January is here and it brings many healthy eating options, one of which is Veganuary.
Veganuary involves eating more plants and cutting out animal products from your diet for the first month of the year. According to experts, going vegan can be a very tough decision to make, especially if you are coming from a diet with meat in it.
As we are halfway through Veganuary, you might find that you are running out of ideas on what to make, especially when it comes to sweet treats, but worry not.
Below, pastry chef at Radisson Blu Hotel Waterfront Bianca Beukes has shared one of her favourite vegan recipes that you can try this month.
Beukes has been vegan for several years and she says that while it takes some getting used to, you will find that it’s easy to make some delicious vegan guilty pleasures.
Bianca Beukes’s vegan caramel chocolate almond fudge bars
Yields: 24 bars
Ingredients
Caramel fudge bars
¾ cup flaxseed
¾ cup hemp seeds
1 ½ cups raw almonds
1 ½ cups rolled oats (gluten-free)
600g Medjool dates, pitted and quartered
3 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch salt
Chocolate almond topping
¾ cup raw almonds
6 tbs unrefined coconut oil
6 tbs rice malt syrup
¾ tsp vanilla essence
1 cup cocoa powder
Method
Caramel fudge
Line a loaf tin with baking paper and set it aside.
Add the flaxseed and hemp seeds to a high-speed blender and blend until the seeds are of fine consistency.
Add almonds and rolled oats and blend until they too are a fine consistency.
Add dates, vanilla, and salt and blend until everything comes together and looks like fudge.
Press the mixture evenly into the pan, then refrigerate while making the chocolate topping.
Chocolate almond topping
Preheat the oven to 180ºC.
Place the almonds on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Bake for 8 minutes or until slightly brown – the almonds will smell nutty when they are done. Allow almonds to cool.
Once cooled, chop into small pieces and set aside.
Add coconut oil, rice malt syrup, and vanilla into a saucepan on low heat. Take off the heat and whisk in cocoa powder until smooth.
Pour this over the refrigerated caramel layer and spread evenly. Sprinkle over chopped almonds.
Refrigerate for 5 to 10 minutes to allow the chocolate to set.
Refrigerate a further hour to set before cutting.