Ani's Raw Food Desserts: 85 Easy, Delectable Sweets and Treats

by Ani Phyo

You can have your cake and eat it too with Ani Phyo’s innovative, delicious desserts. From cobblers to cookies, pies to cupcakes, Chef Ani’s easy-to-make sweets are wheat-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, processed sugar-free, and cruelty-free. Deceptively simple, these treats pack loads of flavor and nutrition in every bite. Substituting these mouthwatering desserts for traditional baked ones will give your body much-needed nutrients while sacrificing none of the flavor. With lists of essential tools, key ingredients (including “superfoods” that enhance flavor and nutrition), full-color photos, and gorgeous design, Ani’s Raw Food Desserts proves you don’t have to sacrifice taste or style to reap the benefits of raw foods.With recipes for: Raspberry Ganache Fudge Cake, Lemon Pudding Filled Coconut Cupcakes with Shaved Coconut Topping, Mango Sorbet on Macaroon Tartlets, Chocolate Crunch Cupcakes with Molten Mint, Fig Tartlets with Frangipane Cream, Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, Mulberry Pecan Cookies, Spiced Blueberry Cobbler, Pear Ginger Crisp, Nectarine-Raspberry Crumble, and Filled Chocolate Truffles.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Health, Vegan, Nonfiction

208 pages, Paperback

First published April 27, 2009

About the author

Ani Phyo is an organic eco chef, author, whole food and sustainable agriculture advocate and founder of SmartMonkey Foods. Phyo's book, Ani's Raw Food Kitchen: Easy, Delectable Living Food Recipes published by Marlowe & Company, is in its 8th printing. She is a well-known advocate of the raw foodism lifestyle promoting uncooked and unprocessed foods that are organic, sustainable, and supports green living.

Ani is also the host of the award winning most popular uncooking show on YouTube, Ani's Raw Food Kitchen Show.

Reviews

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. There are many dessert recipes that sound delicious!

[Aja Marsh · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you are new to raw foods this is a good book as the equipment, processes, and ingredients needed are not too fussy, but to me it was too sinplified-- not even using many varied favors or spices, I would jut think most of the recipes would taste like Lara bars. And there's nothing wrong with that but I guess I'd like to see something a little more exciting. I haven't read any of her other books but I do like that as makes raw food seem approachable, even if I find it, especially in dessert form, an agriculturally unsustainable system. But that's a whole other conversation.

[Angie Carter · Rating 1 out of 5]

Fruit is naturally very sweet, I'm not sure why you need to add agave syrup and coconut oil to everything. YUCK!
Just try eating a piece of fruit, any fruit. They are all delicious (and sweet) on their own with no additives or adulterations.

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tried my first recipe today - yum!!

[Whitney Pittsenbarger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love every recipe Ani makes. This book is no exception!

[Michelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

The author does not believe in using your oven to bake stuff?!? I did not attempt any of the recipes... very strange.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a book, this is a delight. There are excellent photographs throughout of the most appetising looking desserts. There are also interesting explanations about why the author eats raw food, with its many health benefits, and here and there are extra hints or tips for - for instance - keeping one's skin young, or boosting metabolism. It's the kind of book to sit down and read pretty much cover to cover. I did that when I received it, and found it very inspiring.

Unfortunately, although Ani Phyo insists that most the ingredients she uses are easy to find, that simply isn't the case in Cyprus. I couldn't even find most of them in the UK, although I gather they can be ordered online. But such items as coconut oil, agave syrup, cacao nibs and mesquite powder simply aren't in the aisles at Sainsbury's. And unfortunately, most of the recipes use at least one of these ingredients.

Still, although I agree with the principles of raw food eating where possible, I realised that I could make substitutions. So I tried creamed coconut (in sachets intended for use in curries) instead of coconut oil, and honey instead of agave syrup. I did manage to find 'Medjool' dates - much juicier than regular ones, and with no sugar added, although I hadn't previously heard of them.

I tried three of the recipes, and they were very successful. I intend to try more, although I still don't know what I could use instead of cacao nibs or mesquite powder.

