I just have to post this recipe. A few months back I discovered several vegan blogsites, one of which belongs to a mom with a family of 4...all vegan! I love her recipes, and found this as one of the ones she enjoyed. When I first read the recipe, I was unsure of how it would be but I seriously loved it. I served it to others, and they agreed that is was really good. I made it again last night. The icing makes the brownie. So good, and good for you too. I entered the ingredients into a calorie site and created my own Nutrition Facts Panel, minus the Blue Agave Sweetener (which adds approximately 30 calories per serving).
Compare that to an average homemade brownie, and you're looking at half the calories & a much better source of fat, the monounsaturated kind (walnuts, avocado) and medium-chain fatty acids (coconut). Monounsaturated fats have been shown to lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) while increasing HDL cholesterol (the good cholesterol). And virgin coconut oil is all the "rage" lately...this medium-chain fatty acid is burned as a quick source of energy by the body, rather than being stored like the long-chain fatty acids (most polyunsatured fats are of the long-chain variety). It's also said to have anti-viral properties, and studies have shown some other amazing results of using virgin coconut oil.
Raw Vegan Brownies
Servings: 12
INGREDIENTS:
Brownie:
- 1 cup walnuts
- 1 cup dates
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
Icing:
- 2 avocados (can be going bad)
- 1/2 cup blue agave nectar (I buy mine at Trader Joe's)
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil (I bought mine at Whole Foods)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- dash salt
- dash cinnamon
METHOD:
1. Food process the brownie ingredients until blended and dry chunky 2. Press into a small pan. 3. Put all icing ingredients into food processor, and blend on hi 'til smooth. 4. Spread icing over brownies and pop in freezer to set for 1 hr. then cut.
