Raw Vegan & Gluten Free Espresso Brownies

As a young girl, my all time favorite desert was always warm chocolate brownies with vanilla ice cream. I used to get so excited when my mom would let me make brownies (out of a box of course) and would invite all of my friends over to have some.

Now that I'm older, I know better than to eat brownies (or anything for that matter) out of a box, but I admit I am usually too lazy to make brownies from scratch, so I usually just don't eat them. Last week, however, my sweet tooth was kicking in and I wanted to make something special for Valentines Day; that's when my Raw Espresso Brownies were born!

These brownies are chewy, rich and chocolaty with a special kick to them. They are also so versatile- you can eat them right out of the fridge, warm them up for a few seconds in the microwave and top with some ice cream, or you can crumble them on top of some banana nice cream for the perfect breakfast or snack (my absolute favorite way to eat them!) They are vegan, gluten free, raw, light, and 100% guilt free. The best part about these brownies, however, are how EASY they are to make- I can never use the excuse of being too lazy to enjoy brownies again! I hope you all enjoy them as much as I do :)

Raw Espresso Brownies

• 15 medjool dates with 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup pistachios
• 3/4 cup almonds
• 2 tsps cacao powder
• 2 tsps maple syrup
• 2 tsps cacao nibs
• 1 tsp melted coconut oil
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• pinch of Himalayan salt
• pinch of espresso powder (can put more depending on personal preference)

Chocolate Sauce

• 1 tbsp melted coconut oil
• 2 tbsps cacao powder
• 1 tbsp agave
• touch of water

Instructions

First, blend medjool dates with water (I use a food processor). Then, add in pistachios and almonds and blend everything together. Pour into a large bowl and add in the rest of the ingredients- mix thoroughly ( I like to use my hands). Pour ingredients into a baking dish and pat down with hands. For the chocolate sauce, mix all ingredients together in a pan and warm up for about a minute or two. You can add more/less of the ingredients based on personal preference. Pour chocolate sauce over brownies (I only poured it over half because I also enjoy them without it!) Freeze for about thirty minutes and cut into squares, then completely devour! :)

xxx

Rachel