I love mini desserts. They are cute. They are fun. And they are the perfect little treat when I want a little sweetness in my life.
When I was studying Ayurveda, we learned about the 6 tastes by which all foods can be categorized: Sweet, Sour, Salty, Bitter, Pungent, and Astringent. It is recommended that we include all 6 tastes into every meal as each taste feeds our mind, body, senses, and spirit in its own unique way. From a modern nutritional perspective, the 6 Tastes satisfy each of the major dietary building blocks. Sweet foods, for example, are rich in fats, proteins, carbohydrates, and water, whereas Bitter and Astringent foods are high in vitamins and minerals. I love this. Instead of counting calories or measuring carbs and protein, you create a meal based on taste and flavor (and that’s assuming that you are eating a wholesome, real food diet, of course!!!)
What I also learned through Ayurveda is that sweet flavor is good for you, especially if you are a certain constitution or dosha. It balances and pacifies. It helps nourish and build vital body tissues, soothes mucous membranes and is beneficial for the skin. Learning this really gave me permission to not be so against sweets in my life. I realized how what we eat translates energetically into our lives. A little sweet flavor can bring a little sweetness in. And the opposite is true. Too much rigidity around avoiding sweets can create rigidity and unhappiness in your life.
Now, I am not talking about pigging out on refined sugars. Raw honey, pure maple syrup, dates, and coconut sugar are all natural sweeteners that can be used to make amazing treats. Unlike refined sugars, they are still full of nutrients and minerals that are all part of a healthy diet. And in moderation, of course. Read more about why natural sweets are an important part of a healthy diet HERE
So, go ahead and eat some sweets today. Enjoy EVERY little bite. It’s really OK. It may even be good for you.
This is what I made this week. I adapted the recipe from my Pomegranate Cashew Bites. I made them in a mini muffin pan
I taught a gluten-free dessert workshop at a benefit for Spiral Food Cooperative, our local food co-op. I made these, along with my Grain-free Almond Chocolate Chip Cookies. They are easy to make. They have just the right amount of sweetness and lemony zest. They are gluten and grain-free, dairy-free, and are sweetened with a little bit of honey. And they really do melt in your mouth.
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PinIngredients
Crust
- 3/4 cup raw pecans, walnuts, or almonds (or any combo of the 3)
- 1/2 cup shredded coconut, unsweetened (like this)
- 8 dates, pitted
- 2 pinches of celtic sea salt (I use THIS one)
Lemon Filling
Instructions
- Line 2 mini muffin tins with mini paper liners OR place 24 doubled up liners (2 on top of each other for stability) onto a baking sheet
To make crust:
- Place all crust ingredients into food processor and process until broken down into coarse flour consistency
- Spoon 1and 1/2 tsp of crust mixture into each mini muffin liner and press firmly down with your thumb to create a solid crust
- Place into freezer for 10 minutes
To make filling:
- In medium bowl, stir cashew butter and melted coconut oil until completely combined
- Add rest of ingredients and mix until creamy smooth
- Remove crust-filled liners from freezer and spoon 1 TBS of lemon mixture into each one
- Garnish with lemon zest and place back into freezer for at least one hour (you want them to set completely before serving)
- Store in fridge and serve cold as these tasty morsels get pretty soft at room temperature
Notes
For better digestion of raw nuts, I use soaked and dehydrated nuts for this recipe.
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Adrienne @ Whole New Mom says
May 1, 2013 at 3:48 amThese look wonderful! Thanks for linking up to our blog hop at Allergy Free Wed!
sabrina says
May 1, 2013 at 6:40 pmDo you think maple syrup would be a good sub for the honey? My son has a senstivity to honey. Thanks
Katja says
May 2, 2013 at 4:57 amI use honey and maple syrup interchangeably in my recipes. Never had a problem with it. I haven’t tried it with these, but I would bet that it would be just as yummy. Let me know if you try it.
Georgiaberry/Sunshine for Dinner says
May 2, 2013 at 12:58 pmThis is making my mouth water!
Jaime says
May 7, 2013 at 11:25 pmThese sound absolutely delicious!!!
Heather @Gluten-Free Cat says
May 8, 2013 at 11:34 amOh, Katja, these look incredible. Such a beautiful picture. Thanks so much for sharing such a wonderful creation at Raw Foods Thursdays.
★★★★★
V Hamilton says
May 9, 2013 at 12:49 pmHello,
These look amazing. Is there a substitute for cashew butter that I could use? Thanks.
V Hamilton
Katja says
May 9, 2013 at 11:52 pmThe cashew butter is what gives these such a great flavor and consistency. Do you mean a nut-free substitute? Macadamia nut butter would probably be awesome too. You could even make that at home. Let me know if you try it… 🙂
Cindy (Vegetarian Mamma) says
May 9, 2013 at 8:19 pmThese are so beautiful and look SO refreshing! Thanks for linking up at our Gluten Free Fridays party! I have tweeted and pinned your entry to our Gluten Free Fridays board on Pinterest! 🙂
Hope that your week is fantastic!
