I learned something this week: Cocoa powder isn’t raw, it’s cooked. Therefore, just because a brownie isn’t baked like these fudgy beauties, doesn’t mean they’re truly raw. This, is good to know.
You see I’ve been learning a lot about whole foods lately. It all started with my stumbling upon Sprouted Kitchen where whole foods are tasty, and then ordering the Sprouted Kitchen cookbook. Since then I’ve been treating the thing like it’s my new foodie bible, because it is.
After that profound discovery came My New Roots, which I could rattle on about for hours. But for the sake of being concise, Sarah Britton is a whole foods genius and I want to shrink down to pocket size so I can ride around in her chef coat pocket and learn everything she knows about holistic cooking.
Think she’d mind? (OK, raise your hand if you think riding around in a little pocket would be super fun?!)
Sarah’s taught me a lot about food recently. How medjool dates are best, organic is worth budging for, and cocoa powder is not the same thing as cacao powder, just to name a few.
As Sarah explains, COCOA (koe-koe) powder is cooked which strips it of 90-some percent of its nutrients. However, raw CACAO (kuh-cow) powder, is rife with health benefits like calcium, iron and beta carotene. And it’s one of the top sources of magnesium found in nature.
So you see, cocoa and cacao are very different things, which is important to know if you’re shooting for optimum health like I am (trying to) these days.
Unfortunately I was not able to get my hands on raw cacao powder before making these no-bake fudgy brownies, so they are not technically raw. But, I have just placed an Amazon order for a bag today so the next time raw brownies appear on this blog they will be so healthy they’ll boast too many health benefits to count.
Oh goody.
But in the meantime, if you don’t have cacao powder you can make these brownies. And if you DO have cacao powder you can make them, too. Yours will just be healthier. But don’t go rubbing it in our faces or we’ll come and eat all your brownies. And how would you like that? Well, that’s what you get for gloating…
These brownies may not contain any butter, sugar or flour, but they are some of the best I’ve had. They are moist, rich, dense, full of intense chocolate flavor and a hint of espresso. The walnut chunks make it, in my opinion, but if they’re not your thing leave them out.
I’ve already eaten half the batch since making them last week and have another healthy recipe utilizing them coming up later in the week so stay tuned. You don’t want to miss this ooey gooey chocolatey treat.
- 1.5 cups raw walnuts, divided
- 1 cup raw unsalted almonds, roughly chopped
- 2 – 2½ cups Medjool or Deglet Nour dates, pitted
- ¾ cup cocoa powder OR raw cacao if you have it
- 1-2 tsp espresso powder or finely ground coffee (depending on preference)
- pinch sea salt
- Place 1 cup walnuts and 1 cup almonds in food processor and process until finely ground.
- Add the cocoa powder or cacao, espresso powder and sea salt. Pulse to combine and then transfer to bowl and set aside.
- Add the dates to the food processor and process until small bits remain. Remove from bowl and set aside.
- Add nut and cocoa mixture back into food processor and while processing, drop small handfuls of the date pieces down into the food processor spout. Process until a dough consistency is achieved, adding more dates if the mixture does not hold together when squeezed in your hand.
- Add the brownie mixture to a small parchment lined cake pan or loaf pan and add remaining ½ cup roughly roughly chopped walnuts. Toss to combine and evenly distribute, and then press down with you hands until it is flat and firm.
- Place in freezer or fridge to chill before cutting. Store in an airtight container to keep fresh. Will keep in the fridge for at least 2 weeks and in the freezer for at least 2 months.
adapted from My New Roots
E January 29, 2013 at 6:55 am
Kind of bummed that all the recent ones require a food processor!
Student living means my fanciest tool is an imersion blender. These look rad though! Any tips on not spending a fortune on medjool dates?
Jacklyn January 29, 2013 at 8:12 pm
Try stores with bulk bins! I get mine at Bulk Barn (Canadian) for a fraction of what they cost at grocery stores. My last 2 trips to the store I have not been able to find them so I sure hope this doesn’t mean they have stopped carrying them!
Dana January 30, 2013 at 8:45 pm
E, you can also just get deglet noor, which is about half the price of medjool. Hope that helps!
Becca January 29, 2013 at 7:42 am
Oh.My. If it wasn’t 5am, I would be ripping open my cabinet drawers to franticly grab all that is needed to make this recipe. My BFF gets into town today, so perhaps I DO have to run to the store in my skivvies to go pick up the dates (not pick up a “date” har har). Hopefully my stomach doesn’t take hold of my mind before I drop the kiddoes off at school. I am sure we will be sampling this tonight. Does this count as part of my January De-Tox? Maybe I need to push the whole de-tox thing to February. It IS a shorter month. PS: I also will be chuckling to myself all day about shrinking and riding around in a pocket.
