Summer is finally here and the berries at our local farmers market are ripe, juicy and gorgeous! A 4th of July celebration wouldn't be complete without a little edible red, white and blue so what better way than to use fresh berries for a healthful celebration! These brownies are what I'm bringing to the party! They are fudgy, chewy, rich and delicious and better than any other brownie I've ever eaten! The base is made of raw oat flour which lends a rich and cake like consistency to these little bites of heaven. I usually serve these brownies topped with chocolate frosting (recipe below) but for the holiday spirit, I opted for a rich and creamy (and white) raw coconut frosting. Decorating with fruit is always so much fun and a wonderful way to let your personality and creativity flourish. If you are making these brownies any other day of the year, use whatever fruit you love most and have fun with it! I hope you guys enjoy them as much as my family did!
For the Brownies:
- 1 cup raw almonds
- 1 cup raw pecans
- 2 cup ground oats (grind oats in a coffee grinder for a smooth, fine powder)
- 2 3/4 cup medjool dates, pitted, chopped
- 3/4 cup raw cacao powder
- 1 tsp. sea salt
- 4-6 Tbsp. water, more as needed
- about 1 cup of blueberries for garnish
- about 1 cup sliced strawberries for garnish
- mint (optional garnish)
- 6 Tbsp. coconut oil, melted
- 3 Tbsp. coconut nectar or maple syrup
- 3 Tbsp. raw cacao powder
- pinch of sea salt
- 1/3 tsp. vanilla extract
- Flesh of one to two young coconuts (how to open a coconut)
- 3 dates, pitted, chopped OR 1/4 cup raw coconut nectar OR 3 Tbsp. maple syrup
- 1/4 cup raw cashew flour (grind cashews in coffee grinder to make flour)
- 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup coconut water
- Take all brownie ingredients and add to a food processor fitted with the "S-type" blade. Process until well combined and a brownie like texture is achieved. If the batter looks dry, add more water.
- Press the batter into a square 8x8 pan lined with parchment paper or plastic wrap (for easy removal) and refrigerate while you make the coconut whipped cream and/or chocolate frosting.
- If using chocolate frosting: In a small bowl, add all ingredients for chocolate frosting and mix until smooth. Remove the brownies from the refrigerator and pour liquid chocolate ganoche on top. Be careful to keep the pan level so that the chocolate layer remains even. Cover and place back in the refrigerator.
- Allow brownies to firm up for about 1 to 2 hours before cutting. Once cut, you can place in the dehydrator for about 10 -30 minutes to warm slightly. I prefer them room temperature so I'll set the plate on the counter for about 15 minutes before enjoying.
- Add all ingredients to a food processor or vitamix and blend. If using a food processor, you'll have to stop occasionally and scrape the sides as this method takes a tad more blending time. Process until your whipped cream is smooth and luxurious.
- If you decided to sweeten up the mix by adding the chocolate frosting, then you can serve as they are. Or you can decorate with the coconut whipped cream. Today, I opted for a less sweet and more healthful version of the brownies so I omitted the chocolate frosting. Instead, I added the coconut whipped cream to the brownies once they were set (about an hour in the freezer) and then topped with berries. It was incredibly fun to decorate in the holiday spirit!
Happy 4th of July!! What better way to celebrate independence day than with a colorful reminder that food freedom is intimately bound to our personal freedom! I relish in our freedom to choose healthy, organic and even uncooked foods!! I choose to celebrate my independence from the Standard American Diet while supporting the freedom of all four-legged, feathered, and scaled Earthlings! I hope everyone had a safe, healthy, and joy-filled celebration with family and friends!
Thank you for stopping by to read this blog; reader support makes my day!! I hope you guys love these brownies as much as we do!
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