We’ve been having a total love affair with these raw brownies for the past couple weeks. A little nibble here, a little nibble there. I’m actually amazed that they’ve lasted this long, but just a small square is enough to satisfy my chocolate cravings. That’s how you know a chocolate dessert is the real deal. Plus, if the dancing in my belly is any indication, they are a big hit.
Lately, our evenings go something like this: We put on the hockey game (we’re avidly following both the Pens and Habs series which is basically another full time job) and I’m on my laptop doing some nursery planning as I scream at the TV. Eric is searching the freezer for these brownies. Nursery planning leads me to the uneasy discovery that I have zero home décor ability (not to mention decision making skills), but I still hold onto the hope that I can turn the room into the DIY nursery of my dreams. I curse those picture perfect rooms on Pinterest as I eat my brownie and watch hockey. Eric reassures me that the dresser we picked up at the second hand store is going to be transformed into something amazing for the baby’s room. I’ve always wanted to be a crafty goddess, so now I’m excited to start this project and see what I’m really made of.
And O.M.G., these brownies. This raw brownie dough is made up with protein-packed hemp hearts, walnuts, Medjool dates, raw cacao powder (cocoa powder works too!), vanilla, and Himalayan sea salt. Just throw it into the food processor and voila. To add some crunch, I pulsed in some cacao nibs and chopped walnuts. The crunch is essential! The result is a chocolaty brownie-like dough all without the using the oven, flour, sugar, or butter.
But I didn’t stop with the brownie dough. Of course not. Go big or go home. I poured on homemade chocolate for a second layer. The chocolate hardens into a thick shell, giving these brownies a wonderful snappy texture – best enjoyed straight from the freezer. The contrast of the firm chocolate shell and the chewy brownie is just heaven!
This recipe is quite versatile though so have fun playing around with it. I imagine you could make several different variations on these just by changing the nuts/seeds, extracts, topping, etc.
Featuring all new, protein-packed salads, hearty toppers, flavour boosters, and dressings you'll want to drink, my new cookbook will transform the way you think about salads. Oh, and be sure to flip to the back for a surprise dessert chapter!
Two-Layer Raw Chocolate Brownies
Yield
12 squares
Prep time
Cook time
0 minutes
Chill time
30 minutes
Total time
Who knew fudgy, decadent brownies could be so packed with protein, omega-3 fatty acids, fibre, and antioxidants? Don’t let the healthy, wholesome ingredients fool you though; these no-bake brownies will blow your mind with their intense chocolatey flavour and satisfyingly dense, chewy texture. Recipe inspired by Sweet Talk Blog.
Ingredients
For the brownies:
- 1 cup (100 g) walnut pieces
- 1/2 cup (70 g) hemp hearts
- 1 1/2 cups (275 g) lightly packed pitted Medjool dates*
- 1/2 cup (40 g) raw cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons (7.5 mL) pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 to 3 teaspoons (5 to 15 mL) water, or as needed
- 1/3 cup (33 g) chopped walnuts
- 2 tablespoons (18 g) raw cacao nibs or chopped walnuts
For the homemade chocolate:
- 1/2 cup (125 mL) virgin coconut oil**
- 1/2 cup (40 g) raw cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup (60 mL) pure maple syrup
- Pinch fine sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Sliced fresh strawberries, for garnish (optional)
Directions
- Line a 9x5-inch loaf pan (or an 8-inch square pan for thinner brownies) with a piece of parchment paper, leaving some overhang to remove the brownies in one piece.
- Place 1 cup of walnuts into a food processor and process to a fine crumb. Be careful not to overprocess, as too much break-down will turn the walnuts into butter.
- To the food processor, add the hemp seeds and pitted dates and process until finely chopped and sticky.
- Add the cacao powder (or cocoa powder, if using), vanilla, and salt and process until thoroughly combined. The dough should be slightly sticky; if it’s not, add water one teaspoon at a time and process the mixture again. I often add 1 to 3 teaspoons of water to achieve the right consistency.
- Add the 1/3 cup walnuts and 2 tablespoons raw cacao nibs (or additional chopped walnuts if using), and pulse the batter until just combined.
- Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan and spread it out evenly. If you have a pastry roller on hand, you can use it to roll the dough until smooth on top. Otherwise, simply press the dough down with your hands and ensure the edges are even. Place the pan in the freezer for about 10 minutes.
- Prepare the homemade chocolate: Melt the coconut oil over low heat in a medium pot. Remove the pot from the heat and whisk in the cacao powder (or cocoa powder, if using), syrup, salt, and vanilla until smooth and thoroughly combined.
- Remove the brownies from the freezer and pour on all of the chocolate topping. Carefully transfer the pan back to the freezer and let rest on a flat, even surface. Chill uncovered for at least 20 minutes, or until the topping is firm enough to slice. You might find the homemade chocolate will freeze a bit unevenly, but this is normal!
- To remove the brownies, run a knife under hot water for a minute or so and carefully slide it along the ends of your pan to loosen the slab. Using the excess parchment paper, lift the brownie slab out of the pan and place it onto a cutting board. Run the knife under hot water again and wipe off excess water. Pressing the knife down slowly, slice the brownies into squares. Top with strawberries, if using.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for several days, or tightly wrapped and frozen for 1 to 2 months. You can enjoy the brownies frozen, chilled from the fridge, or at room temp...your choice! I personally love them semi-frozen.
