• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Ascension Kitchen
  • About
    • Philosophy
    • About Lauren
    • Media & Events
    • Contact
    • Terms + Conditions
  • Naturopathy Consults
  • Blog
    • Plant-Based Recipes
      • Healthy Dessert Recipes
      • Mains
      • Snacks + Sides
      • Drinks
      • Kitchen Staples
      • Breakfasts
      • Salads
      • Healthy Dressings + Condiments
      • Ayurvedic Recipes
    • Natural Health
      • Natural Remedies
      • Plant-Based Nutrition
      • Functional Foods
    • Natural Living
      • Natural beauty
      • Natural cleaning recipes
      • Essential Oils
  • Shop
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Blog
  • Plant-Based Recipes
  • Natural Health
  • Natural Living
  • Naturopathy Consults
  • Shop
  • About
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
×
Home » Plant-Based Recipes » Healthy Dessert Recipes » Sugar Free Raw Cookies and Cream White Chocolate

Sugar Free Raw Cookies and Cream White Chocolate

Published: Mar 30, 2018 · Modified: Nov 28, 2019 by Lauren Glucina • Naturopath, Nutritionist

5.3K shares
  • Facebook350
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Cookies and Cream White Chocolate bark – my answer to the Hershey’s choc bar I used to love so much as a kid. Pure cacao and macadamia nut butters combine for the ‘cream’, whilst a simple raw brownie mixture makes for a fab ‘cookie’. Made without refined sugars – naturally sweetened with whole dates instead.

A mug of matcha tea on a coaster with a shard of homemade cookies and cream white chocolate bark resting over the top

{New update - originally posted July 2013}

This recipe is actually in response to a reader’s request – and I’m so grateful for the challenge because this has turned out just beautifully.

I grew up with quite the addiction to chocolate, and whilst I mourned the loss of my favourite sweet treat as I transitioned to a plant-based diet, it wasn’t for long – as I quickly discovered that you can in fact make some exquisitely delicious creations out of far more wholesome (and ethical) ingredients.

This cookies and cream bark is a case in point.

[bctt tweet="Raw Cookies + Cream White Chocolate - made with cacao and macadamia nut butters. Find it here!" username="laurenglucina"]

A plate of homemade cookies and cream bark on the kitchen table, with mugs of green tea and tarot cards nearby

First of all, we have a very simple alternative to the ‘cookies’. Walnuts are ground to a meal in a food processor, then whole Medjool dates are added, with a little raw cacao powder, sea salt and vanilla.

Over head shot of ingredients used to make cookie dough in a food processor

After a minute or so you get a delicious raw cookie dough – just roll into little balls and scatter over a baking tin, ready for the white chocolate mixture.

Overhead shot of ingredients for a raw cookie daough that have been fully mixed in a food processor ready for use

Raw cookie dough rolled into little balls, on a wooden board

To make the ‘cream’ portion of our white chocolate bark, we need four simple ingredients.

Firstly, cacao butter is what lends that lovely white chocolate taste. It is simply the pure fat pressed out from the raw cacao bean. It has a wonderfully silky, creamy texture. I find it far easier to handle when you purchase it in small buttons, as the chunks require quite a bit of time (and heat) to melt. Cacao butter, whilst undeniably tasting pretty yummy, tends to feel a little waxy in the mouth. To counteract this, I’ve paired it with a generous amount of macadamia nut butter.

Ingredients used to make homemade vegan white chocolate in a blender ready to combine

Macadamia nuts seemed a natural fit in this instance, as they are soft and mildly sweet, and nearly white in colour. It helps to mellow out that yellow tone that cacao butter has, and so gives a nice authentic end result.

You can either make your own macadamia nut butter at home – or use a store-bought brand for convenience. When I’m not lazy, I buy nuts from the bulk bin store, and keep them in the fridge or freezer till I’m ready to use them (this keeps them fresh).

To make them into a nut butter, just add a few heaped cups to a food processor or high powered blender, and whiz till creamy. If you’re doing this in a food processor, you may want to stop periodically to both scrape the sides down and avoid it overheating. The blender I find is a much quicker method.

When I am feeling lazy (often), a store-bought nut butter also works a treat. My absolute favourite is the Salted Macadamia from Forty Thieves. Forty Thieves are a local brand from the Hibiscus Coast, a little north of Auckland. Run by the dynamic duo Shyr and Brent – their brand name was inspired by the Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves tale – because each jar of nut butter is packed with hidden nutritional gems. Love it!

Jar of store bought macadamia nut butter beside a plate of homemade white chocolate bark

I reckon they make the best nut butters in all the land. They have all your classics (almond, cashew, peanut, tahini) as well as some delicious and creative combo’s – the Salted Macadamia is my favourite, as it also contains a bit of cashew butter, pure maple syrup, and vanilla bean – luxury!

Blender containing a homemade vegan white chocolate - ready to pour and set

Ok, so we’ve covered two of main ingredients in our health-ified cookies and cream white chocolate bark – next up is a little coconut oil. It adds a lovely flavour and gives it a nice melt-in-the-mouth feel.

