can cut your scrumptious raw lemon bars into small slices before serving.

Raw cheesecake recipe

This is one of my top raw dessert recipes of all time. Time for a fancy raw dessert! For something as fancy looking as this raw cheesecake recipe, it’s surprisingly easy to make.

Just process macadamia nuts, salt and dates in a food processor until well processed but still airy. Press this crust mixture down into pan sprinkled with dried coconut on the bottom. To make the raw cream-cheese filling, blend all the filling ingredients in a powerful blender, adding only as little water as needed. Pour the filling on top of the crust mixture and freeze for at least an hour. While the crust/cream-cheese is firming up in the freezer, blend strawberries and dates until nice and smooth, and pour it on top of the firm cheesecake that’s been in the freezer for about an hour. Place it again in the freezer for about five more hours. Serve chilled, straight out of the freezer.

Raw brownie recipe

Here’s the most popular of my top-rated raw desserts. This yummy raw brownie recipe tastes so much like traditional brownies it’s simply “brownie-licious”! One great thing about it is it doesn’t require too many ingredients, and there’s none of those laborious steps either. You will need a food processor for this one.

Step one is to process pecans into small and crumbly bits. Then add your dates and process again until it combines before adding the rest of the ingredients to the mixture. Continue processing until it turns into a chocolatey brown. Don’t over-process, otherwise, it will get too buttery. Firmly press down the mixture into a brownie dish using your hands and chill for a couple of hours.

This raw brownie goes perfectly well raw chocolate icing, too.

Raw chocolate chia pudding recipe

You can never go wrong with chocolatey desserts. Here’s another one you can add to your growing list. You’d be amazed at how this lovely raw chocolate chia pudding recipe tastes just like melted chocolate ice cream!

To make this chia pudding, place cashews and water in your blender and blend until nice and smooth. Add cacao powder, honey/other liquid sweetener, vanilla extract and sea salt and blend again. Pour the mixture into a bowl with chia seeds and mix well. Cover it and place inside the fridge for an hour or so to allow the chia seeds to plump up and thicken the pudding.

This raw dessert gets even better and thicker the longer its refrigerated. 

Raw chocolate shortbread bars

These freezer bars are a killer. (I mean that in a good way.) The zingy chocolatey flavor of these raw chocolate shortbread bars makes for a perfect (more adult) dessert.

For the shortbread procedure, process all shortbread ingredients in a food processor until well combined. Press down the mixture firmly into a pan to make your shortbread base. Next, blend all your chocolate mixture ingredients in a high-speed blender until very nice and smooth, and pour it on top of the shortbread base. Smooth the chocolate evenly with a spoon, and finally, freeze for an hour or so.

Let the bars defrost for about fifteen minutes before eating, but remember to always store them in the freezer.

Which top raw dessert will you try?

Talk about excellent healthy substitutes. With these top raw desserts, there’s no need to hold back when your sweet tooth cravings kick in. These top-rated raw desserts can absolutely satisfy them. Which divine raw dessert do you love best?

Now that I have been dehydrating for 5 years, I am happy to share my best dehydrator recipes with you!  Here are some of my favourite raw dehydrator recipes. These links all go to my own simple raw dehydrator recipes, which I share with you for free here on my website:

Kale chip dehydrator recipes

Kale chips - Throw some kale in a bowl, season and dehydrate... and you have kale chips! Crispy and full of flavour. Perfect for snacking in front of the boobtube! (I also have yam chip and zucchini chip recipes too, but kale chips are the best!)

Cracker dehydrator recipes

Crackers - I always have raw crackers on hand. One of the most useful of dehydrator recipes, raw crackers help you make a meal quick - just take a cracker, top with tomato, cucumber, sprouts and perhaps a nut pate or some sliced avocado. To die for and so easy!

Raw bread dehydrator recipes

Raw bread! Soft, moist and spongy. I am not kidding!

Raw onion bread: The best, most pliable and awesome onion bread. It's famous in the raw food community!

Raw veggie burger dehydrator recipes

Raw veggie burgers! Use some crisp romaine lettuce as a "bun" and top with sliced tomatoes and cucumbers and a dollop of raw mayonnaise and you are set!