Tip:
* You’ll want to use soft, fresh Medjool dates for this recipe to ensure your batter is sticky enough. If your dates are firm, try soaking them in water for 30 to 60 minutes—drain well and use as directed.
** Instead of the homemade chocolate topping, you can melt 3/4 cup non-dairy chocolate chips in a small pot over the lowest heat, stirring until smooth.
Would banana be an appropriate sub for the dates?
OH MY GOODNESS!!!!!! I just made these and they are HEAVEN ON EARTH!!! I was a little unsure of myself when I first began making them as I tend to have bad luck when it comes to any sort of “no bake” recipes. But these….these are absolutely divine. I have a super cheap blender, but I was still able to mix everything together by blending only a tiny bit at a time (took a while, but was well worth it!) I am so blown away by this recipe, the fact that it has no refined sugar, no flour, is completely raw, 100% deliciousness and EVEN GOOD FOR YOU! Sorry for all the yelling….I’m just really excited over this :) Thank you for sharing with with the world!
After making these the first time I have to have some of these in my freezer all the time! These are my go to chocolate treat and I have made them with pecans when I ran out of walnuts and they are just as delicious! Thanks so much for allowing me to have a guilt free treat to satisfy my cravings and still feel healthy!
Question, Does anyone know what is a good replacement for hemp seeds if it’s not readily available/accessible? Thanks :)
I WAS ABLE TO MAKE THESE IN MY OWN HOUSE WITHOUT AN OVEN, AND WITHOUT A WORKING FOOD PROCESSOR! It was a bit of a pain, but I used my blender for the walnuts and hemp seeds, and then mixed in the dates with my KitchenAid stand mixer with the beater attachment… it still worked! Mine are pretty gooey, probably because I didn’t drain the dates well enough, and I even used 1/3 raw cacao in the base, instead of the 1/2c, and they are still BEYOND delicious! I cut them into itty bitty, teeny tiny squares, and you are absolutely correct: a tiny dab will do ya. Even my super-finicky parents love these! I say: WINNER.
These are awesome! Made mine with raw almonds and sunflower seeds and reduced the amount of maple syrup. A small bite goes a long way as they are very dense and chocolatey. I’ve left mine in the freezer to make it more work to get to!
I have always been a huge fan of all your recipes, but this one is my favourite by far! They are easy to make and taste soooo yummy! I make these all the time, they are my go to dessert! Thanks for sharing such an amazing recipe!
These brownies are fabulous! I keep a batch in the freezer to grab whenever I need an immediate chocolate fix! Tonight I made your ‘Almost Instant Chocolate Chia Pudding’ and spread some of it on top of the brownie, it made a great smooth and chewy chocolate treat in 1! Love your recipes and your blog!
Just made these again for about the tenth time–I think they might be my favorite recipe from this blog! Definitely make the top chocolate layer, that “snap” takes it over the top.
Hello, fellow Habs fan! Thank you for sharing this recipe, as a die hard fan of chocolate, I will definitely give it a try! I love your granola bar recipe and the banana bread muffin tops (and my kids too, by the way!).
I ALWAYS see recipes calling for a food processor, but I don’t have one and they’re really expensive. Is there anything I can substitute it for..like a smoothie blender?
I’m a total brownie addict! I have the perfect caramel sauce to top these brownies with. Thank you for the inspiration.
Just made these! So tasty. I subbed non-dairy chocolate chips for the homemade chocolate sauce because I was lazy. Loved the crunch from the cacao nibs. Another great recipe, Angela!
These are so good it’s verging on ridiculous! Haha
I can’t believe how much they taste like regular brownies — even right out of the freezer! No need to even wait for them to thaw like most raw desserts. And so many healthy ingredients. Having these in the freezer as a healthy and satisfying treat when needed is the best!
Hi Angela, what a delicious recipe! I had to make the brownies twice this week—my family and colleagues loved them so much! Keep up the good work!
Thank you so much for sharing this with us!!
I have just made this substituting the hemp seeds with linseed (hempseed are really hard to find here in Australia) that I have finely ground and it is fabulous!!
Am going to take it and share it on a metta retreat this weekend.
So very appropriate… this is definitely loving-kindness in a square!!
Xx
Anyway I could make this fit a 16×9 pan?
Hi Malik,
The brownies turned out very thin in a 9″ square pan. I don’t think it would work as you would have to double the recipe.
Couple days ago made it and I must say it was best brownies I have ever had! Even my picky kids loved it! I was eating brownies for breakfast, lunch and snacking in between. Got everything ready for making more today. Thank you for sharing such goodies!
Hi Angela, I made these this past weekend to bring to a dinner party and they totally blew me and the other guests away. Both the flavor and texture are, like, droolworthy good. Not just “good for a raw dessert” – I’d probably rather have these than any baked brownies I’ve made. And yet, because they’re so wholesome I feel satisfied after just having one small square. It’s almost too good to be true. Seriously this is now one of my favorite desserts I’ve ever made. I’ll start buying walnuts and hemp in bulk now ;]
Thank you so much for the wonderful recipe :)
Oh my gosh! I just made these delightful brownies. So good!!! Great recipe to make in the summer as well (not using the oven is nice).
I recently bought your cookbook and I am having fun trying out different vegan recipes. I decided to make this recipe instead of the one in the cookbook because it has no sugar!!!! A guilt free treat to curb my sweet tooth.