To sweeten it up – we have some liquid stevia. I find the liquid drops don’t have the same bitterness as the powdered stevia does, and you only need to work with tiny amounts as it brings a full-on, intense sweetness to the mix.

There are many types of liquid stevia on the market – make sure you source one that is a clear liquid – some of them are actually dark brown in colour. The clearer the better when making white chocolate, obviously.

Note – if you opt for the lovely Forty Thieves Salted Macadamia, you may not need the stevia – they have a hint of maple in there which to me, is the perfect amount of sweet.

Lastly, I’ve also used a pinch of coarse sea salt to round out the flavour, and a dash of double-strength vanilla extract to enhance the sweetness. They’re not essential to the recipe but certainly make it taste delicious.

To make the white chocolate, you blend all of the above ingredients together, then pour into a lined cake tin - scatter over your 'cookie' dough and freeze to set.

Square baking tin on the kitchen bench filled with homemade cookies and cream bark, ready to set in the freezer

This recipe will fill an 8-inch baking tin, and you’ll get up to 32 portions (you only need a small amount – very rich). I photographed them here with a couple of mugs of matcha tea (teaspoon of matcha powder, hot water, teaspoon of coconut butter, and blend). The oracle cards (you all know I’m obsessed) are the Rumi deck by Alana Fairchild – a favourite of mine.

Close up of a plate full of homemade cookies and cream bark, with a cup of tea

And that my friends, is it! It’s a super simple recipe right? Who needs Hersey’s when you can cleverly combine whole foods into (nearly) the same thing?

Hope you enjoy – and if you make a batch up, please take a snap and share it with me over on Instagram,

Lauren x

Birds eye view of a mug of matcha tea with a shard of cookies and cream bark resting over the top

Sugar Free Raw Cookies and Cream White Chocolate

Naturopath Lauren Glucina
A delicious refined sugar free 'cookies and cream' white chocolate bark, made with raw and vegan ingredients. Fills an 8 inch square baking tin. Break into approx. 32 pieces to serve - a little goes a long way.
5 from 4 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 mins
Total Time 20 mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine Vegan
Servings 32
Calories 149 kcal

Ingredients
  

FOR THE 'COOKIES':

    Yields ¾ cup

    • ¾ cup walnuts ideally activated
    • 6 medjool dates pitted
    • 2 tablespoons raw cacao powder
    • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 2 pinches of coarse sea salt

    FOR THE 'CREAM':

      Yieds 1½ cups

      • ¾ cup cacao butter liquid
      • ½ cup macadamia nut butter see notes
      • ¼ cup coconut oil liquid
      • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract try to find a natural one with no extra added alcohol – you can use vanilla paste – but you will get flecks through the chocolate
      • 3 good pinches of coarse sea salt
      • 15 drops of liquid stevia optional - may not need if using store-bought nut butter that has been sweetened

      Instructions
       

      FOR THE 'COOKIE DOUGH' CHUNKS:

      • Pulse the walnuts in a food processor till nice and crumbly.
      • Add everything else and keep blitzing till you get a nice dough.
      • Roll the dough into small balls.
      • Line an 8 inch square baking tin with baking paper.
      • Scatter the little balls in the tin.

      FOR THE 'CREAM' (THE WHITE CHOCOLATE):

      • Blend everything in a high speed blender till smooth. Perhaps start with 10 drops of stevia and add more if you like it sweeter. Some brands are stronger than others.
      • Pour over the cookie balls in the baking tin.
      • Freeze for half an hour to set.
      • Break up into chunks and serve.
      • Yes I did have a piece for breakfast. And what?

      Notes

      • To make macadamia nut butter, add macadamia nuts to a food processor or high powered blender and blend in short bursts till creamy, stopping to scrape the sides down as needed.
      • My preferred store-bought brand is the Salted Macadamia by Forty Thieves.
      • You probably won't need to use the entire cookie dough mixture - just roll excess into bliss balls to enjoy later.
      • Make sure you use quality organic coconut oil - sometimes supermarket brands have been refined or deodarised and therefore don't taste all that nice - smell before using - you'll quickly spot if it's off, rancid, or just not coconutty enough.
      • Best kept in the fridge or freezer - melts easily.
      • Expect this to taste soft, slightly waxy, and more fudge like than than a snappy chocolate or bark.

      Nutrition

      Calories: 149kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 3gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 5gFiber: 1gSugar: 3gIron: 0.2mg
      Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
      Nutrition Facts
      Sugar Free Raw Cookies and Cream White Chocolate
      Amount Per Serving
      Calories 149 Calories from Fat 126
      % Daily Value*
      Fat 14g22%
      Saturated Fat 5g31%
      Carbohydrates 9g3%
      Fiber 1g4%
      Sugar 3g3%
      Protein 3g6%
      Iron 0.2mg1%
      * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

       

      Cookies and Cream White Chocolate Bark – made with raw, vegan ingredients. It’s a healthier take on the Hersey’s bars I loved as a kid. No refined sugars. #cookiesandcreamrecipe #veganwhitechocolate #whitechocolatebark #AscensionKitchen // Pin to your own inspiration board! //

      I’d love you to follow me on Instagram, 
      tag me @ascensionkitchen so I can see your creations!  