Cake and loaf dehydrator recipes

Basic raw bread, zucchini bread, and raw sweet bread. Oh yeah! These dehydrator recipes use "psyllium husk" - which is the secret to dehydrating moist breads that turn out nice and spongy (not hard as rocks).

More dehydrator recipes

Lots more of my favorite dehydrator recipes here!

These are some of the best simple, raw dehydrator recipes that I have come across over my five years of dehydrating extensively. What are some of your favourite raw dehydrator recipes?

For the first three years of my raw food journey, I was 100% raw vegan.  I did not cheat.

Was I one of those weird, irritating people that just loves fruits and vegetables? Well, I am now, but I wasn't always this way. I used to hate vegetables!

Before I went raw, I absolutely loved chips and candy. I ate processed foods and loved them! I craved chips (All Dressed and Salt and Vinegar, mmm), donuts (apple fritters, mmm), muffins (lemon poppyseed or buttery blueberry, mmm), pasta (cheese please), candy (sour keys, Nibs, chocolates, mmm), and white bread products (doughy pizza bun, be still my heart).

But once I commited to going raw, I just gave everything up. Was it hard? Yes! Was it worth it, oh yes.........Because after a month of going 100% raw my tastebuds changed and I began to appreciate raw foods and vegetables.

You see, back when I wasn't raw and I ate all those very delicious (but kind of disgusting when you think about them) products, my tastebuds were used to all that processed food. I craved processed food, and food like fruit and vegetables just tasted bland, boring, and bitter to me.

Enter raw foods...

My journey into raw foods didn't happen overnight. I was vegetarian already, but, as you can tell, I ate lots of junk food. But one March I challenged myself to go 80% raw. I did it.  But then for the next five months I only ate about 50% raw, but I didn't think about food too much. Then one day I just decided that I felt like crap and I would go 100% raw, and I did.

When I was 80% raw, I was sort in a detox-state, and I didn't really know what was going on. Fruits and vegetables tasted alright, I guess. I didn't get excited about them though.

When I went down to 50% raw, eating fruits--and especially vegetables--seemed like a chore. I did it anyway, but I wasn't happy about it. I certainly didn't ever enjoy eating a salad.

When I went 100% raw (with absolutely no cheating) after about one month I realized that I actually liked--no, LOVED--some vegetables. That a tomato or an avocado with some sea salt on it was freakin' delicious. I realized that my tastebuds were changing. I was starting to get excited about the salads that I had for lunch. After my first month 100% raw I was actually craving salads.

Things I've learned:

• Eating SAD (standard American diet) foods screws up your palate and tastebuds. Don't cheat and eat SAD foods! You are only shooting yourself in the foot. You have to give your tastebuds time to adjust and to forget the old SAD foods. If you keep eating SAD food you are making it harder on yourself.
• You don't have to love eating raw fruits and vegetables. You won't love vegetables overnight. But you will discover them eventually. Trust me.
• It's all about flavour combining. Do I love to eat carrot sticks? NO! BORING! Do I love to eat a salad with shredded carrots, olives, fresh romaine lettuce, flavourful tomatoes, a delicious raw salad dressing and slices of avocado? HELL YES! See the difference? It's about combining foods to make them tasty.
• You've got to bring raw food with you whenever you go out. Make sure you have some trail mix or easy to eat fruit (bananas or apples) with you, because hunger strikes anywhere. Temptation is the worst for me when I'm out of my house.
• Yes, temptation still exists. But it's not worth it! And don't forget that.

The #1 reason why I don't cheat and eat SAD foods is because I don't want to screw up my palate. I see my going 100% raw as an investment, and I don't want to throw it down the tubes for a bag of chips.

The Raw Food Podcast is a free radio show hosted by Laura-Jane The Rawtarian. You'll find tons of raw food info and healthy inspiration in Laura-Jane's podcasts... and they are free to listen to.

