Before I continue, this is a community service announcement: If you are considering (or may one day consider) a raw food diet, or if you have just started eating raw, bookmark this post NOW! This raw chocolate brownie with its can’t-believe-it’s-avocado frosting will save your sanity.
In all seriousness, I’m just a few days shy of completing my first week of eating raw but I already had to bust this move. The raw food diet is pretty full-on and I’m not even going the vegan route in this journey. I got to Day 4 and there was an urgent need to have something that resembled food that I once had… on the other side…
Don’t get me wrong. I am actually enjoying the detoxifying benefits of eating raw so far (much needed after the sugary, alcoholic onslaught that is December) but we all have our cravings at the end of the day. Unfortunately, the raw food diet doesn’t leave you a lot of decadent options to indulge in when the mood takes you.
Fortunately I discovered the amaaazing Carawmel Slice (by local raw food wizards Rawsome) when I visited Manna Wholefoods earlier in the week and I knew then that I’d make it through the next two weeks of raw food eating if I had exceptionally delicious desserts like that to look forward to each day. I proceeded to hunt around for easy raw dessert recipes online and I happened upon the raw chocolate brownie. A great place to start!
Most recipes I found for raw brownies had the same base ingredients but I went along with the recipe posted by Hannah at Wayfaring Chocolate whose enthusiasm for this brownie really sold it to me. She was definitely on to something special!
My verdict? Even if I wasn’t eating raw, I would make this brownie again in a heartbeat. This is simply a luscious, uncooked slice of nirvana. I think however I would use less cacao powder and possibly make a paste out of the dates before making the ‘dough’. I’ll update this post if I can offer a different version to this brownie. Otherwise, this recipe will seriously make the world a great place again when you’re on that raw food downer.
- 1 cup (110g) walnuts (or pecans, macadamia)
- 1 cup (150g) medjool dates, pitted
- ⅓ cup (30g) raw cacao powder
- 1 ripe avocado (pick one that is gives easily when pressed, no harder)
- 40ml rice malt syrup or preferred sweetener (I used a bit of honey)
- 2 tbsp raw cacao powder
- ½ vanilla pod, scraped
- pinch of salt
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- Place walnuts, dates and cacao into TMX bowl and blitz on Speed 6 for 10 seconds. You should see a mixture that resembles potting mix. If not, blitz again on Speed 6 for a few more seconds.
- Pour mixture into a small cake or brownie pan (lined if preferred) and using the back of a large spoon or something similarly flat, press down on the mixture until compressed. Set aside.
- Clean TMX bowl (not necessary but it will ensure frosting is smooth) and place avocado, syrup/honey, cacao, vanilla, salt and cinammon into TMX bowl. Mix on Speed 4 for 5 seconds. Scrape down side of bowl and blitz again for same time frame. Repeat until you do not see the green of the avocado anywhere and the frosting is largely smooth.
- Spread frosting over the top of the first mixture, cover pan with wrap and place in freezer for at least an hour to set.
- Remove from fridge and cut into slices. Allow to get to room temperature before serving, or store remainder in fridge.
- According to Hannah, the brownies can remain in the freezer without actually freezing (almost no water content in the brownies!) so only remove when ready to eat :)
10 Comments for this entry
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Hurrah! I’m so glad you loved these too! They’re such magic :)
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They are indeed! I just ran out so will probably make another batch even if I ease off on raw foods. It’s that good! :)
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This looks so decadent and amazing! I’m not on a raw food diet but I would love to give it a go :)
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Thanks. I actually plan on making this again soon even though I’m no longer eating raw. It was that good!
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Hi There
Thanks so much for your amazing recipe.
Do you think I could substitute cacao powder with protein powder instead? I was thinking of using this: http://helpforfitness.com.au/collections/optimum-nutrition/products/100-gold-whey-protein instead of cacao as my local supermarket did not have cacao powder.
Please let me know if you have tried this.
Other than that, your recipe looks AMAZING! I will try it very soon.. xo
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Thanks for visiting :) I’m glad you went ahead and tried it with the whey protein. I couldn’t imagine it not working out since the recipe doesn’t involve heat. If the formula uses a nice cocoa for flavour, you’re not missing out on taste either although if you do find raw cacao some time, do give it a go. The taste is very pure :)
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These look so amazing…the list of ingredients makes me shudder (CALORIES) but the thing actually sounds (almost) healthy. I will definitely try this, or at least try the chocolate avocado frosting sometime soon…it looks so…wow. And easy, too!
Oh! And thank you for the retrun visit, by the way! :)
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You should try! I didn’t do a full calorie count but I think you’ll find the avocado frosting to be lower in calories than a butter/shortening based frosting. You can’t eat too much of these brownies either as they’re quite filling and rich. Loved the concept of a comic diary blog! Looking forward to next instalment :)
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I made it! Fully hand chopped though, so it took a little bit longer than it was supposed to. XD It’s amazing! I especially didn’t expect the sweetness to turn out so well.
Unfortunately I ruined the second batch by running out of honey, so the oily avocado taste was quite strong…oh well. The first batch was great!
I’d like to link to Hanna’s recipe (will ask permission first) and yours on my blog, is that all right? And…would it be okay if I used your “I-can’t-believe-it’s-avocado” quote as my post title, with a proper reference to you? :x If not, that’s okay of course. It’s your text! -
So glad you tried it! I think chopping by hand is ok and would make a more chunky brownie :D Sounds good to me!
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Hannah
January 18th, 2013 on 8:12 am