Rich yet healthy chocolate brownie bars – sweetened with dates, no flour, eggs or dairy, and no baking required.
I know the sound of ‘raw vegan brownies’ probably conjures up images of dark, bitter, dry and sad looking flat squares of disappointment…
but trust me, these are not that (you can tell this from the photo’s I hope)!
This dessert ticks all the right boxes – it tastes super indulgent, but is not full of refined sugar or processed ingredients – no flour, no added refined sugar, no gluten, no eggs or dairy (obviously!), but 100% satisfying. (I’m not including the melted store-bought chocolate topping in the list of healthy ingredients lol).
Being on a bit of a health kick what with the upcoming wedding and all (three weeks away!!!😱) I came up with this one when I was looking for something that could satisfy my sweet cravings, but when had in moderation, could totally be incorporated into my daily calorie tally. It is rich enough that a small square does the trick and the chocolate craving is very much satisfied.
Well this hits that spot!
I have taken these chocolate brownies to share as dessert at braai’s (BBQ’s), and they are 100% approved by non-vegans!
I used a vegan chocolate bar to melt as the topping, but this could quite easily be kept completely refined sugar free by swopping that out with a home-made chocolate topping of melted coconut oil, cocoa powder, and liquid sweetener of your choice (maple syrup, or date syrup perhaps). You would then have to store it in the fridge as coconut oil will melt at South African summer room temperature.
These are really so easy, you just get all the ingredients in a food processor, and voila. You can see just how easy it is by watching the video tutorial, which you can also find below the recipe card further down this page.
For other chocolate and sweet treats recipes, check these out:
Rich yet simple vegan chocolate cake
Healthy & easy vegan ice cream
Raw Chocolate Brownies (Vegan + Gluten Free)
Course: Dessert, SweetsCuisine: VeganDifficulty: Easy16
servings30
minutes60
minsRich, chocolatey and fudgey brownie bars – a healthier alternative, free of refined sugar and grains, these are very more-ish!
Ingredients
2 cups dried pitted dates (+-300g)
1 1/2 cups raw walnuts
1/2 cup raw almonds
2 tsp vanilla essence
1/8tsp salt
3 Tbs cocoa powder
1-2 Tbs water
100g vegan dark chocolate
Directions
- Place dates, walnuts, almonds, vanilla, salt and cocoa powder into the bowl of a food processor. Blend on high speed until it has broken down into what looks like a wet crumb consistency.
- Check the moisture level by pinching some of the mixture between your fingers. It should be moist enough to easily clump together – you may need to add water at this point to reach the accurate consistency.
- Add water 1 Tbs at a time until it becomes soft and wet enough to clump easily when pinched.
- Line a 20cm x 20cm square baking dish with baking paper so that it overlaps on 2 of the 4 sides, to ensure easier removal of the brownies.
- Transfer the brownie mixture to the dish and use your hands to flatten and compress it into the dish. I press down with the bottom of a glass to ensure an even surface.
- Place in the fridge while you melt the topping.
- Break the dark chocolate into blocks and place in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave in 20 second increments, stirring in-between, until it is all melted and smooth.
- Smooth the melted chocolate over the brownie base and place in the fridge for it to harden, about 1 hour.
- Remove the brownies from the fridge and leave at room temperature for 5 minutes so it is easier to cut. Remove the brownies from the dish by pulling the baking paper overlays on each side.
- Slice into bars and serve.
- Store in the fridge.
Notes
- If you don’t have almonds you can use all walnuts for this recipe.
- If you use soft medjool dates, you will likely not need to add the water. I have only ever made these with dried dates.
){kind=link}