While at my in-laws recently I was reminded of how much I love 7 layer bars. I knew I had to get in my kitchen asap and create something with this craving I had. I came up with a 7 Layer Breakfast Bowl. This is rich and indulging but also great for a day when I had a lot of cardio planned. I know there are a few things that need to be made but trust me this is worth it! The Sweetened Vanilla Cashew Cream will keep for a few days and is great on fresh berries! The Lucuma Caramel Sauce is something I have made and on hand as it keeps for a few weeks and the family uses it for coffee, steamers, and on desserts here and there. Otherwise the Caramel Drizzle Sauce is a good alternative and only makes a small amount, about double what is needed for the breakfast bowl. However I do prefer the Lucuma Caramel and it will give you the sweetness as in traditional 7 Layer Bars. This bowl is a healthy alternative to 7 Layer Bars, perfect size so I wouldn’t be tempted to eat the whole pan, satisfying, and was just what I needed to power me through my cardio. Do you have any sweet indulging cravings you wish there where a healthy alternative for?
7 Layer Breakfast Bowl
Makes 1 serving
1/4 c cooked quinoa, cooled or still warm
2-4 TBSP Sweetened Vanilla Cashew Cream, see recipe below
1 tsp coconut palm sugar
1 TBSP toasted shredded coconut
1 TBSP finely shredded coconut, sweetened or unsweetened personal choice
1 TBSP vegan dark cacao chips, or chopped chocolate of choice
1 TBSP chopped raw pecans
1 TBSP Lucuma Caramel Sauce or “Caramel” Drizzle Sauce, see recipes below
Make Sweetened Vanilla Cashew Cream and Caramel Sauce of choice. Stir in quinoa with coconut palm sugar and toasted coconut, place in the bottom of a bowl. Layer Sweet Vanilla Cashew Cream over quinoa mixture, sprinkle with chocolate chips, shredded coconut, and pecans. Drizzle with caramel sauce. Enjoy!
Sweetened Vanilla Cashew Cream is delicious and is what is in place of the sweet condensed milk in traditional 7 Layer Bars. While this will take extra time and planning it is worth it. Don’t worry about having leftovers as it is great with fresh berries and I am sure you can think of many other ways to enjoy this sweet cream once you try it, if this is your first time trying it. Alternatively you can use or 1-2 TBSP cashew butter (or almond butter in a pinch) thinned with milk and sweetened with a little agave.
Sweetened Vanilla Cashew Cream
1 c raw cashew (soaked for 4-8 hours)
2 TBSP fresh lemon juice and 2 TBSP water, or 1/4 c water
2 tsp vanilla
1-2 TBSP raw agave
Soak cashews, rinse and drain. In a Vitamix, or food processor, blend together cashews, water, vanilla, and agave until smooth. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for a few days or in the freezer for longer storage.
Lucuma Caramel Sauce
3/4 c raw cashew butter or raw almond butter
1/3- 1/2 c raw agave (if you like things less sweet start with 1/3 cup)*
2 TBSP lucuma powder (Navitas Naturals)
1 TBSP pure vanilla
pinch of sea salt
4-7 TBSP warm water, or more if needed to make smooth*
*If using almond butter use the full 1/2 cup of agave.
Starting with 3 tablespoons of water and 1/3 cup of agave if you don’t like things too sweet, blend everything together in a Vitamix or high-speed blender until smooth. Test for sweetness and add more if desired. Once desired sweetness is achieved add more water if needed to make it smooth. Store in the refrigerator up to 3 weeks, it will thicken as it get cold so remove from refrigerator before using to warm up.
“Caramel” Drizzle Sauce
2 TBSP Almond Butter
2 1/2 TBSP Raw Agave Nectar
Blend almond butter and agave together until smooth.