      Related

      Overhead shot of kawakawa tea surrounded by the fresh leaves.
      Kawakawa tea – a rejuvenating tonic
      Creamy Tofu Scramble close up
      Tofu Scramble - 10 minutes, one pan
      Homemade ice cream in an enamel dish.
      Strawberry Chamomile Ice Cream

      About the Author

      I’m Lauren, practising Naturopath, Medical Herbalist, Nutritionist, and essential oils educator in Auckland, New Zealand. I’m incredibly passionate about food as medicine, and helping connect people with the healing power of Nature.

      BNatMed, AdDip NutMed, BCS, Certified FitGenes Practitioner.

      Reader Interactions

      Comments

      1. Sandra

        October 01, 2019 at 3:37 am

        I have problem, when i put all the ingredients together, grease from cacao butter starts to separate. If i put in refrigerator, it doesn't taste good, it is too greasy.. Can sunflower lecitin solove this problem?

        Reply
      2. Ashta Lou

        October 01, 2019 at 3:52 am

        Its a raw desert, who cares about the carbs. Its still healthy. You probably wouldn't eat this regularly anyway. :] I don't think this has carbs, just calories.

        Reply

      Ask me anything Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




      Primary Sidebar

      ABOUT

      I'm Lauren Glucina, a New Zealand based Naturopath, Medical Herbalist and Nutritionist. My main goal is to empower you to connect with the healing power of Nature. I've been sharing plant-based recipes, natural remedies and health articles here since 2012.

      If you're here, you're not here by mistake. You're ready to put your physical, emotional and spiritual health first. Welcome!

      BNatMed, AdDip NutMed, BCS.

      READ MORE

      • Facebook
      • Instagram

      Search

      Features

      Graphic displaying logos of websites, publications and shows Lauren has been featured on

      POPULAR POSTS

      Chocolate Caramel Slice

      BEST chocolate caramel slice (vegan)

      Close up of zucchini and corn fritters with cream and dill on top

      Vegan Zucchini and Corn Fritters

      Close up of a herbal facial steam for dry skin

      Herbal Facial Steam with Essential Oils for Dry & Oily Skin

      3 essential oils for kids sleep

      Essential Oils for Kid's Sleep Support

      No-bake Snickers Cake on a white cake stand by the kitchen window

      Raw Snickers Cake with Vegan Caramel

      Ashwagandha Sleep Tonic

      Ashwagandha Sleep Tonic

      Two bowls of hot Tuscan soup on a marble counter.

      Lemon White Bean Kale Soup

      Two bowls of kitchari surrounded by fresh herbs and dried spices

      How to make kitchari – an Ayurvedic healing meal

      LATEST POSTS

      • Fall crockpot potpourri
        Fall crockpot potpourri
      • How to make dandelion tea (from flower, leaf and root)
        How to make dandelion tea (from flower, leaf and root)
      • How to make mugwort tea for lucid dreaming
        How to make mugwort tea for lucid dreaming
      • Amazing kawakawa – all about this versatile native plant!
        Amazing kawakawa – all about this versatile native plant!
      • BEST chocolate caramel slice (vegan)
        BEST chocolate caramel slice (vegan)
      • Easy feijoa loaf recipe
        Easy feijoa loaf recipe
      • Summer cherry tomato confit
        Summer cherry tomato confit
      • Heavenly spiced feijoa chutney
        Heavenly spiced feijoa chutney
      • Easy Moroccan matbucha salad recipe
        Easy Moroccan matbucha salad recipe
      • Hazelnut granola
        Hazelnut granola

      CATEGORIES

      • Ayurvedic Recipes
      • Breakfasts
      • Drinks
      • Essential Oils
      • Featured
      • Ferments
      • Functional Foods
      • Healthy Baking
      • Healthy Dessert Recipes
      • Healthy Dressings + Condiments
      • Kitchen Staples
      • Mains
      • Natural beauty
      • Natural cleaning recipes
      • Natural Health
      • Natural Living
      • Natural Remedies
      • Plant-Based Nutrition
      • Plant-Based Recipes
      • Salads
      • Snacks + Sides
      • Uncategorized
      • Workshops

      Footer


      PRIVACY POLICY | CONTACT
      © LAUREN GLUCINA 2012 - 2021, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
      • Facebook
      • Instagram

      Copyright © 2023 Ascension Kitchen on the Foodie Pro Theme

      This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
      Privacy & Cookies Policy

      Privacy Overview

      This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
      Necessary
      Always Enabled
      Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
      Non-necessary
      Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
      SAVE & ACCEPT
      5.3K shares
      • 350