I know I know – big claim. But seriously, this was such a treat. Raw brownies have always been one of my favourite raw sweet treats, they are so simple to make and holy wowzers they’re just amazing. I made these ‘for my partner’ but really, I think I devoured them all on my own. He went to seek one out the other day, and only found crumbs. Well, survival of the fittest, as I like to say! He snoozes, he loses!
I usually use walnuts in brownies because I find they pair so magically with cacao, but the pecans are soft and buttery and taste a bit lighter. I have a bit of a thing for orange so threw in the zest of an entire one – and although I had picked a fresh bunch of thyme I forgot to add it in – but I promise you that if you’re feeling adventurous, orange, chocolate and thyme are a dream combo – do it!
Make sure you take care to not over blend the pecans at the start, they will crumble very quickly and you don’t want a nut butter. Also – add the cacao nibs right at the end and you’ll get a really good crunch factor in there.
The coconut frosting was a happy experiment, it’s really light and fluffy. And lastly – take some time to slice and dehydrate some orange pieces, then dunk them in raw or melted dark chocolate. Amaze.
If you make these over the weekend, take a snap and tag me @ascensionkitchen
so I can share them on instagram.
Lx
The Best Raw Brownies. Ever.
Ingredients
BROWNIE:
- 3 cups pecans
- 3/4 cup coconut threads
- 1/4 cup cacao powder
- 1/4 cup almond meal
- 18 medjool dates approx. 320g
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt
- 1/4 cup cacao nibs
- Zest of one orange
FROSTING:
- 1 cup coconut threads
- 1/2 cup coconut water
- 1/4 cup100% pure maple syrup
- 4 dates soaked and pitted
- 2 tablespoons cacao powder
- Pinch of fine sea salt
DEHYDRATED ORANGE:
- One orange
- Dark chocolate
Instructions
BROWNIE:
- Pulse the pecans in a food processor for about 10 seconds.
- Add the coconut threads and pulse again for another 10 seconds.
- Add the cacao powder, almond meal and salt and pulse once more.
- While the motor is running, add the dates one by one till a dough has formed.
- Add the cacao nibs and orange zest last and pulse just to combine – you want to keep the nibs nice and crunchy.
- Transfer to an 8 inch lined cake tin and pat down evenly.
FROSTING:
- Add the coconut threads to a high powered blender and blitz till they become nice and powdery.
- Add all other ingredients and blend till very smooth and creamy (this may take up to a minute or more).
- Smooth over the brownie base and set in the freezer.
DEHYDRATED ORANGE:
- Slice an orange very finely then cut each round into halves. Dehydrate at 115˚F till dry.
- Melt some dark chocolate gently and dunk each piece of dried orange in halfway.
- Rest them on baking paper and pop in fridge to set.
- Once you’ve cut you’re brownie up, add a piece of orange to each square and serve.
Nutrition
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Medjool dates are horrifically expensive here. Are regular dates ok?
Yes of course – use about 320g and soak them for about five mins in hot or boiling water to soften them up, drain them first and they should be fine 🙂
What are coconut threads? Is it the same as coconut shreds or desiccated coconut? Or is it coconut meat? I can’t wait to make these! Yum! 🙂
They are just longer strands of desiccated coconut – you can interchange them – I just happened to have those in the cupboard. Enjoy 🙂