I have a selection of healthy, indulgent Easter treats I tested out last year when I first started planning my blog and I’m glad to finally be able to share them.
These two Easter treats are aimed at the young and young at heart.
First up for the kids is a healthy, yummy snack and It’s not your traditional chocolate bunnies. These Carrot Bunny Cakes are fun, Easter-themed (yet of course can be made for any occasion) and are the perfect way to hide some vegetables from the kids and those fussy adults. A favorite treat of the Easter Bunny when he wants something sweeter then his usual snack of carrots, but still wants to remain healthy so he can keep running around and hiding eggs xD.
Carrot cake, or carrot cupcakes, taste great and are usually my first pick when I’m out at a cafe and they offer carrot cake. They make a great lunch box snack . I recommend adding the walnuts and sultanas (which I’ve included in the recipe) as a little something extra and also because when I think ‘carrot cake’ I think sultanas and walnuts. These cupcakes have a great texture to them and I love the cashew cream topping. The original recipe is to create double decker carrot cake cupcake but I just kept the cupcakes whole as I didn’t have enough of the cashew cream to spread through the middle. I found that cutting the cupcake in half and spreading a little butter on them when they were still warm was absolutely delicious.
The second recipe for week one are ‘White Chocolate’ Fluffy Bunny Tails.
This was my first time using cacao butter and It was interesting to work with and seeing how they turned out. I’m looking forward to experimenting more with the cacao butter and making my own raw chocolate treats so stay tuned for more healthy chocolate posts in the future.
Now back to these bunny tails. Something bite sized and easy for small people to snack on, the original recipe used rice malt syrup which I subbed with honey but I found them very sweet so if you choose to use honey to sweeten these treats you’ll only need to eat one at a time to settle any Easter sweet tooth cravings. If you want these chocolate balls to set quicker then put them in the freezer and you can eat them straight from there too. They are the perfect little indulgent treat, without the guilt. I didn’t bother with the last step of coating the balls in coconut butter, I simply rolled them through the shredded coconut.
Carrot Bunny Cakes
- 3 large carrots, grated (about 1.5 cups worth)
- 1 cup almond flour/meal
- 2 eggs, whisked
- ¼ cup Virgin Coconut Oil, melted
- 1 tablespoon Raw Honey
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ginger
- ¼ teaspoon cloves
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- pinch of salt
- ¼ cup chopped walnuts (optional)
- ¼ cup raisins (optional)
- 1.5 cups raw cashews (unsalted)
- 5 tablespoons Coconut Butter
- ⅓ cup canned coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon Raw Honey
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- Preheat your oven to 180 Degrees Celsius
- Shred your carrots in your food processor with the shredding attachment or use a grater.
- Add all the carrot cupcake ingredients to a large bowl and mix thoroughly to combine.
- Place cupcake ingredients into a muffin tin lined with paper liners or silicone liners (like I use). Should fill 10-12 muffins.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes.
- Now on to make the frosting!
- Add your cashews and turn on until you get a chunky meal.
- Then add your 5 tablespoons of coconut butter.
- Once that has combined, add your coconut milk, honey, vanilla, and cinnamon.
- When you get a paste/frosting, taste to see if you would like any salt added.
- Once your cupcakes are done baking, let cool COMPLETELY, cut in half and place frosting between the two halves and on top of your cupcake.
- Sprinkle with cinnamon or extra shredded carrot OR a bit or orange zest!
*Recipe Tested from Paleo OMG Blog*
White Chocolate Bunny Tails
Ingredients:
- 1 1/4 cup coconut butter.
- 1/4 cup cacao butter, melted.
- 1/4 cup coconut oil.
- 1/4 cup coconut milk.
- 1/4 cup rice malt syrup.
- 1 teaspoon vanilla powder.
- pinch sea salt.
- 1 cup shredded or desiccated coconut, for rolling.
Directions:
1. Place 1/4 cup coconut butter, cacao butter, coconut oil, coconut milk, rice malt syrup,
vanilla and salt in a food processor. Process until smooth.
2. Transfer mixture to a bowl and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes until firmed up enough
to roll into balls but not too much that the mixture is solid. Roll mixture into teaspoon
sized balls. Refrigerate until hard.
3. Mould remaining coconut butter in a thin layer around each ball and then roll in
shredded coconut. Refrigerate until firm.
4. Transfer mixture to a bowl and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes until firmed up enough to roll into balls, but not too much that the mixture is solid. Roll mixture into teaspoon-sized balls. Refrigerate until hard.
5. Mould remaining coconut butter in a thin layer around each ball and then roll in shredded coconut. Refrigerate until firm.
*Recipe Tested from the I Quit Sugar Website*
Stephanie's Test Kitchen 