Raw Walnut Almond Brownies

These raw brownies, inspired by the My New Roots blog are rich, fudgy and incredibly decadent, and they take just minutes to make. They'd make a great addition to a holiday party spread and are good enough that even your non-vegan and wary-of-raw-food friends will want seconds. I always love to bring healthy desserts to parties because then I know I've got a treat that I want to eat. Plus it's fun to introduce people to the delicious possibilities of raw foods!

Raw Walnut Almond Brownies

• 2 cups raw organic walnuts, soaked and dried*
• 2 ½ cups Medjool dates, pitted
• 1 cup raw cacao
• 1 cup raw unsalted almonds, soaked and dried* 
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. sea salt

• food processor

Place walnuts in food processor and pulse until the nuts are finely ground. Be careful not to over blend or you will end up with nut butter!

Add the cacao, cinnamon and salt. Pulse to combine.

Add the dates one at a time through the feed tube of the food processor while it is running until the mixture becomes cohesive. The dough will look crumbly but should hold together well when pressed. If the mixture doesn't stick together, add more dates.

Roughly chop the almonds. Combine the brownie dough and the almonds in a large bowl and mix together (the best way is to knead them in by hand). Press into a cake pan or mold lined with parchment paper. Place in freezer or fridge for 30 minutes to firm up before cutting.  Garnish with a few pinches of cacao powder sifted over the top. 

*It's always best to soak your nuts. Place them in a bowl with filtered water for 8 hours or overnight, then dry them in a dehydrator or in the oven at the lowest temperature possible. Read more about it here.


Some fun variations to try:

• substitute the almonds for some chopped pistachios and add a handful of dried cherries
• add a tablespoon of orange or lemon zest, a few drops of orange oil, plus 1/4 cup of cacao nibs
• stir in some toasted coconut flakes, a pinch of cardamom powder and the seeds from a vanilla bean
• get really sneaky and add a few tablespoons of vitamineral green or other green powder