Summer’s Dessert – Fruit Pizza

You might be surprised if I tell you that we aren’t big into Birthday cakes around here. Yes, we make them every now and then, but most of us choose something besides cake for our birthday dessert. Desserts like Rootbeer Floats, Frozen Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie, Strawberry Shortcake, or Fruit Pizza. The options are boundless, why confine it to cake???

The last person to celebrate a birthday here just didn’t care, but I knew what he wanted – something healthy, free of processed sugar, and loaded with fruit.

Because it’s summer.

Sorry about the terrible photos. The lighting was bad and I was too lazy to take more pictures. Besides, who’s going to wait around this thing for someone to take appropriate blog post photos?

This colorful and delightful dessert sports a paleo and gluten-free crust, cream cheese hinting of orange, and your favorite seasonal (or not so seasonal) fruits. You should try it. Today.

Here’s how…

Fruit Pizza

• 2 c. oats
• 2 c. walnuts
• 2 c. dates, pitted
• 1/2 t. sea salt
• 4 T. butter
• 16 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1/2. c. Greek vanilla yogurt
• 1/4 c. honey (or more to taste)
• 4 drops Young Living Orange Essential Oil (or 1/2 t. orange extract)
• 1 t. vanilla
• fruit of your choice – I like the textural combination and colors of strawberries, mandarin oranges, kiwis and blueberries.

Combine oats, walnuts, dates, and sea salt in a food processor and pulse until fine. Add butter and blend until combined. Form into a ball and pat out on to a pizza pan. (You may want to use parchment if you’re using a metal cookie sheet or pizza pan.)

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Cool completely.

Beat together cream cheese, yogurt, honey, orange oil, and vanilla. Spread over cooled crust.

Decorate with fruit. (Be sure to dry your fruit out on a paper towel to prevent sogginess.) Chill and serve.

The leftovers make a perfect breakfast. Just an idea…

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Chia Pudding with Mango, Strawberries and Coconut

Today was perfectly beautiful. The breeze was cool, the sun was warm…everything is so green from all the rain we’ve been having. It was one of those days that make you wish you could stick it in a bottle and save it for a stifling August afternoon.

No, I’m not even going to think about August. August doesn’t exist – not here, not now, not for me.

Instead, I’m going to think about Chia Pudding.

I mentioned this in my last post and I wonder about your reactions…did it sound terrible? Or are you just waiting for the recipe?

I hope you want the recipe because that’s what I’m giving you this fine evening. It is so SO good. And after you taste it you will never believe that it has no dairy, no gluten and no processed sugars.

It is so easy… and fast…and it looks good too.

Gee, it sounds like I’m trying to talk you into something, but I know you already want the recipe so here it is.

Chia Pudding with Mango, Strawberries and Coconut

1 8oz. package pitted dates

1 – 13.5 oz. can coconut milk

13.5 oz.  water

2 t. vanilla

1/4 c. chia seeds

1 carton strawberries, de-stemmed, washed and diced

1 mango, peeled and diced

1/4 shredded unsweetened coconut

Combine dates, vanilla, coconut milk, water and chia seeds in a food processor or blender. Pulse until combined – it won’t be quite smooth, but you’ll want the dates well blended – pour into a bowl and chill.

EDIT: Some people have had trouble with the pudding coming out too watery. I recommend, 1 – chilling your coconut milk before using and draining the watery liquid (simply poke a hole in the solid cream and drain over the sink), or 2 – going easy on the water until you can gauge what the consistency will be. Keep in mind that the chia seeds absorb the liquid, so it thickens as it chills.

Variations –

Christy commented below and left some great ideas – “I used dried figs, goji berries, apricots and prunes for the fruit ( it gave the pudding a beautiful apricot color),I also added a few dashes of cardamom.”

To satisfy a chocolate craving, add 1/8- 1/4 c. cocoa powder.

For a “less mess/less dishes” variation, use maple syrup or honey in place of the dates and water and stir together with a spoon. 

Anyone else have tasty variations? I’ll post them here. :D

Toss together fruit and coconut. Serve atop the pudding and garnish with mint leaves if you like.

Oh! And isn’t this bowl so cool? My sister, Sage, made it. I have such talented sisters. I hope someday to have an entire kitchen furnished with Sage’s pottery and Tera’s glass.

Anyhow, do let me know what you think if you try this recipe out. I think you’ll like it.