Melanie Thomassian January 29, 2013 at 8:24 am
Oh I love the edits you’ve made to the original. I have tried out Sarah’s recipe a number of times, and it is always a hit in my home! But, I like what you’ve changed and will give this recipe a go next time. Thank you Dana! :)
De January 29, 2013 at 9:12 am
these look yummy and I’m not even a huge brownie fan lol the health factor could be what entices me about this. & I’ll always remember how to pronounce CACAO now thanks to this post :)
Stephanie January 29, 2013 at 9:15 am
I just recently discovered your site and I am in LOVE with your recipes…ok…I haven’t actually tried any of them yet…but, they look amazing and THIS one may get made today!!! One question – what size pan do you “squish” them into? Maybe it doesn’t matter, but, just thought I’d ask.
I, too, will be picturing you riding around in someone’s pocket today! My oldest son always wants to know what I would chose for my super-power and I always say “invisibility”. But, I may have to reconsider and chose “the ability to shrink or grow to any size”, cause that could just be fun!
Dana January 30, 2013 at 11:24 am
Stephanie, the size of the pan depends on how thick you want them. If you want them to be THICK use a loaf pan. If you want them to be thinner, use a 9×13. Hope that helps!
Leisa January 29, 2013 at 9:19 am
Wow, these look amazing! I love anything with dates, and combining that with chocolate…. heaven! Thank you!
Susan Pantle January 29, 2013 at 11:24 am
Looks like an interesting recipe. Not a date fan, but see how they could be good in this mixture!! Taking the date dive, will try!
Dana January 29, 2013 at 4:01 pm
Susan, I’m not particularly a date fan either, but they’re undetectable in this recipe! They merely add a natural sweetness and “stickiness” to the batter so they’ll bind. Hope you give them a try!
Averie @ Averie Cooks January 29, 2013 at 11:26 am
My very first blog post 4 years ago was raw vegan brownies with cocoa powder, walnuts, dates, and agave. It was quite the gem from a food photography perspective :) But the recipe still works. Love your brownies!
Kathryn January 29, 2013 at 1:53 pm
You’ll have to fight to evict me from Sarah’s pocket first! I feel like I’ve been learning a lot of similar things recently and I love it; it’s a whole new world and everything just seems so much more delicious. I normally make treats like these with oats so I’m super excited to see a recipe just using nuts. Definitely trying these!
McKenna Ryan January 29, 2013 at 3:56 pm
Mmmm! These look so delicious! And the walnuts look like the perfect touch. xx. McKenna Lou
Mariam January 29, 2013 at 3:59 pm
These look good but I can’t quite get my head around raw bownoes made with dates! Luckily for me though I’m Arab so we always have a huge bag of Medjool dates, so I just might give it a go!
Dana January 29, 2013 at 4:02 pm
Mariam, I’m not really a date fan either but they don’t have a strong taste in this recipe. They just add a sweetness and “stickiness” to the batter so they’ll bind. Hope you give them a try!
Mariam February 20, 2013 at 4:50 am
I actually bought a chocolate raw food bar made with dates and nuts just to taste and I loved it, so I’m really excited to try these and other energy balls made with dates!
Sarah January 29, 2013 at 5:17 pm
Have no fear of the dates! They taste almost like caramel when they are blended like this, and give raw brownies that perfect gooey texture. Great recipe!
Jacklyn January 29, 2013 at 8:17 pm
I’ve been following your blog for a while now and it never fails to make me laugh! I too would love to spend a day in Sarah’s pocket. If your looking for more “whole food” ideas here are 2 other blogs I love : http://www.foodbabe.com; http://www.ohsheglows.com
Dana January 29, 2013 at 10:17 pm
Thanks Jacklyn! So helpful. I was already familiar with oh she glows but will have to check out the other blog you mentioned. Glad I can bring a smile to your face :D
Michele January 29, 2013 at 11:35 pm
LOVE Sarah Britton! watch her ted talk :) she’s so stinking charming in addition to being just a wealth of knowledge. I love her.
thelittleloaf January 30, 2013 at 3:32 am
Isn’t Sara’s blog fabulous? I didn’t know about the difference between cocoa and cacao powder – am now fascinated to try the latter!
Kay January 30, 2013 at 10:11 am
This is the yummiest treat I’ve had in ages!! I don’t usually have a sweet tooth but this made me want to gobble the whole lot myself. Even the texture was spot on. Thank you.
Dana January 30, 2013 at 10:14 am
so glad you enjoyed them, Kay!
The Belvedere-Alyssa January 30, 2013 at 12:32 pm
Just found your blog- what a great space! Such lovely pictures and recipes. We also live our life in a ‘minimalist’ frame of mind when it comes to cooking- nice to find others who share the same thinking!
Dana January 30, 2013 at 8:49 pm
Love to find other “minimalists” along the way. Thanks for saying hello, Alyssa!
Amanda @ Once Upon a Recipe February 1, 2013 at 1:50 pm
Well you learn something new every day – thanks for the lesson! I love treats like this – very enjoyable without the unhealthy butter and sugar (but don’t get me wrong, I love butter and sugar). My food processor gave up on me last night (*sigh*) but as soon as it’s back in working order I’m going to give this recipe a try!