Cindy from vegetarianmamma.com
Karen N says
May 11, 2013 at 2:32 pmMy husband loves anything lemon so I can’t wait to try these. Can you tell me about cashew butter…do you make it yourself or purchase it?
Thanks,
Karen N
Katja says
May 13, 2013 at 4:47 amI buy it from our local health food store where they grind their own. I saw it at whole Foods as well. It’s easy to make in the food processor though. I hope you enjoy them. Let me know what your hubby thinks. 🙂
Miz Helen says
May 11, 2013 at 3:49 pmCongratulations!
Your recipe is featured on Full Plate Thursday this week. Hope you have a very special Mothers Day weekend and enjoy your new Red Plate.
Come Back Soon!
Miz Helen
★★★★★
Heather@Mommypotamus says
May 15, 2013 at 11:59 pmI stopped by looking for a melt-in-your-mouth recipe for lemon cups, and I definitely got that. However, I am even MORE interested in learning what an astringent food is according to Ayurveda. Off to consult Google!
Katja says
May 16, 2013 at 9:15 pmHeather,
I love Ayurveda because it is such a connected way of looking at the world. We learn to look to nature as a guide to what is happening inside of us. Thanks for coming by…..
Trishie says
May 17, 2013 at 2:12 pmThis looks fantastic! I made some lemon energy drops with coconut butter. The crust for this would be perfect. I have to try these though! Thanks for sharing!
★★★★★
Sara says
May 31, 2013 at 2:00 pmI made these this morning but used a blend of nut flours instead of processing whole nuts. Was out of cashew butter, so used some homemade almond butter. I added a bit of lime juice too. Amazed that the citrus overpowers the nuts. Delightful, simple treats.. I think these would be great crumbled into frozen yogurt, ice cream or even yogurt.
★★★★★
Katja says
May 31, 2013 at 7:18 pmYay! Glad you liked them. I love hearing how people adapt my recipes. Thnaks so much for your feedback. 🙂
Maura says
July 8, 2013 at 8:10 pmKatja, these mini lemon cups are absolutely delicious. I am eager to try this as a pie. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Katja says
July 9, 2013 at 2:07 pmI am so glad that you liked them. They are my sweetie’s favorite. Please let me know if you make a pie and how it turns out. Thanks for stopping by.
melissa @ my whole food life says
July 17, 2013 at 2:13 pmOMG I am so making this! It looks delish! I make an almond coconut fudge that has a melt in your mouth feel. Thanks for the recipe!
Laureen Fox says
July 23, 2013 at 7:41 pmMade these today. What a delightful no-bake treat! Thanks for sharing the recipe 🙂
Katja says
July 24, 2013 at 8:28 amYay! I’m glad that you liked them. These are my sweetie’s favorite…..
hailey says
October 16, 2013 at 8:49 pmWhere are you studying?
Katja says
October 16, 2013 at 10:57 pmI studied Ayurveda at the Dhyana Center in Sebastopol, California. 🙂
Sarah says
October 21, 2013 at 6:23 pmI made these tonight! Substituted almond meal for the coconut (not a big fan of coconut) and used almond butter instead of cashew butter (because that is what I had in the house). So yummy! Even all three kids approved! Going to leave them in the freezer, they taste great frozen. Thanks for the recipe!
Katja says
October 21, 2013 at 7:05 pmThat sounds really good. I bet the almond meal was tasty. Thanks for the feedback and the substitution ideas. And yes, I eat these frozen as well. 🙂
nancy sloan says
November 29, 2013 at 2:48 pmMy daughter made these for me as I am gluten and dairy sensitive. These are amazing! I call them Lemon Bombs… so good! I am making them for our derm office Christmas party!
★★★★★
Katja says
November 30, 2013 at 12:49 pmYay! so glad you liked them. They are definitely my sweetie’s fav too. 🙂
Stacey says
February 23, 2014 at 11:37 amThese look so delish!! Thanks for sharing the link! 🙂 love your recipes!!
tines says
February 28, 2014 at 8:16 pmwhat can I replace the dates with or can I just omit it altogether?
Katja says
March 1, 2014 at 8:02 amThe dates hold the crust together. You could substitute shredded coconut instead if you like. It will have a different texture but will hold together nicely. Let me know if you try it! Thanks for coming by 🙂
Jessica says
April 19, 2014 at 11:12 amHi, I am making your lemon bites, and i forgot dates at the store…. any chance I could prunes or raisins…. I don’t want to run out AGAIN as I already ran around looking for cashew butter, lol…
Jessica says
April 19, 2014 at 12:57 pmOk, never mind about the dates, I saw a previous comment to use more coconut…. I did that.. works great…. the flavor is nice, but mine are a lot darker than yours…. wonder why? I’m very excited to have learned a new way to make crust, thank you!!
Katja says
April 19, 2014 at 8:16 pmI’m glad that you like the coconut crust. I do too. Your lemon cups may be darker because cashew butter can vary in color. Thanks for the feedback!