This is the perfect pudding for those nights at home after dinner when you feel like a little something sweet but need it to be quick and easy! Whip them up in no time at all and indulge in some delicious fruity goodness.

INGREDIENTS:

2 apples, peeled
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup coconut flour
3 eggs
4 tablespoons natural maple syrup
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Drizzle natural maple syrup, optional

DIRECTIONS:

Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees celsius and prepare 4 ramekins by greasing the dishes with olive oil. Peel and slice the apples and put aside.  Place all the other ingredients in a large bowl and whisk until combined. Add the apples to the batter, leaving four apple rings for the topping. Mix the apples through the batter. Pour batter into the ramekins, place an apple ring on top and place in the oven for 10 minutes.

Serve the pudding hot with a drizzle of natural maple syrup.

Preparation time 7 minutes
Cooking time 10 minutes
Serves 4

For more great recipes by Gold Coast local Caralee Caldwell, check out her page here.

Because the weather is warming up and there’s nothing better in the world than chocolate mousse.

INGREDIENTS
Base
1 cup raw almonds
1 cup dates
1 cup desiccated coconut
2 tablespoons raw cacao powder
1 tablespoon coconut oil
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Filling
2 cups cashews, soaked
½ cup coconut milk
½ cup coconut oil, melted
6 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons raw cacao powder
Seeds for ½ pomegranate
1 cup frozen raspberries

For Decoration
1 punnet fresh raspberries
½ pomegranate

INSTRUCTIONS
To make the base place the dates and almonds into a blender or food processor and blitz until it resembles a fine crumble. Add the desiccated coconut and raw cacao powder, and blitz until the ingredients are combined. Add the coconut oil and vanilla extract and mix through. Press the mixture into the base of a spring form cake tin that has been lined with baking paper and place in the freezer. To make the two top layers, soak the cashew nuts for a minimum of three hours by covering the cashews with water and setting aside. Drain and rinse once soaked. Place 2 cups soaked cashew nuts into a food processor or blender and whiz until smooth. Add the coconut milk, coconut oil, honey and vanilla extract. Blend until the mixture is very smooth. Depending on your food processor this could take quite some time. Remove the base from the freezer and pour one third of the white mixture onto the base. Place back in the freezer to set for 10 minutes. In the meantime place the cacao powder into the food processor and blend until combined. Remove the cake from the freezer sprinkle the raspberries and pomegranate seeds on the vanilla layer. Pour the chocolate cashew cream over the fruit and smooth the top with a spatular. Place in the fridge (or freezer to set faster) and allow to set for 1 – 2 hours. Decorate with fresh raspberries and pomegranate.

For more great recipes by Gold Coast local Caralee Caldwell, check out her page here.

Waffles. Part breakfast, part dessert – our only criticism is that we want to see more of them in and around our face.

A dish that lived in the shadow of pancakes for far too long, thankfully tides are changing for this once underrated brunch treat. Hailing from Belgium and extremely popular in the US, these days, the crispy, lattice-like slabs are a familiar and welcome sight on our cafe circuit – in both sweet and savoury form.

When you’re craving golden, grill-forged goodies, here are six of the best places on the Coast to get your waffle fix. Pass the syrup!

Bubbo Dessert
As if straight from the streets of Hong Kong and into our hungry gobs, Bubbo Dessert has got our bubble waffle hook-up. If you’re yet to get a taste of this traditional street-style snack, thankfully you don’t have to go far to do so. To-ing and fro-ing between markets across Brisbane and the Coast – from 5-9pm every Friday & Saturday, you can find the Bubbo crew slinging their waffly wares out of their food trailer at the Dreamworld Night Markets. What better way to say ‘hello weekend’ thank with one of these fluffy yet crisp bad bois, rolled into a cone and stuffed with all the things dessert dreams are made of.
Where: Dreamworld Pkwy, Coomera

Cardamom Pod Brickworks
Known for all things nutritious and delicious – whether you’re in the mood for sweet or savoury, Cardamom Pod has got waffle cravings covered. Among their always satisfying selection of vegetarian treats, our stalwart herbivore hook-up also whips up a pretty mean weekend waffle special that’s well worth cancelling plans to get a taste of. Start your day with an Indian Street Food Waffle served with all the trimmings, or go all out with the dessert style Crispy Waffle, served with banana, biscoff caramel and boba espresso ice cream. YUM.
Where: 3/3 Brolga Ave, Southport

Cheeky Waffles
If you’re not yet acquainted with the debaucherous little dessert destination known as Cheeky Waffle, keep an open mind – and an even wider mouth. More than just an out of the ‘box’ presentation, the saucy waffles this novelty nosher serves up are OMG good. Pick your preferred shape, then have it slathered in toppings like caramel chocolate and Biscoff crumb. You might need some solid willy-power to stop at one.
Where: 3189 Surfers Paradise Boulevard, Surfers Paradise

Elk Espresso
We just can’t elk ourselves when it comes to whatever this Broadbeach fave is whipping up. The nosh, coffee and service never misses, but the waffles will always have a special place in our heart and tums. With variations like Fried Chicken, Violet Crumble and Matcha & Black Sesame gracing the seasonal menu at one point another, you’d batter believe the obsession only continues to grow (at a similar rate to our sweatpants collection… weird.) There’s a reason why Gold Coasters have been flocking to this one for over a decade… and the waffles rank pretty highly #We’reWeak
Where: Shop G044, Oasis Shopping Centre, 12 Victoria Ave, Broadbeach

Pancake Diner
Burleigh’s new home of diner-style all day eats sure knows its stuff when it comes to all things golden brown and syrupy. Sharing a pedigree with a little Surfers Paradise Boulevard icon known as Pancakes in Paradise, Pancake Diner will hook you up with brunch and burgers from 7am, 7 days a week. Which means, along with boozy shakes, spiders and 12+ pancake flavours, you can get your fix of butter-drenched Belgian Waffles almost anytime you like. Pimp them with ice cream, butterscotch sauce or blueberries in syrup – the waffle’s your oyster.
Where: 16/221 Christine Avenue, Burleigh Heads

Oh My, Waffle
If you’re a fan of sweets, walking into Oh My, Waffle will have you weak at the knees. At this one stop sugar shop, you will find almost type of treat imaginable – NY-style cookies, brownies, brookies, cheesecake, loaded gourmet shakes…and, sorry, what were we saying again? Oh yeah, WAFFLES. With the choice of flavours available well into double digits, consider those cravings conquered. Now, sorry to say but it’s really time we split – there’s a mountain of Banana Butterscotch with our name on it.
Where: Shop 6,1837 Gold Coast Hwy, Burleigh Heads

Words by Kellie Leader