There are several ways to listen to a podcast:

• You can play the podcast directly from within the episode.
• You can download the MP3 (link provided in the episode).
• You can also "subscribe" to The Raw Food Podcast in iTunes using your Apple smartphone, iPad, etc.
• If you have an Android device, you can also use a podcast app - Laura-Jane uses the free "podkicker" app - where you then search for "raw food podcast."

Raw Food Podcast Episode Guide

Raw Recipes:

RFP06: Raw alfredo sauce - In this podcast, Laura-Jane describes how to make a scrumptious cashew-based raw alfredo sauce.

RFP14: Raw Pizza - In this episode, Laura-Jane explains how to make delicious raw pizza!

RFP10: Raw cheese - Laura-Jane explains how to make raw cheese in your blender. She also dispels the myth of 5-day cheese.

RFP11: Raw veggie burgers - In this episode, Laura-Jane tells you how make delicious raw veggie burgers in your dehydrator! 

RFP03: Green Smoothies, Oh Yeah! - Laura-Jane dishes all the dirt on green smoothies! What's in them, what do they taste like, why cleaning your blender immediately is so important, and much more.

RFP27: Nut milks - Laura-Jane the Rawtarian talks about making nut milk. Topics covered: nut milk bags, cashew and almond milk, &  making recipes with leftover almond pulp. 

RFP20: Raw Soup - Don't shy away! - In this episode, Laura-Jane debunks the myths about why some people shy away from raw soups. She also shares the simple trick that ensures your raw soups are delicious every time straight out of the blender!

Raw Sweets:

RFP01: Raw Brownies - Laura-Jane shares her wonderful raw brownie recipe in this sweet episode!

RFP19: Raw Cakes - How to make 'em! - Laura-Jane offers very practical advice about how to make raw cake. She discusses a variety of options, including raw refrigerator cakes, raw freezer cakes and dehydrator cakes.

RFP12: Top Desserts in the Raw - In this episode, Laura-Jane shares the inside scoop on making raw desserts, five different types of raw desserts, and talks a bit about her raw dessert book.

RFP26: Frozen Raw Desserts - Laura-Jane The Rawtarian explains how to make raw frozen desserts such as raw fudge, raw chocolates, raw pies, raw cheesecakes and raw ice cream!

Raw Discussions:

RFP08: Finding Balance - Vegetarian, Vegan, Raw - Laura-Jane's husband, Cameron, shares how he started out as a vegetarian, and then moved to vegan and now to high raw. He brings a practical perspective to healthy eating and shares some great tips on how to find balance in your life. 

RFP09: Get off the bus! - Laura-Jane shares a powerful story about "riding a bus" as a metaphor for healthy eating. Lots of inspiration for helping you deal with people in your life who are not supportive of your way of eating.

RFP33: Raw or Not! - In this episode, Laura-Jane shares general principles shared by the raw food community regarding which ingredients are raw or not. She also answers FAQs regarding raw food.

RFP32: Decision-Free Living - Laura-Jane shares the concept of "decision-free living" and how implementing a simple rule can help you make better food decisions every single day with way less mental effort.

RFP24: How raw food changed my life - In this episode, Laura-Jane tells a longer version of her story of how she went raw many years ago and hasn't looked back since. What makes her story unique is that she had no plans of going raw for the long term! 

RFP25: New year, new you - Laura-Jane The Rawtarian ponders our love/hate relationship with new year's resolutions. She then details 3 changes you can focus on to help you make lasting change in your life when it comes to food.

RFP13: Vegan Protein - Laura-Jane  shares a simple concept of what protein is and where you can get proteins in a plant-based, vegan diet.

RFP23: How to eat healthy every day - In this episode, Laura-Jane shares some thoughts & tips about emotional eating.  Set yourself up for success by applying these tips to your raw food lifestyle!

The Rawtarian:

RFP15: Recipe Organization - App Launch - In this episode of The Raw Food Podcast, Laura-Jane talks about how she uses her recipes (cookbooks, printouts, eBooks, etc.). She and Cameron (her husband) also chat about The Rawtarian's Raw Recipes app.

