{raw} mini bon bons

by Lori and Michelle on November 4, 2011

since yesterday was not a very good day for us for a few reasons which we will not bore you with.

you know what always helps with a little cheering up is chocolate!

even better would be a bite size chocolate covered treat. yep, that sounds perfect!

so remember that one time that we posted a creamy cashew cream? like, back in September? gheez has it been that long

and how we just did mini biscotti? then there was the mini applesauce cakes? and who could forget the mini cookies n cream cakes?

apparently we have been enjoying mini things lately. they are just so cute. can’t help it.

since we’re in the process of having a rainy day here in North Carolina, what could be better than a mini bon bon to lighten up the day? nothing, obviously!

we decided to make something a bit more adorable and fun: raw bon bons! too cute, right? that’s what we thought

do you know what a bon bon is? according to Wikipedia it refers them as sweets covered in chocolate. sounds delicious. and usually a sugar overload. but hey that is what ‘candy’ should be right haha

the chocolate sauce we used ended up being a little messy and got hard quickly (we do not have heat on yet in the place so it gets pretty cold). but who doesn’t like getting messy while making desserts?

Pure2raw recipe: mini raw bon bons (raw, gluten-free, vegan, soy-free)

prep-time: about 30 minutes (for soaking the cashews)

time to make: 5-10 minutes (all depends on your blender and how fast it creams and how fast you can scoop your bon bons)

tools needed: blender (vita-mix is what we used), mini ice cream scooper (or a tablespoon would work)

yields about 21 mini bons bons (will vary depending how big you scoop)

Ingredients:

1 recipe of our cashew cream

1 recipe of our chocolate sauce (we used in our raw chocolate chip cookie bites and our inside out chocolate truffles)

chocolate sauce ingredients:

1/3 cup coconut oil, liquid
1 teaspoon vanilla
3-4 tablespoon maple syrup (we did 3)
6 tablespoons cacao powder or cocoa

To make sauce: place coconut oil and maple syrup and vanilla in a bowl and stir till combined. next add in your cacao powder. and stir to combined.

*we listed out substitutions for the cashew cream before but you could also use ice cream for this. and for the chocolate sauce you can use melted chocolate of your choice.

To make mini bon bons:

once you have made your cashew cream, scoop them into little balls. we got about 21 balls. place on a plate in fridge while you make the chocolate sauce.

make your chocolate sauce. then remove your plate of cashew creams and begin to dip them in the chocolate sauce. keep dipping till all the balls have chocolate on them. with this chocolate sauce the more you stir and longer it sits out the thicker it will get. ours was on the thick side so we had to swipe on the chocolate sauce.

once all the bon bons are covered in chocolate you can store them in a container in the fridge or freezer for even longer shelf life.

the fun but messy part

we absolutely loved the flavor of the lemon zest and cardamom coming through when you bite into one. we were surprised by how much we enjoyed chocolate and lemon together. these bon bons were everything we were dreaming of and more. so rich, creamy and delectable.

these little bon bons are great to make with kids and let them get covered in the chocolate. and these are also great for making a head of time for a party or something. now who doesn’t love bite size dessert that you can eat with your fingers? didn’t think so

till next time, who wants a bon bon?

xoxo

L&M

{ 37 comments… read them below or add one }

Lauren November 4, 2011 at 6:20 am

Every time I think I’ve seen you make the most delicious thing ever, you top it! These look absolutely divine!!!!! Perfect for the holidays. I’ve gotta make this!!!
Lauren recently posted..Halloween Fun

Lori and Michelle November 4, 2011 at 6:23 am: aww thank you Lauren!! HUGS

Ari@ThE DiVa DiSh November 4, 2011 at 6:22 am

Love mini treats! Makes me feel like I can eat more
These look delicious! I love cashew cream(thanks to you guys!) and I love chocolate…sooooo, these are my new fav candy!
Ari@ThE DiVa DiSh recently posted..Chili Cornbread Casserole

Lori and Michelle November 4, 2011 at 6:24 am: your welcome girl! thanks xoxo

Sarena (The Non-Dairy Queen) November 4, 2011 at 6:24 am

Yes please! This would totally make a bad day good! These would be so good for a holiday party! Everyone loves bonbons!
Sarena (The Non-Dairy Queen) recently posted..Coconut Milk Nog and Cinnamon Bread Dippers!

Lori and Michelle November 4, 2011 at 6:44 am: yep

Averie @ Love Veggies and Yoga November 4, 2011 at 6:33 am

These look soooo good! Mini treats are great. And I love your pics and all the graphics/words you added…so creative!
Averie @ Love Veggies and Yoga recently posted..Spinach & Artichoke Dip

Lori and Michelle November 4, 2011 at 6:44 am: thanks Averie, we are having fun

Lisa November 4, 2011 at 6:33 am

They look fabulous! Cashew cream (and chocolate) is amazing…
Lisa recently posted..Oranges vs. Candy (and the Oranges Won!)

