This is potentially the quickest and easiest jam you’re ever going to make. You don’t have to simmer fruit and sugar for a while until it thickens into a sugary, jammy spread. You also don’t need added sugars or pectin to yield the consistency that is common in most jams. Another reason you don’t need pectin is because dried fruit only contains 22% water, so there is no need for a thickener. This raw apricot jam has incredible depth of flavor and made entirely from dried fruit, a touch of maple syrup, and a pinch of sea salt.

Since dried fruit contains less water than fresh fruit, you want to rehydrate it prior to making the jam. By rehydrating the dried fruit, you make it softer and easier to blend. Just soak in a bowl of warm water for a few hours and be sure to discard the soaking water. The reason we decided to use dried apricots is because they, much like figs, cherries, and plums, are juicier dried fruits. Just make sure that you purchase dried apricots that are free of sulfites, added sugars, and preservatives. Those dried apricots tend to be brown in color, so your jam may not be the most picturesque orange hue you’re dreaming of, but it is chemical-free and healthier.

Just like fresh fruit jam, dried fruit jam is very versatile. Use it instead of jelly on a classic PB&J sandwich, spread it on crepes, or use it as a topping for your yogurt bowl. It should be noted that all of those suggestions are acceptable to enjoy if you are not cleansing. Should you want to enjoy this while cleansing, you can use it as a topping for banana or cashew pudding, chia pudding, or on raw vegan ice cream.

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If you understand flavors, you know that you cannot go wrong with the combination of lemon and basil. You typically see those two ingredients in a classic pesto recipe, but they work in salad dressings, marinades, sauces, and even this hummus. Because hummus is incredibly versatile, you can doctor it up to create a unique and memorable dip. You can enjoy hummus with pita chips, vegetable sticks, or as a spread on a sandwich. With so many flavor combinations, the hummus possibilities are endless!

Some of you might be wondering, “Why can’t I just buy hummus in the store? There are so many options that I enjoy.” Well, there is nothing better than making your own food. Secondly, hummus is a very easy dip to make and you know exactly what goes into it when you make it yourself. There are no added sugars, excess sodium, preservatives, or other ingredients that you cannot pronounce. Plus, you can whip up this batch of lemon basil hummus in about 10 minutes…and that includes prep time!

As with any hummus, you need chickpeas, which are naturally rich in protein and fiber, two nutrients that help keep you from unnecessary eating between meals. According to research, protein and fiber work together to slow digestion, a process that promotes feelings of fullness. Additionally, protein may increase levels of hormones in the body that reduce appetite. In fact, the filling effects of protein and fiber in chickpeas may help you reduce your total caloric intake.

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Is this dandelion pesto nature’s green powerhouse in sauce form? We’ll leave that for you to decide. What we can tell you is that this highly addictive sauces is crafted from dandelion greens, which bring a wild, bitter-green twist to a classic sauce. Forget the basil and cheese, because they aren’t needed here. It still contains pine nuts, lemon juice, olive oil, and other seasonings, but the dandelions require other ingredients to tame the subtle bitterness.

Often dismissed as pesky weeds, dandelions are rich in antioxidants, including vitamins A, C, and K, and other minerals like calcium and iron. That makes this pesto a superfood sauce in disguise! Blended with heart-healthy olive oil, crunchy pine nuts, garlic, lemon juice, turmeric, nutritional yeast, and sea salt, this pesto strikes a great balance between bold, rustic flavors and bright citrusy tones. It’s a great sauce, whether you decide to pour it over zucchini noodles, use it as a dip, or pile it onto a tray of roasted veggies. It truly awakens the palate!

Best of all, it does not contain preservatives, dairy, and artificial additives, which are common ingredients in most store bought pesto sauces. This sauce is pure plant-powered goodness straight from the garden to your plate. Now, that does not mean you have to go foraging for dandelions, but they are a common weed that people discard. Just forage for flavor! Play it safe and buy dandelion greens from the grocery store, a move that will also ensure you have enough greens free of pests for the pesto.

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This raw vegan ricotta is a cashew lover’s dream. Made with rich and creamy cashews, this vegan cheese makes for the perfect spread or topping for a raw zoodle entree. Have a cashew allergy or just dislike them? You can replace them with raw almonds, but make sure to use slivered almonds, as whole almonds don’t yield as creamy a consistency. Cashews are commonly used to make vegan and raw vegan cheeses, which is why we decided to use them. Just make sure to soak them for an hour or two prior to blending. That will soften them and allow for easier blending.

