Blueberry Vegan Creamy Slice

Wanna know how this no-bake, vegan, gluten-free blueberry decadent dessert may just punch cancer in the face?

Estimated time: 35 minutes prep & 3-4 hours to set

Effort/Skill: Medium

Ingredients & Directions 

Crust

1 cup toasted almonds

7-8 medjool dates

½ Himalayan salt

½ tsp vanilla extract

Creamy vanilla layer

1 & ½ cups blanched almonds

⅓ cup canned coconut cream 

½ lemon juiced

⅓ cup coconut oil

3 tbsp maple syrup

2 tsp Vanilla

¼ tsp Salt

Blueberry Topping

2 cups frozen blueberries

¼ cup water

1 tbsp Maple syrup

1 tsp Vanilla

2 tbsp cornstarch & 1 tbsp water 

¼ lemon, juiced

Zest of ½ lemon

Crust: In a blender, combine pitted dates, almonds, salt and vanilla. Blend until coarse and sticky. Press the crust firmly into a 11” x 7” baking dish (alternatively a 9 x 9” square pan or 10” round dish will work). Place in fridge to cool.

Creamy Vanilla Layer: Boil 5 cups of water. Place almonds in the boiling water and boil for 20 minutes. Once soft, drain and rinse the almonds under cold running water. Once cool, add almonds, cream, maple syrup. Vanilla, lemon juice, coconut oil, and salt to a blender. Blend well until a creamy paste forms. Spread the layer on top of the cooled crust. Set aside in the fridge.

Blueberry topping: Add blueberries, water, maple syrup, vanilla to a pan. Boil for 1 minute and simmer for 5-10 minutes.Add the cornstarch slurry and lemon juice to the blueberry mix. Stir until the mixture thickens. Let cool. Add to the layered dessert and sprinkle lemon zest on top. Freeze for 3-4 hours until the dessert sets.

When ready to serve, allow the portion you’re serving to thaw on the counter for about 15 minutes.

NOURISHED FACT

Antioxidants.

What exactly are they? But before we get into antioxidants, we need to understand what free radicals are. 

Free radicals occur when the cells in our bodies undergo oxidative stress. This means that when oxygen molecules are split into single atoms, they have unpaired electrons and these free radicals seek other atoms or molecules to bond to. Free radicals form in the body thanks to aging and disease, but can be accelerated by infections (bacterial, fungal, viral), excess intake of certain minerals, stress from intense exercise, high blood sugar, exposure to air pollution or toxic chemicals, smoking, alcohol, stress, or eating fried foods. Oxidative stress is suspected to be directly linked to chronic diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disease.

Antioxidants, on the other hand, can in fact fight those free radicals in the body.While our bodies do have their own antioxidant defenses built in, fruits and vegetables are excellent sources. Fighting free radicals with antioxidant-rich diets may have the ability to  fight off chronic diseases such as cancer (Pubmed). Vegan diets that focus on whole foods tend to offer high levels of antioxidants to combat the oxidative stress the body has undergone (Pubmed).

Some excellent sources include green tea, coffee, dark chocolate and berries. Blueberries are one of the best sources of antioxidants on (Pubmed), particularly the anthocyanin group of flavonoids.

They make a great snack, and are versatile in desserts, smoothies, salads and baking. 

• Low in calories 

• Packed with vitamins C and K, and manganese

• Rich in water