Raw Food Cracker Recipe - Carrot & Flax Crackers

Before I get to the raw food cracker recipe I have for you today, I wanted to talk for a moment about how to satisfy some of the cravings you may have on the raw food diet.

Personally, my biggest craving was for chips and dips. There's something really satisfying about dunking a crispy, crunchy, salty chip into some sort of yummy dip while I'm watching TV or reading a book. For me, that's comfort food eating. When I decided to go raw, it was obvious that I was going to have to find some tasty substitutes for my beloved chips and dips or I just wasn't going to be able to stick with eating raw food long term.

The point I'm trying to make here is that you really need to identify those foods you associate with comfort. Whether it's chips, candy, ice cream, pizza or whatever, make it your goal to either find or create your own raw recipe for the comfort food you like best. Having a raw version of your favorite comfort food on hand will go a long way towards helping you stick with the raw food diet.

Here's my current favorite raw food cracker recipe.

Carrot and Flax Crackers

1 & 1/2 pounds Carrots, grated
1/4 red Onion, chopped (optional)
1/2 cup ground flax seeds
1/4 cup water
2 teaspoons Celtic gray salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (optional)

In a food processor, grate the carrots. Transfer grated carrots to a large bowl and change the blade from the grating blade to the "s" blade. Add the carrots back to the food processor with the water, salt and garlic. Process the carrots until you have smooth puree that is slightly watery. (This could take some time) You may add additional water if necessary to achieve the correct consistency.

Transfer the carrot puree back to the large bowl and stir in the ground flax seed. Adjust seasoning if necessary remembering that the final product will be much stronger in taste due to the dehydration process.

Cover 3 Excalibur dehydrator trays with cling film or use teflex sheets.

Divide your mixture evenly between the 3 trays and spread out evenly on each one, just less than a half inch thick.

Place into Dehydrator and run until dried well on top. Flip onto normal uncovered trays and continue to dehydrate. It’s best to cut it about two hours after you flip. Continue dehydrating until crispy.

Raw Chocolate Pudding Recipe - My Granddaughter's Favorite Easy Raw Food Recipe

At 2 and 1/2 years old, my granddaughter is already a chocoholic and the darker, the better as far as she is concerned. She was once caught polishing off a bar of baking chocolate when Mommy came to see what she was doing so very quietly.

For those who don't know, baking chocolate has NO sugar in it!

When she comes to visit, as children will do with grandparents, she almost always asks Ma-Ma (that's me) for candy. Instead of feeding her junk food, I whip up my favorite raw chocolate pudding recipe for her to satisfy that chocolate tooth of hers.

I figure if I can make raw foods taste good enough to please the palate of a picky 2 year old, I've done my job of caring for this precious little person when she comes to visit.

Not only does she eat it, she usually asks for more! Score two points for Ma-Ma! A healthy treat my granddaughter loves that wins brownie points in the "no junk food" arena with Mommy.

Here's the recipe. Please note that the vanilla isn't raw, but I'm not an absolute purist. If you can't get your hands on raw cacao powder, a good organic cocoa powder will do.

Raw Chocolate Pudding Recipe

2 ripe Avocados
1/4 to 1/3 cup cocoa or raw cacao powder if you have it
1/4 cup agave nectar or organic raw honey (add more to taste)
1 tsp. vanilla extract or 1/2 vanilla bean scraped
1 pinch of salt.

Cut avocados in half and scoop out the flesh into a food processor. Add all other ingredients and process until smooth. Adjust cacao and desired sweetener to taste. Chill and serve.

I have also used this recipe as frosting for a raw cake! Just stiffen mixture with extra cacao powder.
Enjoy!