Tahini Caramel Slice with Vanilla Cashew Cream and Colorful Coconut Topping
Tahini Caramel Slice with Vanilla Cashew Cream and Colorful Coconut Topping
A three-layer raw slice — almond-and-date base, silky tahini-date caramel, vanilla cashew cream icing, finished with naturally colored coconut flakes and cacao nibs
Makes 16 squares
45 min active · 5 hr total (incl. set times)
Midday or afternoon
Cuisine: Modern Raw / Living Foods
Ingredients
Base
1 cup raw almonds
1 cup unsweetened coconut shreds
1 cup medjool dates, pitted
1 tbsp coconut oil
pinch sea salt
Caramel
1 cup medjool dates (10–12 dates), pitted, soaked 10 min if firm
¼ cup raw stone-ground tahini
1 tsp Ceylon cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla bean powder (Singing Dog Vanilla)
2 tbsp coconut oil
pinch sea salt
Vanilla cashew icing
1 ½ cups raw cashews, soaked 1–2 hr and drained
¼ cup coconut oil, melted
¼ cup raw coconut butter (Nutiva or Artisana)
3 tbsp pure maple syrup or raw honey
1 tbsp lemon juice + zest
1 tsp vanilla bean powder
pinch sea salt
Naturally colored topping
½ cup unsweetened coconut flakes
2–3 tbsp coconut sugar
½ tsp blue majik powder (E3Live)
½ tsp beetroot powder
2 tbsp raw cacao nibs (Navitas Organics)
Method
Base. Process almonds and coconut shreds in food processor until fine flour. Add dates, coconut oil, and salt; process until cookie-dough consistency.
Line an 8×8 pan with parchment, with overhang. Press base evenly into the bottom.
Caramel. Process all caramel ingredients until silky-smooth (1–2 minutes).
Spread evenly over base. Freeze 1 hour.
Icing. Blend all icing ingredients in a high-speed blender until completely smooth.
Spread evenly over the caramel layer.
Topping mix. In a small bowl, combine coconut flakes with coconut sugar, blue majik, and beetroot powder. The colors will blend into a vibrant pink-blue mix.
Sprinkle topping mix and cacao nibs across the icing surface.
Set. Freeze 3–4 hours.
Slice into 16 squares with a hot dry knife.
ENHANCEMENT SUGGESTIONS — make this irresistible
Toast the almonds and coconut shreds before processing. 5 minutes at 325°F. Brings out depth of flavor that raw doesn't achieve. Slight Maillard caramelization.
Salted caramel layer. Add 1 tsp flaky sea salt directly to the caramel layer. The sweet-salt contrast is what distinguishes restaurant caramel from generic sweet.
Stone-ground tahini quality matters. Soom or Seed + Mill stone-ground tahini is dramatically more complex in flavor than mass-market brands. Worth the upgrade for this dish where tahini is structural.
Brown butter ghee in caramel. Replace coconut oil with 2 tbsp brown butter ghee (heated until nutty) — adds beurre noisette depth.
Cardamom spike. Add ½ tsp ground cardamom to the caramel. Distinctly Persian / Levantine flavor profile that pairs beautifully with tahini and dates.
Layer in chopped pistachios. Press ¼ cup chopped raw pistachios (Sicilian Bronte if available) into the caramel layer before freezing. Adds crunch + green color contrast to the cross-section.
Espresso powder. ½ tsp espresso powder added to the icing — coffee + tahini + caramel is a sophisticated flavor combination.
Use raw honey instead of maple syrup in icing. Pairs beautifully with tahini's nutty depth in a way maple syrup cannot.
Honeycomb pieces scattered on top for texture and visual elevation. Or substitute a light dusting of mesquite powder for a deeper caramel-malty note.
Sourcing: Raw almonds: One Degree Organic Foods or local Central Valley California growers. Medjool dates: Bautista Family Organic Date Ranch or Joolies (small Coachella Valley). Coconut shreds, coconut oil, coconut butter: Nutiva, Big Tree Farms, Artisana. Raw stone-ground tahini: Soom or Seed + Mill (the genuinely high-quality brands; significantly better than mass-market). Vanilla bean powder: Singing Dog Vanilla. Pure maple syrup: local sugarbush, Crown Maple, or Runamok. Raw honey: local apiarist or Really Raw Honey shipped. Raw cacao nibs: Navitas Organics or Big Tree Farms. Beetroot powder: Anthony's Goods or Z Natural Foods. Blue majik (E3Live).