Cacao Pops

Today’s Food Friday is brought to you by one of my favourite Vancouver locals, Kate Horsman!!!! I’ve had a crush on Kate for almost 10 years now … I originally fell in love with her when she did an interview with the Cross Decor & Design for their blog years ago. Her effortless style, class, and charisma always just beamed out of her and I slowly started developing a wee bit of a girl crush!!! I’ve since met her mom and followed Kate’s journey through social media and mutual friends and I honestly can’t say enough good things about her. Her recent switch to a vegan lifestyle has my heart beaming with pride and of course pushing me more and more to follow down this path. Kate is just an all around GOOD and beautiful human being.

While she finishes her Holistic Nutrition course on the path to help people discover the power of food, she just launched her new blog, which I am already head over heels for. I saw this recipe … and I HAD to share the love with all of you! If you want to learn more about Kate and follow along with her inspiring journey head over to her blog here and her Instagram here. I promise you, she won’t disappoint!!! I’ll let Kate take it from here …

Do you remember the ads? You’ll go crazy for cocoa puffs? Sounds a bit like nostalgia. Well, this time, it’s a different medium, a different ingredient, a different body, a different benefit, but equally, you will go insane for THESE CACAO POPS. So here is change

SO speaking of nostalgia, which is where this recipe originates, I don’t know about you, but fudge sicles were def always a sweet treat that I was always down for. I mean come on? Chocolate and fudge? What could be bad with those things. I did like a revello too, but my first draw would be a fudge sicles fo sho. So after investing in an awesome retro Popsicle tray, that made me reminisce of childhood chilled goods and sticky fingers, it was a no-brainer I dived into Willy Wonka land chocolate river, experimenting, but in the new and improved plant-based kind of way. I think your jaws might drop when you see some of the ingredients. This recipe is creamy, chilly, chewy, plant-based, refined sugar-free, healthy and most importantly, chocolatey. Yes. Those two words just happened in the same sentence. You are going to go crazy for these cacao pops…

Ingredients:
Vegan, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Refined Sugar free

3 cups of Cauliflower (yes, I said cauliflower)
1 can light Coconut milk
4 Dates pitted
2 ripe Bananas
2 tbsp Cacao powder
4 tbsp Carob powder
2 tbs melted Coconut oil
pinch of salt

Toppings:
1 tbsp Coconut oil
2 tbsp Cacao powder
Cacao nibs
Goji berries
anything you might also like to dress them up with! nuts, coconut, fruit, the choice is yours

Method:

• Not only is this so effing delicious, but sooooo easy too. Which means, guess what? you’ll be making multiple batches.
• K, so first things first, steam your cauliflower until fork tender. Let cool for a few minutes
• Place cauliflower, and the remainder of the ingredients in your vitamix or blender and blend until beautifully silky smooth. Test, taste, ok, adjust accordingly.
• Add in your salt, which is there to bring out the chocolate flavour. If you want more sweetness you can adjust accordingly by adding more dates, or carob but I think these are beautifully balanced.
• Pour into you popsicles molds and freeze for a minimum of 6 hours.
• Dress your pops accordingly. mix the coconut oil and cacao powder and drizzle and top away!
• The chocolate drizzle does set fast so if you want to add on your toppings you better be fast!

I can’t wait to hear what you think …

Peace
Kate Horsman