RFP29: Zen and the Art of Cookbooks - In this episode, Laura-Jane celebrates her new print cookbook, which is a major milestone in her life. But this episode is more about the zen of achieving big goals (like publishing a cookbook or losing a substantial amount of weight or achieving another big "event") than about the cookbook itself. 

Raw Kitchen

RFP07: Raw Appliances -  Laura-Jane explains the order in which she purchased her raw food kitchen appliances, including cheap blender, food processor, high-speed blender and dehydrator. She also briefly touches on secondary appliances like spiralizers and juicers.

RFP16: How to Dehydrate - In this episode, Laura-Jane tells you how to successfully dehydrate!

RFP04: Food Processing -  Laura-Jane dishes all the dirt on making raw food recipes in a food processor! What's a food processor, how is it different from a blender, do you need both, and some examples of recipes you can make in a food processor.

Raw Tips & Techniques:

RFP30: Simplify your own recipes - Learn how to simplify recipes yourself! Laura-Jane outlines the main types of ingredient categories (sweeteners, thickeners, creamers, binders) & shares her top tips for ingredients you can eliminate to simplify your raw recipe! 

RFP02: How To Eat Raw on a Budget - In this episode, Laura-Jane The Rawtarian provides four tips on how to eat raw on a budget.

RFP31: Traveling and Eating Healthy - In this episode, Laura-Jane shares her tip & tricks for staying healthy 'on the road.'

RFP35: Sprouting The Easy Way - Learn how to grow fresh sprouts using only a mason jar, some cheesecloth, and sproutable seeds! For detailed instructions, check out her written instructions here.

RFP05: Nut Substitutions - Laura-Jane goes into detail on how to make nut substitutions in raw food recipes. She outline three main groups of nuts/seeds: creamy nuts, flour-like nuts, and oily nuts.

RFP34: Healthy Sweeteners - Laura-Jane outlines which raw sweeteners she uses, including fruits, maple syrup, agave nectar, unpasteurized honey and stevia.  Also, at the end of the episode she discusses low-glycemic and high-glycemic sweeteners.

Raw Guests:

RFP21: Guest David Backus, Raw Chef - In this episode, Laura-Jane chats with David Backus of Local Organic Lunch, a raw food accessible eatery in Denver, Colorado. They also discuss how important it is to visit your local raw and organic food vendors.

RFP22: Guest Jinjee from The Garden Diet - In this episode, Laura-Jane speaks with Jinjee Talifero, a homeschooling mother of 5 raw vegan children, the co-founder of www.thegardendiet.com and author of “Raising Raw Vegan Children.”

RFP28: Guest Gina Silvestri -  Laura-Jane interviews Gina Silvestri, a Life Coach, radio host and Certified Reiki Practitioner. Seven years ago, Gina weighted 300 pounds and had 17 official medical diagnoses. She healed herself naturally through raw food. 

RFP18: Guest Jodi Lebrun, Holistic Life Coach - Laura-Jane talks with Jodi Lebrun in this episode. Jodi is a Holistic LIfe Coach and a Yoga Lifestyle Educator whose passion is helping women to re-connect with themselves through Yoga, Ayurveda and Creativity. 

RFP17: Guest Andreea Fegan from Little Bites of Joy - Laura-Jane interviews Andreea Fegan. Andreea is a certified Raw Chef and Raw Foods Teacher (Levels 1-3), and a graduate of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, affiliated with SUNY. She also offers classes and workshops on raw and vegan topics.

Holidays are just around the corner! It's time to start thinking "party", and of course, "what's on the menu?". Whatever event or occasion you're celebrating, here are some simple and delicious appies to serve your guests.

Ready? Then read on, my friends...

Vegetable Platter & Raw Ranch Dressing

First, let's go for the obvious... throw together a big 'ol vegetable platter. Carrots, celery, broccoli, tomatoes... you get my drift! What's available at your local farmer's market? Be creative! Tempt your guests further by offering a Raw Ranch Dressing dip for their veggies. If you think nothing can compare to 'real' ranch dressing, think again! This is a must-have dip for your vegetable platter!

