So first of all, let me provide full disclosure. These are NOT low fat. These are not something you would want to chow down on daily, in large quantities, or as a substitute for your cucumber-beet-carrot juice.
However, having said that, they are sublime chocolate bliss bars that are the perfect bait to lure people into the radically rawsome world of raw foods! If you love coconut, you love hazelnuts, and you love chocolate (can there really be anyone who doesn’t?) and you want a TRULY decadent dessert, sans chemicals, GMO’s, gluten, dairy and eggs, THIS is the winner.
I brought these to a party over the weekend and made a quadruple batch. They were completely gone in under 15 minutes, and most of the cooked sugar/wheat bombs (aka brownies) were still sitting there. No one had a clue that they were raw, or vegan, or made with real whole organic ingredients. It was a dessert that looked great and tasted even better. No explanations needed.
One of the things I appreciate most about raw food cuisine is that it is easy, and that you really can’t go wrong. If you don’t have hazelnuts, use pecans. If you don’t have raisins, use dates or skip them altogether. If you don’t have raw cacao, well, then you have a problem. Time to reconsider your priorities 😉
These fudge bars have a very soft and almost fudge like consistency, but it’s not dense or sickeningly sweet. Most raw brownie bases consist of walnuts and dates, which I do love, but sometimes they can just be overly sweet and dense. I love dates and never leave home without them (not kidding), but sometimes I’m just not in the mood for that same ol’ date flavor that permeates so many raw food recipes.
You can also make these as straight fudge bars and leave out the coconut if you don’t have any or someone in the family doesn’t like coconut. Interestingly living in the tropics surrounded by tons of coconut trees, my own husband dislikes the taste of coconut, so no big deal. More for me!
I was inspired to create this recipe from the fabulous and talented Sarma Melngailis from Pure Food and Wine in New York, who has a recipe for what she calls “Congo Bars” in her Living Raw Food cookbook. I simplified the recipe a bit, (most people don’t have maple syrup powder), I left out the agave (don’t care for it all that much), and cut the amount of oil used by quite a bit. I also prefer the taste of hazenuts with chocolate, and I added cinnamon. But I highly recommend you check out her restaurant in New York! Simply divine.
Here is the fabulous recipe for you all to enjoy. Make a batch, watch the full red moon lunar eclipse tonight and bliss out while you plan all of your new beginnings! Love to you all.
Chocolate Layer
- 1 cup walnuts
- 3 cups hazelnuts
- 3/4 cup raw cacao powder
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1 cup raisins
- 1/3 cup coconut butter, warmed to a liquid
- 2 tbsp vanilla powder
- 1 tsp ceylon cinnamon
- 2 tsp Himalayan salt
Coconut Layer
- 1 cup fresh coconut meat
- 1/3 cup maple syrup or coconut nectar
- 1 tablespoons vanilla powder
- ¼ cup coconut butter, melted
- 1 cup shredded coconut
Process all “chocolate layer” ingredients except the raisins, in your food processor until well combined. Transfer to a bowl and mix in the raisins by hand. Press mixture into a parchment-lined brownie pan. Chill in your refrigerator while you make the coconut layer.
In a high-speed blender, blend all coconut layer ingredients except the shredded coconut, until creamy. If your coconut is too thick and won’t blend until creamy, add a little bit of coconut water at a time to get it to blend properly. Transfer coconut mixture to a bowl and mix in the shredded coconut.
Spread coconut layer on top of chocolate layer and chill for about two hours. Cut into small bars and enjoy!