The emphasis seems to be more vegan than raw foods; for a truly healthy dessert there's nothing to beat fresh fruit salad, after all. But these recipes make a nice change, and as far as I can tell are all fully dairy-free and wheat-free, although certainly not nut-free!

[Karin · Rating 4 out of 5]

As far as recipe books go, this one is very readable and for those of us new to 'cooking' the raw food way ( i'll just eat the apple, rather than put it in a pie with the sugar, thank you. Saves work and cuts caleries right there! But her recipes sound so delicious and healthy it seems worth the time it takes to make the cobbler, icing etc.

I found agave syrup a while ago as well as coconut butter, but cacao was a tough one. At a health food store I found organic non-dutch refined cocoa which is the nibs ground up- or at least that's what I was told.

Made the chocolate icing for the non-raw brownies I still had a box of in the cupboard. Usu. I don't do icing because it\s just sugar= calories= wider stomach. I tried Ani's icing and it was delicious! Maybe that's because I was already eating 70% cocoa chocolate, so I didn't miss the taste of milk chocolate.

I look forward to trying more recipes!

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've liked everything I've tried. This book requires you to have a good food processor/vitamix and it's best if you have a dehydrator too. I don't find myself doing any of the dehydrating recipes, because if I'm going to spend that much time doing something, I'll cook it. (Clearly I'm not a raw-foodist, I'm just interested in having a varied diet). This book is a few basic recipes with a bunch of variations on those recipes. Useful enough that I'm glad I got it from the library; it's worth reading and trying a few things, I'm not sure I'd take up limited cookbook space with it. Ani's Raw food Asia and Ani's Raw Food Essentials would be better candidates for that.

[Cori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Haven't tried any recipes but gave 4 starts for nice pictures, good explanations, and health tips included in the book. Makes it more well rounded.

I'll try some soon, but disappointed at how simple some of the recipes are. Also, I feel like too much effort is spent trying to mimic non-raw desserts. I find the most delicious vegan/vegetarian food is the type that is flavorful without fake stuff in it.

[Amber Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I looked at this book when it came out and although the photos made raw treats look really tasty, I still wrote off raw foods as too difficult and expensive. Then I started watching Ani Phyo's youtube channel, which made me realize how easy these recipes are.

I have a major sweet tooth and it's so nice to not feel guilty or fat after eating cookies or cake.

[claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

interesting ideas. i tried the chocolate raspberry cake in here... it was delicious and sweet, but knowing it was all natural was nice. The only problem with these recipes is they are unsustainably expensive to execute. The cake's ingredients were dates walnuts avocado cocoa powder and agave syrup, in the end made a tiny little cake that cost $20. it's too much.

[Readersaurus · Rating 5 out of 5]

I made 3 recipes from this book today and they are all quite tasty & worthy of bringing to a party. What I really like about raw desserts is that they don't burn while you are spacing out reading a book in the other room.

[Rachel Frank · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was my introduction to raw food and man it was a great start. The book has simple and complex recipes that can be made immediately or with some pre work. A great variety of delicious raw foods.

[Renée · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ani's best uncookbook and most delicious recipes. She excels in the desserts arena, probably because of her background as a pastry chef. The raspberry ganache fudge cake from this book is the stuff of dreams.

[Hanna Howe]

Just got this for mother's day. I can't wait to whip up some raw mango tarts!

[michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really like that a good chunk of these recipes don't require a dehydrator, since I don't owe one, but a high quality food processor is necessary (don't have that either).

[Mari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely love this uncookbook. I love Ani Phyo's recipes. I haven't tried all of them yet, but they're very easy and so yummy! Another great one by Ani!

[Luci · Rating 5 out of 5]

I actually met this awsome lady and tasted her food at 105 degrees in OKC and my autographed copy is never far from the kitchen counter.

[Lee]

Check ice-cream recipes.

[Annette · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has some very good recipes it in. So far, each one I have tried is excellent. :o)

[Bear · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such yummy goodness as you can barely imagine is in this tiny book. Read it and eat!

[Martha · Rating 2 out of 5]

almost every recipe uses agave syrup & electrical appliances