Chocolate Slice is a layered sweet treat with a melted chocolate top, a crunchy bottom, and a flavorful smooth center. Sometimes the center is caramel, sometimes it’s pumpkin, but I bet you’ve never had persimmon!
I like to think of persimmons as the rebellious offspring of a pumpkin and a plum. If you grew up in the south with wild persimmon trees in your yard as I did, you would know exactly what I’m referring to. Otherwise, I’m sure you’ve seen the large orange Japanese version in the grocery stores.
Persimmons have a texture much like a pumpkin with more sweetness. A delicious fall fruit many have never tried. My mom always makes persimmon pudding around Thanksgiving, causing a line of neighbors to appear at the back door for taste testing. Seriously, you have to call dibs on a slice before it’s all gone!
Since persimmon pudding is similar to the consistency of pumpkin pie, I thought it would be great for the middle layer of my chocolate slice. To add a crunchy element, the base has a mixture of shredded coconut and chopped pecans.
I hope you enjoy this persimmon dessert twist as much as I do!
Tips for Coconut Persimmon Chocolate Slice
- Rye flour can be substituted for whole wheat.
- Persimmon Pulp can be substituted for pumpkin puree.
- Use ripe persimmons for pulp. Scrape inside pulp from skin, remove seeds and puree!
- Let your persimmon layer cool before adding melted dark chocolate.
- Place tray in the fridge to set the dark chocolate.
Recipe inspired by Donna Hay’s Coconut Caramel Slice!
Coconut Persimmon Chocolate Slice
Ingredients
Coconut Layer
- ½ Cup (105 g) Coconut Oil melted
- 2 ½ Cup (105 g) Shredded Coconut
- 1 ¼ Cups (160 g) Rye Flour
- ½ Cup (64 g) Cocoa Powder
- 1 Tbsp Vanilla
Persimmon Layer
- 1 ⅓ Cups (300 g) Ripe Persimmon Pulp
- 6 Medjool Dates chopped
- ½ tsp Ground Nutmeg
- ½ tsp Ground Cinnamon
- 1 ½ Cups (342 g) Coconut Milk
- ½ Cup (105 g) Coconut Oil melted
Chocolate Later
- 1 Heaping Cup (160 g) Dark Chocolate Chunks
- ¼ Cup (52 g) Honey
- 4 Tbsp Coconut Oil melted
- ½ Cup (62.5 g) Chopped Pecans
Instructions
- Preheat Oven to 325 F (162 C) . Prepare a 30 cm by 20 cm pan with baking spray, lining the bottom with parchment paper.
Coconut Layer
- In a large bowl stir together all ingredients. Dump into pan and gently press into an even layer.
- Bake for 10 -12 minutes until firm.
Persimmon Layer
- Combine all ingredients into a blender and pulse until smooth.
- Pour onto coconut layer and bake for 30 minutes.
- Let cool.
Chocolate Layer
- In a small saucepan combine chocolate chunks, honey, and coconut oil. Heat on medium low, stirring until smooth.
- Pour onto cooled persimmon layer.
- Sprinkle with chopped pecans.
- Place pan in the refrigerator to chill for up to two hours until chocolate is set.
- Slice and Enjoy!!
- Store in fridge for up to one week.
Geraldine
This looks fantastic! Looking forward to trying this out. Just wondering what kind of persimmons are used? Also, in the persimmon layer should I be aiming to blend the pecans in for a smooth texture?
Jenn
Hi Geraldine, The pecans are sprinkled on top of the chocolate layer:) American persimmons that you find on the ground are smaller and the best tasting. But, you can also use the Fuyu found in most grocery stores.