Fruit Platter & Raw Fruit Dip

And you can't go wrong with a fruit platter, especially when you serve it with a delicious Raw Fruit Dip. This cashew-based dip is sooo creamy and slightly tangy, with a cream-cheese-like texture. Perfect for slathering on strawberries, pineapple chunks and grapes.

Mmm, just writing about it makes me want to whip up a batch right now!

Raw Walnut Pate & Simplest Raw Flax Crackers

For snackies, my fave and easiest trick is to top cucumber rounds with a spread like Raw Walnut Pate.

You can also spread the Walnut Pate on crackers, too. Check out this Simplest Raw Flax Cracker Recipe to totally impress your friends!

Raw Guacamole & Raw Corn Chips

What's a gathering without guacamole? Guacamole is always on my must-serve list, so I'm sharing it with you!

Serve it up with these stupendously good Corn Chips and your holiday event will be the talk of the town!

Raw Strawberry Milk

Keep your guests hydrated (and delighted) with a smooothie like this awesome Strawberry Milk.  Frozen strawberries and chia seeds are the two main ingredients!

For a twist, you can also serve this smoothie up as a refreshing dessert!

Raw Cheesecake

But, if you want a 'proper' dessert, why don't you make one up the day beforehand & freeze? My top choice that you can serve right out of the freezer is Raw Cheesecake!

If some of your guests have any doubts about eating raw at this point, those doubts will be eradicated after just one bite of this wildly delicious cheesecake!

All Together Now...

Let's see now, we've got a vegetable plate, a fruit plate, flax crackers (and cuke rounds!) topped with walnut pate. Then there's the guacamole served up with crunchy corn chips. And for the sweet tooths in the gang, there's the strawberry smoothie plus cheesecake for dessert!

So get ready to enjoy your holiday in raw food style! And don't forget to invite me!

What's the difference between a dehydrator and an oven? Can you dehydrate in an oven? It's tempting to try to dehydrate in your oven, but will you get the same results?

The Rawtarian answers these burning questions for you in this red-hot post!

How hot is too hot?

First off, let's review a very basic definition of raw food. Raw food is preferably organic, vegan food that isn't cooked above 116°F (47°C).  This is to prevent valuable dietary enzymes from being killed off, as well as ensuring the food is fresh and retains all its nutrients.

Ovens are designed to cook HOT, while dehydrators most definitely are not! Even the 'keep warm' setting on an oven is 275°F(140°C). So you can see where this is going...

In this corner: the Dehydrator!

In this corner: the Oven!

The Rawtarian says...

Would you try to barbeque with a microwave? Would you try to vaccuum your floors with your hair dryer? Probably not. One tool is not like the other! So when your dehydrator recipe doesn't turn out because you've used an oven, don't be shocked. So instead, why not forget about dehydrating until you get a dehydrator? Or, instead, if all you have is an oven, look for baking recipes instead, since that's what an oven does!

You can certainly try dehydrating in your oven... if you have a convection oven, and you're willing to keep checking that the temperature doesn't get too high (usually by leaving door ajar and continual monitoring). People have done it - I've heard the stories! 

But if you want to ensure successful dehydrating, it's best to use a dehydrator. Because... well... that's what it's specifically made for! And you want those Raw Kale Chips to turn out crisp and perfect and yummy, don't you?

Craving a raw, delicious salad? Here are three salads and a great ranch dressing that are super easy to make, which is important when you’re on the run or whipping them up at work. Don’t worry, you don’t have to chop up a huge pile of vegetables. Raw salads work best with just a few ingredients. This way, the simple flavours meld together for maximum flavor!

For extra zip, top your raw salads with raw ranch dressing. (recipe below)

1. Avocado and tomato delight

This is my favourite prepare-right-at-work salad. Avocadoes and carrots make for a creamy/crunchy contrast – no dressing required! For a quick lunch fix, give this easy, raw salad a try. I've taken this to work literally dozens of times when I am in a rush in the mornings! Just grab an avo, tomato and a carrot and you're DONE!

2. Raw avocado seaweed salad

Here is a tasty, but easy raw salad.  Give dulse seaweed a try if you haven’t already. Optional raisins up the sweetness factor.

