My friend Marcus from Eat Raw Vegan is a raw foodie with a passion for health and happiness. He made some remarkable raw vegan brownies topped with shredded coconut, and damn they were good (times two). His brownies were so good in fact that I’ve made them a few times with a few modifications to cater them to my taste (you can find the original recipe on Marcus’ blog at www.eatrawvegan.com). Thanks Marcus!
Maybe you’re thinking, “But are they as good as baked brownies?” Well, if you’re comparing it to the fudgy, gooey, butter-based mass of chocolate heaven that you’ve come to know as the typical brownie, that’s just not fair. But if you’re looking for a healthier alternative that’s delicious and good to the ol’ belly, this is it.
Here’s my take on the raw brownie, aptly re-named, Unbaked: The Brownie.
Real Men Eat Green
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups of hazelnuts, soaked in water overnight, drained and rinsed
8-10 pitted dates
1/2 cup of cacao powder (Dutch-pressed variety cocoa powder works too, although it’s not considered “raw” anymore because it’s roasted at a high temperature)
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and scraped, seeds reserved
pinch of salt
Directions:
1) Process the hazelnuts until coarsely ground.
2) Add the dates, vanilla bean, and salt. Process until dates are incorporated but there are still chunks of hazelnuts. Add water if you find it’s too dry or crumbly.
3) Spoon the mixture into a small cake pan and press down.
4) Top with shredded coconut or extra cacao and pop it in the fridge until your ready to serve your raw-some dessert.
(4.50 out of 5)
Very interesting. My only real experience with Raw food is the Pure bars I get at Trader Joe’s. I’d be curious to see how this would impact my blood sugar. I don’t get dessert much anymore these days, but I may try this just to see how it goes.
[...] Raw Vegan Brownies [...]
Hey PJ! You should definitely give it a try. It isn’t your typical brownie, but more like a cross between a brownie a fudge. The best thing is that all you need is a food processor. I’m a lazy cook…