Vegan raspberry slice loaded with chocolate and coconut! It's packed with flavour, unbaked, refined sugar free, gluten free and so easy to make.
When I owned a cake business and provided treats to cafes all around Canberra, we'd make batches of these vegan raspberry slice every fortnight! This recipe is quite similar to what we used to make and sell. They are:
- Wholesome and healthy
- Coconutty but not overpowering
- Not too sweet as they are refined sugar free
- Perfect for an afternoon pick-me-up!
- Like a vegan bounty but with the fruity addition of raspberries!
These vegan raspberry bars are not baked but technically not raw. I used roasted almonds instead of raw because I prefer their flavour. I also reduced the raspberries on the stovetop to intensify their flavour.
If you want a 100% raw vegan slice (or what Americans call raw vegan bar), I'd recommend you:
- Use raw almonds instead of roasted
- Dehydrate the raspberries for about 4 hours until they are jammy (but not so much that they are chewy). Or skip this step and use less coconut cream (it may result in a softer slice).
How to make this raspberry coconut slice
Unlike baked vegan sponge cakes (which can collapse, not cook properly or not rise at all), unbaked slices are usually fool-proof and super easy to make!
For this vegan raspberry slice, all you need to do is:
- Make and press down your chocolate nut layer
- Make and press down your raspberry coconut layer
- Melt and pour over your chocolate ganache layer on top
- Cut and enjoy!
How to get extremely flat and smooth layers for unbaked slices and bars
One of the MOST frequent questions I get about unbaked treats is: 'How do you get those insanely 'perfect' and even layers'?
My secret is using a flexible cake scraper to flatten each layer! It has more surface area than a spoon or spatula or most kitchen items. Unlike a metal cake scraper, a silicone or plastic cake scraper has more leeway (so it won't just push your layers everywhere) and is easier to use.
I swear by my Loyal cake scraper (Australian brand) as my family has used Loyal in our house and in commercial cooking for decades. However, this cake scraper on Amazon seems similar.
Also, when you press your fillings into the tin, I'd recommend you press them in as FIRMLY as possible. Any gaps or wholes will be a structural weak point and will crumble when you cut into your raw vegan bar.
To get a very smooth ganache layer, make sure it's evenly and well melted. Pour it into your cake tin then IMMEDIATELY swivel the ganache around the cake tin. This forces the ganache to reach all corners of the tin. If you let the ganache cool too quickly, it'll be hard to spread!
The best way I can describe the 'swivel' action is.... it's like when you used to play portable pinball-like games when you were young and you wanted the ball to fall down a particular hole... See, playing games back them DO come in handy!
How to neatly cut an unbaked slice/ unbaked bar?
Now that we've put in all that time and effort into making the slice (okay, only 20 minutes), we don't want to fudge up the slice up when cutting it, you know?!
I've cut thousands of slices and raw vegan cheesecakes over the years and my top tips for neat slices are:
Tip 1: Make sure the slice is very cold before you slice it. The more firm the layers are, the less they are likely to crumble.
Tip 2: Use the sharpest knife you have! I used my Global Chef Knife which I sharpened before I cut into this unbaked slice.
Tip 3: Wipe down your knife between each cut. After you make one cut, your knife will probably have crumbs and chocolate on it. If you don't wipe it down, the crumbs will appear on top of your next slice.
An *advanced* tip for neat slices
It helps if the knife is hot/ warm but dry. The heat from the knife creates a neater cut and just makes it easier to cut through it. However, it should be dry to avoid any smudging between the laters.
You can make your knife's blade hot/warm by running it under hot water (or dipping it into a tall jar of water) then drying it with a tea towel. Or you can use a blow torch to warm up the blade of your knife.
Check out my other raw vegan or unbaked vegan recipes:
- Raw Vegan Brownies (5 ingredients)
- Vegan Cherry Ripe Cups
- Creamy Mango Passionfruit Bars
- Raw Vegan Lamington Bliss Balls
- Raw Vegan Lamingtons with cream and jam
Or my half-baked vegan recipes:
Vegan Raspberry Slice
Ingredients
Base
- 1 ½ cup (160g) roasted or raw almonds, or any other nut/seed
- ¾ cup (150g) pitted dates, if they are dry, soak them in warm water for at least 2 hours
- ¼ cup (25g) cocoa or raw cacao powder
- Pinch of salt
Raspberry Coconut Filling
- 3 cups (375g) frozen or fresh raspberries
- 3 cups (240g) desiccated coconut
- ⅓ cup (115g) rice malt syrup, or any other liquid sweetener
- ½ cup (120g) canned coconut cream, solid part only
- ½ cup (120g) coconut oil, melted
- 1 tablespoon beetroot powder, optional for colour
Chocolate Ganache topping
- 2 ½ cups (250g) roughly chopped chocolate or chocolate chips
- ¼ cup (60g) canned coconut cream, solid part only
- 3 tablespoons freeze dried raspberries, optional
Instructions
- To make the base: Add the almonds (or other nuts/seeds) to a food processor and process until it forms coarse crumbs. Drain the dates. Add the remaining base ingredients to the food processor and process until everything is combined. The mixture should stick together when it is pinched between two fingers.
