Raw brownies with frosting
For now, this is the last of my recipes featuring avocados. Avocados? These are brownies?! I’ll forgive you if you are confused, but stick with me!
One of the many fantastic things with vegan and raw cooking is all the cool, new ways you learn to use different foods and ingredients. My previous brownie recipe had black beans in them, and this one has avocado in the frosting! You read right – avocado frosting! So yet again, this is a great recipe that you can make for people and ask them to guess the “secret ingredient”.
My other avocado recipes have been a huge hit with people on Instagram and Facebook, but there were a couple people who admitted that they didn’t like avocados. I know, scandalous! But if you know one of those people, this is definitely the recipe to win them over!
In addition to being vegan, this recipe is also free from gluten and refined sugar. You could even say that this is a healthy dessert, and how often is that possible? The two main components in the brownies themselves are walnuts and dates. Walnuts are packed with all sorts of vitamins and nutrients and are said to be the king of nuts, with more antioxidants than any other type. Not to be outdone by the walnuts, dates have been called the healthiest sweetener on the planet!
There’s also a fair amount of raw cacao powder in these – both in the brownie and the frosting. And yes, again, it’s so good for you! Raw cacao can help lower your blood pressure and promote cardiovascular health. Cacao has the greatest amount of magnesium and chromium of any food! And since magnesium is often one of the minerals that the average person is most deficient in, that’s great. In fact, all of the compounds in raw cacao can help you lead a longer and healthier life. What’s even more incredible, in all the countless studies done of raw cacao, not one showed any negative health effects of eating it!
So, now you’ve got yourselves a deliciously easy, dessert recipe that’s just about as healthy as they come! Raw brownies with frosting – full of walnuts, dates, raw cacao and avocado!
Ingredients
-
Brownie base
- 1 cup (2.4 dl) – walnuts
- 1 cup (2.4 dl) – pitted dates or date paste
- ½ cup (1.2 dl) – cacao powder
- 1 Tbsp (15 ml) – cacao butter* Frosting
- 1½ avocados
- 2 Tbsp (30 ml) – agave syrup*
- 3 Tbsp (30-45 ml) – cacao powder
- 2 tsp (10 ml) – vanilla extract*
- 1 Tbsp (15 ml) – coconut oil
- Top with sea salt
Instructions
Brownie base- Add the walnuts to a blender and mix until you have a fine powder. Then add the rest of the brownie ingredients and mix until you have an even consistency. You may need to stop and poke around in your blender a few times.
- I then lined a 6 x 8 inch glass pan (ca 16x 20 cm) with baking paper. Use a rubber spatula or spoon to scrape out the "dough" and push it into the pan. The baking paper will allow you to more easily get everything out of the pan in one piece, and cut it into smaller pieces after.
- It's easier to mix the frosting in a small bowl instead of using the blender. Mash the avocado first, then add the other frosting ingredients and mix well. Spread on top of the brownies and store in the refrigerator for 30 mins to an hour. Take out, sprinkle some sea salt on top, cut into smaller pieces and serve!
Additional Info
*Cacao butter needs to be warmed before you can work with it, and then it hardens again when it cools. That it makes it great for making the brownies more solid, but it isn't completely necessary.
*Not so long ago I came across some caramel agave. It's the kind I used in this recipe, and man is that stuff good. So keep your eyes open for some!
*If liquid vanilla extract isn't that common where you live, or if you simply prefer vanilla powder, you only need to use about 1tsp (5 ml) of powder, so it shouldn't affect the consistency too much.
Sarah April 27, 2016 (7:47 pm)
not sure which ingredients to add in when
Chris April 28, 2016 (2:10 pm)
Hi Sarah, I’ve made everything much clearer now. Don’t know where my head was when I first wrote those instructions, but I hope it’s better now. And thanks for writing!
Michelle April 27, 2016 (11:07 pm)
What does the asterisk mean?
Chris April 28, 2016 (1:54 pm)
Hi Michelle, Only that there was more about this under Additional Info 🙂 Sorry for the confusion.
Kayrock April 28, 2016 (5:11 am)
This recipe sounds delicious, however I think you should specify where the ingredients stop for the brownies and where they begin for the frosting.. If that makes sense. Or do all of the ingredients just go in the actual brownie!? Would love to know!
Chris April 28, 2016 (1:56 pm)
Hi and thanks for writing! You’re the second person to point this out so that definitely needs fixing 🙂 Now I’ve separated and labeled the brownie/frosting ingredients and instructions hope that helps!
Kris April 28, 2016 (9:30 pm)
How much powder does the 1cup of walnuts make? Could you recommend a substitute (maybe coconut flour?…) for those with a walnut allergy?
Chris April 28, 2016 (11:50 pm)
Hi Kris, that’s a tough one. This may sound like a silly question, but are you allergic to peanuts too? I was just reading about how people that are allergic to peanuts are often not allergic to other nuts, and vice versa. If you have a good blender you could try throwing some pumpkin seeds in and seeing how fine you can get them. I’ve also heard of people using buckwheat. If you do try any of these, or the coconut flour, please let me know how they turn out. And good luck!
annisa May 5, 2016 (12:59 am)
Agave syrup? I never see it before and cacao butter? What is it look like? Can i substitute with something else?
Chris May 5, 2016 (8:53 am)
Hi, agave syrup is often used to replace honey in vegan cooking (or raw NOT cooking 🙂 ) You could use maple syrup, rice syrup, or even molasses – though blackstrap molasses will have an effect on the flavor since it’s a bit richer and darker. The cacao butter is optional. I like it because it’s solid at room temperature, so by warming it and letting it cool, it holds raw desserts together really well. You could use some almond butter, some extra walnuts or just leave it out. Hope that helps!
Suzanne June 22, 2016 (9:51 pm)
This recipe is amazing! I invested in some cacao butter and it was well worth it as they hold together beautifully. I also substituted agave for maple syrup. Fabulous. Thank you so much.
Chris June 23, 2016 (12:38 am)
Hi Suzanne! That’s so great to hear – thanks for writing and letting me know 🙂 And yeah, maple syrup is great too!
Cecelia July 5, 2016 (6:51 pm)
This recipe is amazing and super easy. I used Coconut nectar for the agave, etc. The frosting is a bit too soft for transporting, will try a tad more coconut oil next time. (refined or unrefined?) and maybe a spoon or two less avocado. I also use all organic ingredients. How long will this keep in the Fridge?
Chris July 5, 2016 (8:14 pm)
Hi Cecelia, I’m so glad you like it! I also like to use coconut blossom nectar sometimes 🙂 And yes, transporting it can be tricky. I can’t really say how long they keep for because any time I make them they disappear SO quickly! But I guess they’d be fine for a couple of days, if covered.