Jordyn February 3, 2013 at 6:41 pm
Hm… do you think this would work with prunes?
Jamieanne February 14, 2013 at 6:26 pm
I just made these yesterday as a healthier Valentine’s Day treat and wow, they were amazing! Even better than the real thing! Thanks for sharing! :)
hannah February 22, 2013 at 8:04 pm
MMmmm These look scrumpious. What brand of cacao powder do you use? I’m trying to find a good one.
Dana February 22, 2013 at 9:34 pm
I think this brand has been the best one I’ve seen so far, considering price. But I haven’t actually tried it yet – it just seemed to have the best reviews online.
Heather March 3, 2013 at 4:34 pm
I use the Navitas brand from Amazon as I am unable to purchase cacao powder locally. The Navitas brand is a superior tasting cacao powder, in my opinion. I’ve tried recipes calling for cacao, substituting cocoa because I didn’t have cacao powder at the time. Because of the cocoa’s bitterness, the recipe was overwhelming and I had to half the cocoa called for. I redid the recipe with cacao and the rich deep chocolatey flavor was right on. Cacao has a very rounded chocolate smell and taste to it. Cacao also tastes awesome in smoothies. it’s chocolate lover’s heaven! Even when I’m not making a raw recipe, I reach for my cacao powder first!
Mariam February 25, 2013 at 2:13 am
I tried a small batch of these, just kin
d of eye-balling it. Delicious! I tasted it before the espresso and salt and it was okay… Add the sea salt and espresoo, wooaah!
Ilana March 13, 2013 at 7:47 pm
Just made these for a ton of people- everyone loved them! Maybe would add a little more espresso next time, I couldn’t really taste it. And had a difficult time cleaning the dates out of my food processor- lots of scrubbing! But couldn’t believe how healthy these were, for next time, what espresso powder would you recommend? Love your site and recipes- I made your Vegan Apple Crisp tonight too!
meg March 19, 2013 at 2:29 pm
Love this! I have a persistent sweet tooth, and I’ve been looking for healthy ways to satisfy my after-dinner cravings. This is going on my short list of new favorite desserts!
Maria March 20, 2013 at 12:26 pm
I’m on a diet, but I think I’m going to make that brownie – it will be perfect for my chocolate craving (and in the same way I will not consume so much calories)!
Anais March 24, 2013 at 1:13 am
Love this! Best Gluten Free brownies I’ve tried. Thank you for this recipe!
Renee April 3, 2013 at 4:59 pm
The brownies look delicious! Great photography.
ALSO: cocoa and cacao are the same thing. Cocoa is a british slang derivative of the original cacahuatl. Even though cacahuatl is only an approximation of what the natives of central america called the cacao seeds.
AAAAND if cacao labeled “raw,” the term “raw” being unregulated, is not particularly raw at all. In fact, truly raw cacao is acrid and tastes like fermented socks. Even after fermentation (which can heat the cacao up and over 200 degrees Fahrenheit), the cacao, when unroasted, is not a tasty or particularly healthy treat. Unroasted cacao potentially carries pathogens/harmful bacteria which are usually killed in the roasting process.
Also, cacao is generally only lightly toasted, and no nutrients are destroyed during the roasting process.
Idk if it’s just David Wolfe’s “research” that got this whole raw cacao thing going, but please know: “raw” chocolate sold in stores is often exactly the same as roasted cacao, especially raw cocoa butter and powders.
Sounds sneaky. Because it is. Ok, there are some people who really believe that the cacao they are using to make their “raw” products is in fact truly raw. But, seriously, they have never actually interacted with the raw product right off of the tree. If they had they would understand the challenges of making cacao raw and still edible.
Thanks for letting me rant on this. I just think people should know.
Aura April 7, 2013 at 10:43 pm
I decided to whip this up for a visit with my sister-in-law in tomorrow. I soon realized I had only enough dates to make a half batch and worse they had dried out. Undaunted I soaked them in water for awhile then nuked them in the microwave in an effort to soften them. This worked… ish? It ended up taking over 30 minutes fiddling them in a magic bullet to get them chopped but I persevered! Then I realized my cocoa powder “may contain milk” (my sister-in-law is a strict vegan) so I used some vegan chocolate chips instead. The results taste A-MAZING!!
Except I think the dates might have gotten too moist or maybe the cocoa powder would have helped dry things out because when I scooped the results into the pan it was more like pudding. Is that normal pre-refrigeration phase?
Long story short, she just had to cancel so now I keep looking at the pan in the fridge and thinking maybe I should grab a spoon… but then I may never find out if they solidify in the fridge because I will probably eat the whole thing.
hanah April 26, 2013 at 8:40 pm
Made these tonight — ahhhmazing! Will definitely make these over & over again.