Inside Scoop: Chocolate lovers, listen up! These delicious Raw Cacao Brownies with Maca & Chocolate Ganache are the solution to your chocolate cravings.
This recipe was submitted by Natalie Lavers, Certified Holistic Nutritional Consultant.
Unless someone tells us straight up, “you’re allergic to chocolate”, there’s no way we’re going to be giving it up anytime soon. Chocolate is one of our ‘guilty little pleasures’ that we never, ever feel guilty about. Whether it’s in the form of a prepackaged chocolate bar, or these delicious and nutritious Raw Cacao Brownies, chocolate is an essential part of our healthy lifestyles.
Our love for chocolate is literally stamped into our branding, but we mean it in a ‘find your balance’ kind of way.
So, while we sit here and talk about how much we freaking love chocolatey treats, we may as well show you a delicious and healthy chocolatey treat; Raw Cacao Brownies With Maca & Chocolate Ganache.
They. Are. Divine!
These raw cacao brownies are the perfect thing if you’re looking for chocolate on top of chocolate, a healthy dessert recipe, looking to reduce your sugar intake (but still totally have your sweets) or want to create something that will totally rock a party. They are loaded with cacao, naturally sweetened with dates, and unbelievably scrumptious.
Keep It Healthy With Raw Cacao Brownies
With only 1/4 cup of maple syrup as added sugars, and 16 servings, this delicious sweet treat contains little to no added sugar, but you’d never believe it. Sweetened with dates these raw cacao brownies are the perfect healthy sweet treat.
Not only are they low in added sugars, but they contains pecans, cacao powder and coconut oil, a trifecta of healthy fats and antioxidant power (yes cacao is one of our favourite ways to get in our flavonoids). Pecans contain a type of fat called MUFA (monounsaturated fatty acids) which are notorious for their heart protective properties, and ability to help you metabolize fat.
So, yeah, you can totally find brownies that are made with healthy ingredients, but if you really want to step it up a notch, add maca to your chocolatey treats. These Raw Cacao Brownies contain the amazing, adaptogenic, and hormonal balancing maca.
Traditionally used to enhance fertility and improve stamina, maca has been used for centuries as a healing food. Actually a cruciferous veggie, maca is a highly nutritious add in to foods like smoothies, soups, oats, baked good, and of course… chocolate.
You know we live busy lives over here, so finding ways to get more stress-busting foods into our diet is key, and when we can get them in the form a delicious chocolatey dessert, we know for a FACT… we’re winning!
We hope you’re totally digging this delicious recipe, because, raw cacao brownies are always a win in our books, especially when they have a chocolatey frosting that contains fertility boosting, and stress fighting nutrients. But, if you’re looking for more raw chocolatey treats, make sure you check out this recipe for Chocolate Hazelnut Bliss Balls. Raw, vegan, and taste just like a healthy version of Ferrero Rocher.
We’re all about enjoying your chocolate, whatever way you please, and without guilt, but we also know that sometimes you might want to just health-it-up with swaps that make sense. That’s why we put together a print-able Healthy Food Swap list for when you want to have your favourite meals and desserts, but also want to pump up the nutrient density.
Download your Healthy Food Swap List here:
And don’t forget to let us know what you think about these Raw Cacao Brownies With Maca & Chocolate Ganache. If you happen to snap a photo, don’t forget to tag us with #naughtynutrition.
Raw Cacao Brownies With Maca & Chocolate Ganache
Ingredients
Brownies:
- 2 1/2 cups raw pecans
- 1/2 cup walnuts chopped
- 1 cup dates soaked and pitted (reserve some of the liquid)
- 1 cup dates finely chopped
- 3/4 cup cacao powder
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp maca
Ganache:
- 1/4 cup coconut oil melted
- 1/4 cup maple syrup or coconut syrup
- 1/4 cup cacao powder
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 tsp maca
- 1/4 tsp salt
Directions
- In a food processor, add your pecans and pulse until pecans are between the size of a quinoa grain. Be careful not to over-blend or you will get pecan butter.
- Place pecans into a medium bowl. Add walnuts and pulse until they are the size of a corn kernel.
- Remove dates from water and add to food processor. Blend until you have a smooth consistency. You may need to add some of the water from soaked dates to get it to a smooth consistence but add only one tablespoon of liquid at a time.
- Add everything back into food processor and process for about 15 seconds until you get a consistency that you can form into raw brownie shapes (easily pressed into sheet pan). You may need to add 1-2 Tbsp water back in to get this consistency.
- Press your brownie “dough” into a 8X8 glass casserole.
- For the ganache, stir all ingredients together in a small bowl until you have a thick sauce with a smooth consistency. It is best to have the syrup at room temperature to have a the silky-smooth ganache.
- Pour your ganache over the the brownies and tilt the casserole each way until it is fully covered. Put your brownies in the fridge for one hour to solidify and then cut into 2 inch squares- these brownies are super-rich and filling so smaller portions are recommended.
Natalie Lavers
Natalie Lavers is a schoolteacher, mother of two and holistic nutrition consultant from Montreal, Quebec. As a nutritional consultant, she combines her love for education with her passion for food by helping individual clients understand health-supportive food and running nutrition workshops for both adults and children in and around the city. She has a keen interest in gut health and is an avid fermenter- there’s always some kind of food aging on her counter! The power of food to heal, nurture and energize the body never ceases to amaze her and she shares this enthusiasm as she guides audiences and clients in discovering their potential for change. You learn more on her website here.
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