Our recipe for these dark, chewy, crunchy, gluten-free, grain-free, refined sugar-free no-cook brownies consists of just a handful of ingredients, all of them raw and unprocessed. Our raw cheesecake base morphed into a brownie one day when I was sampling the base and came up with the idea of adding some thick, chunky walnut pieces, freezing the mass and then cutting it into small pieces to turn them into tasty brownies.
They are delicious on their own, straight from the freezer or serve them with a raw hot fudge sauce (recipe coming soon!).
Recipe tips
I like these brownies chewy and I have found that the best way to make them is to put them in the freezer for about two hours and then eat them straight away. They can also be refrigerated, but they will be slightly softer. If you eave them in the freezer for more then a couple of hours, let them stand at room temperature for a short while before serving.
Use a food processor to process your ingredients for best results.
Ingredients
120 g (1 1/3 c) walnuts
100 g (2/3 c) almonds
2 tbsp hazelnuts
125 g (1 c) medjool dates, or pre-soaked dry dates
4 tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 tbsp carob powder
Method
1. Pulse half of the walnuts in a blender until they are in small pieces, about the size of a pea. Transfer to a separate bowl and set aside.
3. Put the rest of the walnuts, the almonds and hazelnuts into the blender and pulse until finely ground.
4. Add dates, cocoa and carob and pulse briefly until all is combined.
5. Add small walnut pieces back to mixture and mix with a spoon until well combined.
6. Press into a small square or rectangular dish with a flat spatula, until evenly spread. The brownies should be at least 1.5cm thick, so if your dish is large you can just use half of it.
7. Cover and chill in the freezer for two hours, then take out, cut up into small squares and serve alone or with a hot fudge sauce (recipe coming soon).
8. Refrigerate leftover brownies in a sealed box.
Preparation: 10 min (plus 8 hrs soaking time, plus 2 hrs chilling time) | Cooking time: – min | Servings: 20
I made a double batch of these and individually wrapped them for quick treats during the week. I love them frozen as suggested! The chunky nut bits lend a satisfying texture and remind me of the feel of a chocolate chunk/chip piece in a traditional brownie (have always loved my brownies cold and chewy!). I did substitute pecans for walnuts (my little one has a walnut allergy) and organic dates rolled in coconut for the soaked dates (added a bit of water for the right moisture content) and they came out perfectly. Great recipe!