For this recipe, we highly recommend using a food processor, as a blender may not be able to do the job effectively. Because this is ricotta cheese, you want the blended mixture to retain some texture. For this reason, keep an eye on the ingredients during while you blend them. If you end up with a super creamy spread, don’t think that you have wasted ingredients. You can still enjoy the spread, which will be more of a creamy sauce. Ricotta cheese tends to have some curds, giving it a lumpy texture. To get a similar texture with cashews, blend for 30 seconds at a time. Scrape down the sides of the processor each time and repeat until you achieve a texture that appeases you.

Finally, if you feel the need to add a little pizzazz to this cashew ricotta, you can do so with the following measurements:

• Fresh chopped herbs: Add 1/3 cup of cilantro, dill, or basil
• Pepper: Add one teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes for spice
• Fresh chopped garlic: Add one or two cloves of minced garlic

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This is a very simple dip that packs a big flavorful punch. Your taste buds won’t know what they hit them, even after you’ve taken 10 to 12 bites. There is just one thing that you have to remember to do for this recipe: make sure that you use the sun-dried tomatoes that are not in oil. These are also known as dry-packed tomatoes, which have a similar texture to dried fruit and come in sealed packages. Traditional oil-packed tomatoes are dried in the same way, only they are submerged in oil and flavorings after being dried.

What Is In This Dip?

To make a quick clarification, there are no olives in this dip, despite what you see in the picture. Additionally, you cannot enjoy this dip with bread if you are cleansing. Now, if you are not cleansing and want to enjoy this dip with a fresh piece of naan or pita bread, knock yourself out! As far as the dip goes, it is made from the following ingredients:

• Raw cashews: These are great in dips because they are very creamy when blended. They are rich in iron, healthy fats, fiber, magnesium, zinc, and other nutrients.
• Sun-dried tomatoes: Remember, only purchase the dry-packed sun-dried tomatoes for this recipe. They pack a ton of concentrated tomato flavor, making them great for dips, sauces, and spreads.
• Garlic: If you are making a savory dish, it would be a shame to omit garlic. It’s great in both raw and cooked preparations, and works impressively well with the flavors in this spread. Garlic offers manganese, selenium, vitamin C, vitamin B6, fiber, and antioxidants like alicin.
• Lemon: Yet another favorite ingredient of ours, the mighty lemon provides a lovely acidic flavor to this dip. It is also rich in vitamin C and other antioxidants, which help fight free radicals and enhance immune function.

In addition to these ingredients, sea salt, paprika, and olive oil help make this dip come to life. Don’t forget that you can add a little water at a time if you need a little assistance blending.

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Are ready for a salsa that is so good that it’ll carry you all the way from spring through summer? Well, get your palate ready because you just clicked on that recipe! So zingy, zangy, zesty, and incredibly refreshing, this kiwi salsa will jazz up any night of the week. Say goodbye to any sluggishness that stems from colder weather when you enjoy this salsa bite after bite. It’s like sunshine for your taste buds!

You might be thinking, “How can I enjoy this salsa without chips if I am cleansing?” That’s a valid question, considering that you cannot have packaged chips during the cleansing process. You can, however, make your own dehydrated chips from root vegetables, such as sweet potatoes, zucchini, parsnip, and more. Use those vegetable chips as your dipping vessels to enjoy this addicting salsa. Alternatively, you can spoon this salsa into small lettuce cups and enjoy it that way.

For this salsa, choose kiwis that are ripe, or else your salsa will have a sour flavor profile. If green kiwis are too tart for your palate, consider using golden kiwis, as they have a sweeter flavor. Unlike other salsas that you are familiar with, this one contains ginger, which pairs beautifully with kiwi. Instead of using red onion, we opted for shallots because they exhibit a sweet mildness that doesn’t overpower the other ingredients. The savoriness of cilantro plays well off the slightly tart kiwi and, well, you can’t have a salsa without fresh lime juice. That’s the ingredient that ties everything together!

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Here we go again with the creativity! This isn’t a plane Jane pesto, people. We have to change it up and keep you on your toes so that your taste buds remain interested in raw vegan foods. Varying your ingredients and straying from the well-traveled path is a great way to enjoy new flavors and reap the benefits of different plant compounds. Because we live in a society that regularly wastes edible parts of fruits and vegetables, we wanted to provide a unique way to use celery leaves, which most people discard without hesitation.

