Strawberry Lime Mini Desserts

I’m sure that some of you may despise me for this excitement-filled post about Spring because, well, I know that Spring hasn’t made an appearance in some parts of the country yet :). But contrary to what you may think, this post is intended to get you just as excited about the change in season as it is for those of us on the west coast! I will offer you one word - strawberries! Where does your mind wander when you think of the word strawberry?

I’ll go first, dessert! It is strawberry season here in California and they are everywhere! Grocery stores, farmers markets and stands on the side of the road. The berries are juicy and sweet and a rich vibrant red (all the way through!) in color. I purchased a great big carton of them, even though my fiancé does not eat strawberries, and figured I could eat all of them by myself. I was wrong. My eyes were once again bigger than my tummy :) Naturally, I did not want the berries to spoil so I decided to whip up a tasty treat using strawberries and limes as the filling and almonds and coconut as the crust.  These mini desserts not only look awesome for Spring/Summer but they taste amazing too!

Strawberries have been ranked number 27 on the 50 best antioxidant sources among commonly eaten foods (many of these 50 are spices and number four when only fruits were considered. The lovely red berries support cardiovascular health, improve the regulation of blood sugar and may prevent certain types of cancer such as breast, cervical and colon. Strawberries are also loaded with vitamin C, which boosts our immune system, helps detoxify our body and promotes healing of our cells.

Ingredients

Crust Ingredients

1 cup of raw almond meal (ground raw almonds)

½ cup of unsweetened shredded coconut

4-5 large medjool dates (pits removed)

1 teaspoon of vanilla

1 teaspoon of coconut oil

Filling Ingredients

1 cup of raw cashews (soaked in water for at least 1-3 hours)

2 cups of sliced strawberries

Zest and juice from one lime

½ heaping cup of coconut cream or coconut butter (can be found at Trader Joes, Whole Foods and most grocery stores in the ethnic food aisle)

2 tablespoons of raw honey or agave

1 teaspoon of coconut oil

4-5 drops of liquid stevia

* Recipe makes 12 mini desserts

Directions

Put all of the crust ingredients into a blender or food processor and mix until you have a sticky dough.

Next, get your mini cheesecake pan or muffin pan out and press the almond/date mixture down into the pan to form the crust. Place the pan in the freezer or refrigerator while you make the filling.

Rinse the blender or food processor out so you start with a clean slate! Add the cashews and lime-juic (make sure you save the peel so you have the zest for later!) and blend until smooth.

Add the strawberries, coconut cream, coconut oil, honey and stevia. Continue to blend until well mixed, thick and creamy.

Remove the cheesecake/muffin pan from the freezer. Top each crust with strawberry mixture and lime zest. If you have extra strawberries you can also top each mini dessert with half of a strawberry or a thin slice.

Store in the freezer. Let each dessert sit for a few minutes before serving so it thaws slightly and becomes creamy. 

* To remove from a muffin pan, use a sharp knife and carefully insert the knife between the dessert and the side of the pan. Gently work your way under and around the dessert. They should pop out easily.