- Line a 20cm (8-inch) square baking tin or container with baking paper. Press the base mixture into the tin to cover the bottom. Set aside.
- To make the filling: Add the raspberries to a small saucepan over medium heat. Simmer for 5-10 minutes or until the mixture has intensified and formed a jammy mixture.
- Add the raspberries and rest of the filling ingredients to a large mixing bowl. Mix until well combined. Firmly press the mixture into the baking tin on top of the chocolate crust.
- To make the topping: Add the chocolate and coconut cream to a small saucepan or double boiler over low heat. Mix until melted and smooth. Pour the ganache over the slice and immediately swivel the tin so the ganache is spread evenly. If desired, sprinkle the freeze-dried raspberries on the wet chocolate. Cover the slice and set it aside in the fridge for 2 hours or until very firm.
- Remove the slice from the tin. Use a sharp knife to cut the slice as desired. Enjoy immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Please leave a comment below if you made this recipe, have any questions or thoughts! Your comment will help other readers and Rainbow Nourishments.
I have tried so many vegan desserts and this one is my favourite by far. So easy to make and love that it can be frozen for easy mid week snacks. Even non vegans will like this one!
Can't wait to try this! But realized that the coconut cream that I bought has a bunch of sugar in it! 🙁 it was the only thing the store had. Can I sub it with something else if I can't find sugar free coconut cream??
Aw, I'd say you can still use sweetened coconut cream :). Just reduce the amount of rice malt/maple syrup so it's sweet enough for you! The syrup does help the coconut filling stick a little so maybe add 1-2 more tablespoons of coconut oil to make up for it. Hope that helps!
I’ve just put it in the fridge to cool and set.
Hoping desperately that it works for me as I have to serve it in a few hours time 😳
Cleaning up the bowls before washing them tastes good .
That's great to hear Pam! Perhaps put it in the freezer so it sets a little quicker? It should be fine in the fridge if not 🙂
not sure so far... I ended up with 160g of fruit once id reduced it to a jam like consistency. didnt seem much at all so I did a bit more and didn't reduce it as much. def wasnt any pressing of the fruit layer 🙂 more pouring and smoothing with a pallet knife. gone in the fridge to set hopefully so ill see how it goes! be great to have a weight for the reduced fruit if its meant to be much less than the recipe weight?
Hmm, it sounds like your mixture might be too liquidy/soft. If it doesn't set, I'd suggest adding more coconut oil or even desiccated coconut as that's what makes it firm. For the raspberry, the consistency is more important than the weight as all raspberries and brands have a different amount of juice in them and will skew the weight. Let me know how you go!
I love the colours! they look so good, I'm going to try them 🙂
Thank you Roisin! This slice was delicious! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did xo
Great, easy recipe. Thanks for posting. We love it. I am taking this to the next community vegan potluck.
Hi Debbie! Thank you so much! It brings me so much joy to hear xo
These slices look fabulous! I love the idea of raspberry with coconut - yumm!
Thank you Bianca! xo
Made this last night and it’s nearly gone. Every layer was the perfect combination. Very addictive and not too sweet. 10/10
That's amazing!!! Thanks so much for your kind comment xo
This recipe sounds amazing! I have one question, do you happen to know the nutritional information of this recipe? Thanks!
Tiffany
Hi Tiffany! Sorry, I don't calculate nutritional info on my site! Thanks
Love it! Totally hit the spot if you like cherry ripe / sweet tangy combos - with minimum fuss natural ingredients and all the taste you need to bookmark this recipe 10/10
Aw this is the best news Yas!! Thank you so much for the kind comment and for making me smile 🙂
This looks so good- I love the combo of raspberry, coconut and chocolate. So gorgeously photographed too.
Thanks soo much lovely! And isn't it a moreish combo?! xoxo