Next time you have a bunch of celery with beautiful leaves, turn those leaves into a pesto. While you can incorporate them into salads, it is much easier and quicker to transform them into a pesto sauce. From a nutritional standpoint, celery leaves are rich in the following vitamins and minerals:

• Vitamin A
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin K
• Calcium
• Magnesium
• Potassium
• Fiber
• Beta-carotene

Celery leaves may help enhance immune function due to the presence of vitamins A and C. Both of these vitamins work to protect the body against infections, while simultaneously enhancing skin health. The calcium and magnesium in celery leaves are essential for maintaining strong bones and reducing the risk of osteoporosis. Because celery leaves contain antioxidants and chlorophyll, they aids the body’s natural detoxification processes. In fact, they may aid the body with toxin elimination.

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Homemade nut butter is just the way to go, folks. You only need two ingredients and a food processor to make a smooth and creamy nut butter that is free of preservatives and other unnecessary ingredients. Unlike store bought brands, this macadamia nut butter is free of palm oil, lectins, peanuts, and added sugars. That means that this nut butter is raw vegan, Whole30-approved, Paleo, grain-free, gluten-free, keto, and sugar-free. The subtle hint of sea salt perfectly complements the robust macadamia nuts.

Is homemade macadamia nut butter better than store bought varieties? While both are great options, making your own allows you to control the ingredients and blend until you reach your desired consistency. Perhaps you enjoy a nut butter that is just between chunky and smooth. Maybe you like nut butter to be velvety smooth, and you can have control over that when you make your own. Plus, homemade macadamia nut butter is nearly identical in price as the store bought version. Depending on which stores you have access to, you may or may not always see macadamia nut butter available. If you find raw macadamia nuts, though, you can transform them into a luxurious butter.

You will need a food processor for this recipe because a blender just won’t cut it. To achieve a smooth nut butter, you will probably have to blend for three to five minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides periodically. Just keep blending, scraping down the sides, and blending again until you achieve a smooth consistency. Once you are satisfied, spoon the butter into a container, seal the lid, and refrigerate. Use when ready.

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You can have your raw vegan cake and it too! And with raw vegan frosting, no less! If you have perused our dessert section, you know that we have several raw vegan carrot cake recipes. We have bars, bites, balls, and a full cake in there, and this maple cashew cream frosting would be the perfect complement to any of those recipes. It is similar in flavor to a classic cream cheese frosting, which pairs beautifully with carrot and red velvet cake.

Cashew cream is a versatile item to have in your kitchen because you can make it sweet or savory. Use it in everything from spreads and dips to sauces, frosting, and more. If you need a dairy-free or vegan option, cashew cream is great to have on hand. Honestly, you can slather this spread on anything and everything, depending on how you flavor it. Make it with savory flavors to use as a dip for raw vegetable sticks. Make it sweet, just like this maple-inspired recipe, to put on energy balls, toast, or raw vegan desserts.

Although we have this recipe pretty dialed in, you may want to tinker with it to achieve the flavor you are content with. You can adjust the amount of maple syrup, vanilla extract, and homemade almond milk to your liking. You want it to be thick, but smooth and easily spreadable. Just remember to soak the cashews in water for three to four hours to help soften them. That will make the blending process so much easier. Just don’t forget to discard the soaking liquid!

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Get your fall palate ready because your taste buds are about to go crazy for this delightful homemade vegan pear butter. This is a smooth and creamy spread that captures the essence of fall in every spoonful. It goes great on toast, mixed into yogurt, or as a topping for pancakes. You can even incorporate some into your chia pudding or overnight oats. It’s a simple yet luxurious treat crafted from ripe pears, which you simmer slowly with warming cinnamon and sweetened to perfection with maple syrup.

What you end up with is a velvety butter that is not only delicious, but also versatile. This vegan and naturally sweetened pear butter is a great way to preserve the flavors of fall, utilizing seasonal pears, which are not a prominent ingredient in a lot of recipes. Pears are great to enjoy raw in salads and smoothies, but you can also cook them down. You just want to use ripe pears to avoid a tart flavor. By eating pears, you can reap some of their impressive health benefits, which include:

• Pears are naturally rich in dietary fiber, which is an essential nutrient for optimal digestion. Researchers note that a high-fiber diet can help maintain healthy weight, lower cholesterol levels, and prevent constipation.
• Pears contain flavonoids and vitamin C, which are antioxidants that work to combat oxidative stress in the body. Antioxidants work to reduce the risk of chronic diseases, in addition to benefitting immune function and cell health.
• According to researchers, regular pear consumption has been associated with improved heart function. The fiber content of pears, in addition to the antioxidant properties, works to support healthy cholesterol levels and reduce inflammation, two things that reduce the risk of heart disease.

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