Plant based recipes made with love
This post is sponsored by WelleCo, all opinions are my own.
Brownies are one of those desserts that never get old, right? I don’t think I’ve ever eaten a brownie I didn’t enjoy. They’re usually very rich and sugary and for that reason I usually bake them every once in a while, for special occasions. Not so with this raw brownie! Gluten, refined sugar and dairy free and nutritious enough to have any time. No baking involved, just a blender, small pan and about 10 minutes to prepare! …
Hello, friends! I hope April has treated you well so far. The sun has been out all week here in the UK and I’ve been soaking up as much of that sunshine as possible. This means breakfast is usually a quick grab and go affair, so I’ve been prepping batches of these super delicious blueberry breakfast muffins to start my day….
Hey, friends! How’s it going? I hope the month is treating you well. Over here it’s still chilly, but the temperature is not sub zero which can only mean one thing, spring is close! I’m ready for the sunshine and fresh, summery recipes! I’m still not ready to turn the oven off yet though, so I’ve been busy in the kitchen baking up as many recipes as possible.
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I promised to publish this recipe a couple of weeks ago and it’s finally here! Rich, indulgent, no bake brownie that’s refined sugar free, gluten free and vegan of course.
If you’ve never tried raw brownies before, bookmark this recipe now! I promise you’ll love them – any dessert that’s loaded with chocolate and doesn’t require baking is always a winner for me.
I’m a huge brownie lover but I’m always on the hunt for a healthy version. This one is made with cacao rather than cocao, which is unrefined and therefore more nutritionally dense. I’ve also added chia seeds and maca powder to the brownie base, for an extra helping of protein, b vitamins and omegas. The base is fudgey but with enough bite to hold together and the chocolate ganache is smooth, creamy and sweet, so rich and delicious that just a little slice will suffice.
Feel free to play around with the recipe, you could try different nuts or seeds, personally I love using hazelnuts because they taste so magical with chocolate. I’ve made the base with almonds and walnuts and both came out delicious. I’ve had fun testing out these brownies, they never seem to last very long which is a good sign!
Many thanks to two of my faves, Minimalist Baker and The Bojon Gourmet who have both inspired me with their incredible raw brownie recipes to try out whilst creating these! This recipe is heavily adapted from their recipes so I must say thank you!
I’m thrilled to be featured in the first edition of In The Moment magazine, out in the UK this month! Lots of my recipes are in there, along with an in depth interview with me about how I got into veganism, blogging and cooking. For more information check out their website here (these brownies are featured there too).
If you do try these out, please let me know – I’d love to hear what you think of them! You can also subscribe to my mailing list (just look on the right of this page) and you’ll get my recipes emailed directly to you before anybody else.
Sending you copious amounts of chocolate ganache,
Bo
xoxoxo
It definitely is too late to say it now but happy New Year!! I hope it’s all been positive so far! Mine has been the best yet. I can’t wait to share more creations with you in 2017. The last year has been full of change from start to end, but I am so grateful for the journey and most of all for your support. Thank you for stopping by and supporting me on Facebook, Instagram, this blog or in person by eating my food! I really do love doing this and feel incredibly blessed to be able to inspire others to try eating more plants, or begin to think about food differently. It makes me all fuzzy inside when people try my recipes or try something new because of me. I love sharing the benefits of this lifestyle with as many people as possible. I’m full of ideas for 2017, pretty excited to see where this year takes me!
Aside from hibernating with the kittens, I’ve been scurrying about the kitchen recipe testing and my latest food crush are these raw mocha cheesecakes. It has been a recipe I’ve been dreaming of for a while because I love coffee… all types, black, milky, sweet, chilled, in cake form… I’ll take it all! Mocha seems like a safe option for people who may not like coffee because I’ve added a little chocolate and who doesn’t like chocolate? Actually I do know a couple of people, but still, more for you if they don’t like it!
These are indulgent, creamy, not too sweet treats but still dairy, gluten and refined sugar free. They really don’t take much effort to make, just remember to soak your cashews before hand, no matter how hard I try, I always forget. I definitely recommend enjoying a couple of these with a cup of the black stuff for the ultimate coffee shop experience!
Hope the year continues to keep you and your loved ones safe, healthy and well fed.
Peace and coffee,
Bo x
Base
Filling
Chocolate drizzle (optional)
Toppings (optional)
Line a square baking tray with greaseproof paper, leaving a little extra hanging over the sides for easy removal.Prepare your base by adding almonds, coconut, salt and cinnamon until a fine flour is formed. Add syrup a tablespoon at a time, until mixture sticks together between your fingers. Add a tablespoon of water if it’s too dry, or a little extra coconut if it’s too wet.
Press base mixture into a pan evenly. Set aside in the fridge while you make the filling.
Blend soaked cashews, coconut milk, vanilla, lemon juice, syrup and salt until very smooth and creamy, around 4-5 minutes. Pour roughly half the mix on to your base. Set aside in the freezer to set, at least 2 hours.
To the remaining filling, add coconut oil, cooled coffee and cacao. Pour over to make the third and final layer. Set for 2-3 hours in the freezer, then slowly lift out the pan and slice into little squares with a sharp knife.
To make the drizzle, add coconut oil, maple syrup and cacao to a small mixing bowl and mix with a fork until smooth. Drizzle over cheesecakes and top with coffee beans and mocha dust. Keep in the freezer for up to a month. Best eating after thawing for 10 minutes.
Chocolate and marzipan has to be one of my favourite flavour combinations, what a treat. I always used to have marzipan from the fridge when my Mum made wedding cakes (and icing too, oops). There was often a nice big chunk in there for decorating but I couldn’t help taking a little piece now and then (basically whenever I had the opportunity). I adore those marzipan bars you can buy in some health stores too, just a generous bar of marzipan, smothered in dark chocolate. Mmmmmm. I love the smell of it, almonds are so sweet and delicious. These babies are gluten free, refined sugar free and packed with healthy protein. You can omit the amaretto if you like, it just won’t taste as marzipan-y, is that a word?!
I got the basis for this recipe from the Lazy Cat Kitchen blog and in it Ania suggests tempering your chocolate, to get the ultimate snap and sheen to your little truffles. I’d never done it before, but now definitely recommend tempering for the best results. It wasn’t tricky, but you do need a thermometer- it’s all about using it at just the right temperature.
Chocolate marzipan truffles (makes 24 truffles)
Ingredients