Lori and Michelle November 4, 2011 at 6:45 am: thanks Lisa!

the delicate place November 4, 2011 at 6:37 am

oh my. i was so wrong but hey maybe you can make a raw almond butter buckeye? i want a bon bon!! happy friday girls <3

Lori and Michelle November 4, 2011 at 8:06 am: Melissa haha we will look into that and Happy Friday to you too! HUGS

Nicole @ Making Good Choices November 4, 2011 at 7:16 am

my grandma ALWAYS had bon bons when I was younger. It was our special treat. I HAVE to make these!
Nicole @ Making Good Choices recently posted..Cooking in a Cabinetless Kitchen!

Lori and Michelle November 4, 2011 at 8:06 am: Nicole yes you do haha

Christine (The Raw Project) November 4, 2011 at 8:31 am

These look fabulous, yum! Perfect solution to a bad day to me!
Christine (The Raw Project) recently posted..Hemp Hummus Pate

katie @KatieDid November 4, 2011 at 8:50 am

So incredibly cute! just the name bon-bon is simply the cutest. Hope you have a better day today!

Lori and Michelle November 4, 2011 at 9:11 am: haha I know right Katie, I am thinking of name everything bon bon haha

Rachel @ Eat, Learn, Discover! November 4, 2011 at 9:42 am

So cute and delicious! I know chocolate always brightens up my day Also, bonbon also means candy in French.
Rachel @ Eat, Learn, Discover! recently posted..November: Not Giving In

Lori and Michelle November 4, 2011 at 10:12 am: Rachel I meant to might that in the post today but I forgot oops haha thanks!

Kristin @ eat healthy. be happy. live well. November 4, 2011 at 9:50 am

These look out of this world!!!! I’m totally going to buy cashews on the way home from work today so I can make these
Kristin @ eat healthy. be happy. live well. recently posted..Getting back on track

Lindsay @ biking before bed November 4, 2011 at 10:31 am

Bon bons make me think of Shake your Bon Bon by Ricky Martin:) and I think desserts are always better if they are mini. Then u can eat more than one.
Lindsay @ biking before bed recently posted..Its the start of Insanity!

Heather @ Get Healthy with Heather November 4, 2011 at 12:18 pm

I do! These look like the perfect little bite. I could totally go for 1 or many more today.

Erica November 4, 2011 at 12:31 pm

YES! I am baking today too. After a rough week- there is NOTHING wrong with a little (or a lotta) chocolate! These are perfect. Cashew cream…delicious
Erica recently posted..Giant White Beans, Spinach & Tomato Pasta

jessie ann james November 4, 2011 at 12:45 pm

omg these look amazing and I wish I had cashews on hand to make them right now!!! yummy!
jessie ann james recently posted..So Excited…BalletBlast is Hittin Las Vegas

Ela November 4, 2011 at 7:05 pm

I love choc and lemon together–oh, and you know I adore cardamom… Looks beautiful, such an adorable treat. Darn right that dipping choc is super-messy, though!
Ela recently posted..This Week’s Herbal Experiment–Witch’s Brew and Keeping it Simple

Charissa November 4, 2011 at 7:14 pm

You girls know how to make me drool. Those look amazing!!! Haha, and I love the word bon-bon…not sure why!
Charissa recently posted..Got a Question?

Laury @thefitnessdish November 4, 2011 at 7:22 pm

Wow, these look amazing!! You both have done it again! That filling looks so scrumptious!
Laury @thefitnessdish recently posted..Friday Five ~ Arms!

Shannon (Healthiful Balance) November 5, 2011 at 3:35 am

YUM! These look soo delicious! Thanks for sharing
Shannon (Healthiful Balance) recently posted..Madre Labs Cocoa Cardio Review

(what runs) Lori November 14, 2011 at 10:57 am

I love you girls because you make the most INCREDIBLE food EVER. Seriously. I want to come live with you to be your personal taste-tester. Please?!?!
(what runs) Lori recently posted..Raw and Warming Carrot Coconut Curry Soup

Lori and Michelle November 14, 2011 at 11:07 am: Lori you are more than welcome!! love you girl xoxo

Anastasia@healthymamainfo.com November 20, 2011 at 10:55 am

Looks fantastic! Thank you for amazing recipes!

Ellie@fitforthesoul November 22, 2011 at 9:23 pm

Mmmmm I absolutely LOVE bonbons! They bring me good childhood memories, b/c in Argentina they’re like, one of the staple sweets!
Ellie@fitforthesoul recently posted..One Spicy Weekend

niki December 1, 2011 at 8:52 pm

These look awesome, any suggestion to replacing the cashews? I have irish moss but it would need to still have something else and nuts/coconut are not an option, would blended hemp seeds work?

Lori and Michelle December 2, 2011 at 5:34 am: Niki, not sure about how well hemp seeds would work, I would suggest using a little more irish moss with hemp seeds, so it is 1/2 cup cashews so try doing 1/4 cup of each.

Angela G January 14, 2012 at 7:38 pm