3. Raw ranch salad dressing

Raw ranch dressing tastes just like the ‘real deal!’ Satisfy your ranch craving with this easy cashew-based raw ranch dressing recipe. Toss all the ingredients in your blender… and blend. Done!  And yes, it actually tastes like Hidden Valley!

4. Raw taco salad

This raw taco salad recipe is one of my favorite raw salads of all time. The "taco filling" is super filling and hearty. This recipe will make you get excited about having a salad!

Which raw salad recipe will you try today?

Believe me, these raw salad recipes are fast and easy. Try one today and see for yourself! Salads don't have to be boring. They should explode on the tongue!

And remember. Simple = best. Too many flavours = a dull, brownish flavour that blends together into a blah of boring nothingness!

Holiday recipes usually conjure up visions of mashed potatoes, stuffing and pumpkin pie. Am I right? Well, you can have these recipes (and more!), raw vegan style! No need to deprive yourself of seasonal favorites, plus your guests will love them, too! I myself cannot do without raw eggnog during the festive season. Must have my eggnog!

So, without further ado, here are my favorite top raw vegan holiday recipes:

Raw Eggnog

Serve your guests a glass of this delicious Raw Eggnog. Oh so rich, this eggnog will soon get them into the festive spirit. Cashews, dates, and coconut oil are (crazily enough!) the main ingredients in this easy-to-whip-up recipe.

Just blend and serve immediately, and listen to the cries of delight!

Raw Mashed Potatoes

Every holiday meal has to have mashed potatoes, even a vegan meal! This Mashed Potato recipe is hearty and filling with a garlicky flavor. In case you are wondering, no raw potatoes here! These mashed potatoes are cauliflower and cashew based.

Make sure to include raw mashed potatoes as part of your festive meal!

Raw Stuffing

Walnuts, dates and celery are the key ingredients for this scrumptious Raw Stuffing. Include this stuffing at your next holiday meal - your guests will be asking for seconds!

Bonus: you can make this recipe in advance.

Raw Cranberry Relish

What's a holiday meal without cranberry relish? This incredibly simple Cranberry Relish recipe has just two ingredients - cranberries (of course!) and dates. It's also super tasty, and a must-have for your table.

For extra oomph and color, you can add a diced orange. Yum!

Raw Pumpkin Pie

Eating raw does not mean giving up your favorite foods. Whip up a Raw Pumpkin Pie for a holiday dessert. This pumpkin pie is light and creamy, and oh so good!

Keep this pie in the freezer. When you want to impress your guests, just pull it from the freezer, slice and serve!

Holiday favorites, raw vegan style...

Which of these recipes are you going to make this holiday season? As you can see, being a raw vegan does not mean depriving yourself of old favorites. And these recipes are so good, you can serve them to your non-raw guests with confidence.

And if you're making raw eggnog, I'll be right over!

It’s easier than you think to start going raw. You don’t have to run out and buy a bunch of expensive foods right away. Or appliances – you can start with just a cheap blender.

Here are 6 simple steps to get you started.

Then, if you’re still psyched about going raw, you can delve a little deeper into the raw experience!

• Find a fruit that gets you excited and eat lots of it! (My faves are green grapes and fresh blueberries. Simple but oh so tasty!)
• Buy a food processor or a blender. They don't have to be good ones - and you don't need both to START!
• Shop healthy. It all starts at the grocery store - buy healthy groceries that you enjoy and avoid buying junk like chips, cookies, etc. Eating healthy starts at the grocery store. Then, when you get peckish on the couch you don't have a lot of junk food in the house so you eat better stuff, like fruit or nuts.
• Find one raw recipe that appeals to you and make it for fun! Are brownies your thing? How about raw chocolate haystacks?
• Make your **next** meal a raw one. I mean it, right now!
• Invite your friend(s). Have a "learning-raw" party get-together!

Do you see how easy it is to start going raw? Your experience should be simple and fun. And not hard on your budget. Choose your favourite fruit, find a dee-lish recipe, get your taste of raw!