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RAW . VEGAN . GLUTEN FREE . NUT-FREE VERSION
Gooey, superfood chocolate brownie cake topped with luscious avocado cream frosting.
One of my personal favourites, and most popular recipes finally up on the blog!
I love this no-bake chocolate brownie, made from raw cacao powder, rich in magnesium, and topped with a mouthwatering vegan "buttercream" frosting.
The surprising ingredient in the frosting is avocado, which is used in the place of eggs butter and cream in some raw and vegan dishes. It's also a great way to add some healthy fat, phytonutrients and calories into your diet in the form of whole food, and without the damaging effects.
And it's a natural anti-inflammatory!
Check out what Dr Gregor of NutritionFacts.org has to say "...ingestion of the whole food avocado, which has the same energy density and similar amount of saturated fat (as ice-cream), did not produce the same oxidative or inflammatory activity."
A delicious, and much healthier, way to enjoy chocolate gets my vote every time.
This super food brownie is very freezer friendly, so you can slice it and keep it for when you want to impress a friend over morning coffee!
INGREDIENTS FOR THE CAKE
2 cups / 200 g Walnuts (see nut-free alternatives below)
10-12 soft pitted Medjool Dates (if dates are too dry soak in warm/hot water 30 mins, drain)
1/2 cup Cacao Powder
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
Pinch fine Sea Salt / Himalayan Salt
INGREDIENTS FOR THE "BUTTERCREAM" FROSTING
1 ripe Avocado
1/2 cup Cacao Powder
1/2 cup Maple Syrup
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
Pinch fine Sea Salt / Himalayan Salt
1 tbsp melted Coconut Oil
METHOD
1. Grind the walnuts down to small crumbs in a food processor, about 20 seconds.
2. Add in the rest of the base ingredients and grind again until everything is well mixed and sticks together when pressed between your fingers. Stop the machine periodically and scrape the sides down with a spatula.
3. Transfer to a shallow square or rectangle baking tin roughly 8 x 5 inches, or similar, lined with cellophane or greaseproof paper. Spread the mixture out evenly using the spatula, and begin to press it down firmly and evenly. Pop this in the fridge or freezer while you make the frosting.
4. Wipe out the bowl of the food processor before making the frosting, but no need to wash.
5. Process the maple syrup, avocado, vanilla and salt to a smooth paste. Use your spatula again to scrape the sides down, and turn the blades around to check underneath where there might be slivers of avocado flesh.
6. Add in the cacao powder and process again to form a smooth and creamy texture. Make sure all the avocado is well incorporated.
7. Lastly add the melted coconut oil and process for a few seconds more.
8. Spread the buttercream over the top of the base evenly, and return to the fridge. Allow this to set for at least 2 hours before slicing. Or pop in the freezer for an hour or so to get a really good, clean slice.
Delicious served dusted with extra cacao powder, some fresh strawberries or raw banana ice-cream as a dessert! (recipe coming soon)
ALTERNATIVE TO WALNUTS
Oats - Replace the nuts with 1 1/4 cup of Oats. Grind these to a rough flour before adding the other ingredients.
Hulled Hemp Seeds - Replace the nuts with 1 1/4 cups hulled hemp seeds. No need to grind down before adding the other ingredients.
ALTERNATIVES TO RAW CACAO POWDER
Carob powder or good quality cocoa powder (not drinking chocolate!)
TIPS
The brownies will store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
You can freeze for up to one month. Slice before freezing. Take out what you need and defrost in the fridge for an hour or two or at room temp.