3 Healthy & Delicious Easter Recipes

From chocolate crackle and coconut Easter egg 'baskets' to soft and fluffy gluten-free hot cross buns, we've got your healthy Easter treats covered. 

Raw Chocolate Easter Eggs In Coconut Nests

Ingredients

• Patty cake papers
• 1 cup shredded coconut 
• 3 tbsp coconut butter or tahini
• 1/4 cup coconut oil 
• ½ cup coconut cream (additive free) 
• 1 tsp vanilla extract 
• 1 tbsp maple syrup (optional: we left it out and thought they tasted great, but if you want some extra sweetness, add this in) 
• 1/4 cup raw cacao powder
• 1/4 cup maple syrup 
• 1/4 cup coconut oil 
• 1/4 cup melted cacao butter (approx. 40 g) 
• Mini easter egg molds 

Method

1. Line a muffin tray with your patty cake papers. 
2. In a medium bowl, mix together coconut butter, coconut cream, vanilla and coconut oil. 
3. Pour evenly into the patty cake papers and sprinkle with the shredded coconut to form nests. 
4. Place into the freezer to set. 
5. In a medium-sized bowl, heat the cacao butter, coconut oil and maple syrup over a double boiler until completely melted together.
6. Remove from the heat and mix in raw cacao powder. 
7. Spoon chocolate mixture into egg molds and place in the freezer to set. 
8. Once nests and eggs are set, remove from freezer and top your nests with your raw chocolate eggs. We also topped some with crunchy granola and superfoods so we had a nice, healthy mix! 

Gluten-Free Hot Cross Buns With Lemon Cashew Cream

Ingredients

For the buns

• 3 ½ cups of THI gluten free flour mix 
• 1 cup almond milk 
• 1 cup dried fruit (we used ½ cup currants & ½ cup sultanas) 
• ½ cup coconut sugar
• ¼ cup coconut oil
• 3 tablespoons cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons dry yeast 
• 2 tablespoons flax meal 
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg 
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice 
• Zest and juice of 2 oranges 

For the cashew cream cheese frosting

• 1 cup cashews, soaked overnight 
• 2 tablespoons Greek or coconut yoghurt 
• 2 tablespoons rice malt syrup 
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Method

1. In a small bowl, soak your dried fruit in enough warm water to submerge them. Place the almond milk into a medium sized saucepan and warm slowly over a low heat. Be sure not to boil the milk, you want it to be lukewarm. To the saucepan add the yeast and coconut sugar. Set the saucepan aside and allow the yeast in the mixture to rise (be sure to use a large enough saucepan, otherwise the mixture will overflow – I speak from experience!).
2. In another bowl combine the gluten free flour mix, flax meal, orange zest and juice, coconut oil and all the spices. Pour in the yeasty almond milk mixture, (which should be foamy by now). Using a high-powered blender, blend on medium speed until combined and the mixture has aerated. Drain the dried fruit and add to the mix, continue beating for another 2 minutes (note: in the absence of a blender you could also knead). Turn your dough into a clean bowl and cover with a tea towel, placing in a warm place (i.e. not your fridge!) for approximately 1 hour, allowing the yeast to rise in the mixture.
3. Preheat your oven to 355 degrees F (180 degrees C). Line a 20cm x 30cm baking tray with baking paper. Using your hands roll dough into balls and place side by side in the baking tray so that they are just touching.  Brush the top of the balls with a little extra almond milk. Place the tray into the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until the tops are slightly golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before applying the icing crosses.
4. While the buns are cooking you can prepare the icing. Place the cashews, yoghurt, lemon juice and rice malt syrup in a blender or electric mixer and combine until smooth yet still thick enough not to be runny. Using a piping bag (or a snap log bag with a small hole cut in the corner), pipe lines/crosses across the buns.

Tahini Chocolate Easter Eggs In Chocolate Crackles

Ingredients

Dark Chocolate Egg Half

• 1 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1 cup cacao powder
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• ½ tsp Vanilla Powder

Tahini Egg Half

• 1 cup tahini
• ¼ cup coconut oil, melted
• ¼ cup rice malt syrup

Chocolate Crackles

• 2 cups puffed quinoa
• 2 cups desiccated coconut
• 1 cup shredded coconut
• ½ cup cacao powder
• 1/8 tsp sea salt
• ½ cup rice malt syrup
• 1 cup coconut oil
• 1 cup cacao butter (approx. 80g)
• 2 tbsp almond butter

Method

1. Combine dark chocolate ingredients in a bowl and whisk with a fork.
2. Combine tahini ingredients in a bowl and whisk well.
3. Pour chocolate evenly into Easter egg mould (approx. 24) and set in freezer until firm.
4. Repeat with the creamy tahini mixture (approx. 24) and set in freezer until set. The tahini eggs will set a little slower than the dark chocolate eggs.
5. Once both the chocolate and tahini eggs are set, pop eggs out of moulds and stick the half eggs (one half tahini, one half dark chocolate) together to make a whole. NB. The tahini mixture is creamy and slightly softer than the dark chocolate and should allow for an easy hold.
6. Line muffin trays with cupcake liners / patty’s.
7. Combine quinoa, coconut, cacao and sea salt in a medium to large sized bowl.
8. Add rice malt syrup, coconut oil, cacao butter and almond butter and mix well.
9. Scoop 2 – 3 tbsp of mixture into each cupcake liner and set in freezer for 30 – 60 mins or until firm.
10. Top with Tahini Choc Easter Eggs. Best consumed within 30 minutes of removing from the freezer.

 

With thanks to the teams at Food Matters and Loving Earth for these delicious Easter recipes.