This recipe for No Bake Brownies is the perfect easy treat to satisfy your chocolate craving guilt-free! They're delectably rich and full of all kinds of healthful nourishing goodness!
{I love no bake treat recipes since they are easier and don't use energy (or heat up the kitchen on warm days). Typically I will turn to these No-Bake Coconut Cookies or Chocolate Mint Bars or Bean Fudge, when we need an easy treat, but now I am thrilled to have a new no bake dessert to add to my recipe box!
Delectable No-Bake Brownies from Ricki Heller. Homemade Brownies without heating the kitchen up? I'm sold!}
When I first started an anti-candida diet back in 2009, I remember looking through the various food restrictions associated with the diet and thinking that I could find a work-around for pretty much all of them. (Luckily, that turned out to be true).
But then I noticed that chocolate isn’t allowed in the early stages of the diet, and I immediately felt a pang of despair: What? I have to forgo my very favorite food—the food I love more than any other? The food I have, in the past, eaten for breakfast, snacks, lunch and dinner (sometimes all in one day)?
The food that whispers, “comfort” and “love” and “serotonin” to so many of us, far too often?]There went my resolve.
I wasn’t sure I could handle that restriction (Luckily, it turned out that I could. So I did, and I got better).
Even though I discovered other delicious replacements for my beloved confection, my love of chocolate never waned, and as soon as I was able, I brought it back into my diet. These days, of course, it’s homemade, stevia-sweetened chocolate for the most part, but I’ve come to love the current bittersweet treat just as much as the processed sweets I used to consume.
And I’m delighted to be sharing a great chocolate-centric recipe with you today!
More About These Raw Brownies
If you follow a sugar-free (and often grain-free) diet like I do, you know it can be difficult to find delicious, easy-to-make, low-glycemic chocolate treats.
These decadent-tasting raw brownie bites are one of my favorite indulgences.
I can whip up a batch of these little grain-free gems in almost no time, and then completely enjoy a decadent treat without worrying about blowing my anti-candida lifestyle. These confections are rich-tasting and dense, cloaked with an irresistible fudgy “frosting.”
Cut them as small as you like for a perfect little snack in the afternoon . . . . or any time you just need that extra boost of chocolate in your life.
Reprinted with permission from Naturally Sweet and Gluten-Free.
These brownies offer a double fudgy treat that’s reminiscent of Nutella in its chocolate-hazelnut glory. I cut these into small, bite-sized morsels—but that’s all you’ll need to satisfy your chocolate craving!
Recipe Notes
- For brownies that are not completely raw, you can use lightly-toasted nuts and organic unsweetened cocoa powder instead of the raw cacao powder (though you may need to increase the sweetener in that case).
- For those with allergies, substitute other nuts or seeds as needed. I think almonds would be especially nice.
- You can use 1/3 cup xylitol or approx 3/32 tsp (or 3 scoops) stevia extract powder instead of the coconut sugar in the brownies for low carb (see How to Use Stevia).
- Organic coconut nectar can be substituted for the agave nectar, and you can also use xylitol for a low-carb option - add a small amount of water if needed.
- You can use 1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) (or to taste) pure plain or vanilla liquid stevia (use only 2 tsp vanilla if using vanilla liquid stevia) for the powdered stevia in the brownies (see how to make your own DIY Liquid Stevia).
- If you would like to make your own coconut butter, see Easiest Homemade Coconut Butter.
- Use 1/4 cup xylitol or 2 scoops stevia extract powder instead of the coconut sugar in the fudge topping for a low-carb option.
- You can substitute 20-30 drops (or to taste) plain or vanilla liquid stevia for the powdered stevia in the fudge topping (use only 1 tsp vanilla if using vanilla liquid stevia).
- Homemade Vanilla Powder: You can make your own homemade vanilla powder for use in this recipe, if you so desire.
Fudge-Topped No-Bake Brownies - grain free, vegan, & paleo
Ingredients
For the Brownies
- 1 1/2 cups walnuts (raw; halves and pieces - 170 g)
- 1 1/2 cups hazelnuts (raw or lightly toasted - 225 g)
- 1/3 cup coconut sugar (25 g) (see alternatives in notes above)
- salt
- 3/4 cup raw cacao powder (80 g)
- 1/3 cup agave nectar (80 ml) (see alternatives in notes above)
- 2 1/2 tsp vanilla powder (10 ml--or use 5 tsp pure vanilla extract)
- 1/4 tsp pure stevia extract powder (1 ml) (or to taste)
For the Fudge Topping
- 1 cup coconut butter (240 ml) (not coconut oil; melted)
- 1 cup hazelnuts (raw or lightly toasted - 140 g)
- 1/4-1/3 cup raw cacao powder (70 ml)
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar (60 ml) (see alternatives in notes above)
- 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract (5 ml)
- pinch salt
- 3/4 tsp pure stevia extract powder (or to taste)
Instructions
For the brownie:
- Line an 8.5 inch (21.5 cm) square pan with parchment paper. Set aside (for thicker brownies, recipe can be made in a loaf pan instead).
- In a food processor, process the walnuts, hazelnuts, coconut sugar, and salt until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the cacao powder, agave nectar, vanilla powder, and stevia and process until the mixture begins to come together in a ball.
- Stop and scrape the sides if necessary while processing. Take care not to over-process, or you just might end up with nut butter!
- The mixture should be moist enough to stick together when pinched, but not wet.
- Turn the brownie “dough” into the pan and press down firmly with hands or a stiff spatula so that the mixture is dense with no air bubbles. Place in the refrigerator while you prepare the fudge topping.
For the fudge topping:
- Place the coconut butter, hazelnuts, cacao powder, coconut sugar and salt in a high-speed blender. Push the mixture toward the blades, using the tamper (or other blending mechanism) and blend until the mixture liquefies, about 5 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed.
- Add the vanilla extract and stevia. Blend again.
- Pour the mixture over the brownie dough in the pan.
- Return to the refrigerator until the fudge is set--about one hour.
- Using the parchment paper as a sling, pull out the brownie and place it on a cutting board.
- Cut into 1.-inch (4-cm) squares and store, covered, in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
- The no bake brownies keep covered, in the refrigerator, for up to 5 days. They may be frozen. Simply defrost, covered, in the refrigerator overnight.
Nutrition
Would LOVE to hear what you think about these easy raw no-bake brownies!
Let us know in the comments below!
Ricki Heller is a holistic nutritionist and anti-candida crusader who shares sugar-free, gluten-free, allergy-friendly recipes and articles about healthy living on her site, RickiHeller.com. Her fourth book, Living Candida-Free, is currently available for preorder on amazon.com. Get social with Ricki on Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook. Ricki Heller, PhD, RHN --Ricki's new book, Living Candida-Free, will be out in January, 2015! -- Naturally Sweet and Gluten-Free was an instant amazon bestseller! --Sweet Freedom is recommended by Ellen DeGeneres! (See Sweet Freedom and all of Ricki's other books here.)
I want the recipe on that brown
Were you able to see it?
Could you please explain the difference between Stevia extract (of which you use 3 scoops) and Stevia powder (only 1/4 teaspoon)? So these are both dry forms? And why are they listed separately? I've got dry stevia extract with a tiny little scoop and liquid stevia drops I dispense with a dropper. These look great but I don't want to make a mistake and end up wasting ingredients! Thanks!
Thanks for pointing that out. I just adjusted the post as they are one and the same. They are listed separately as they are suggested subs for the other sweeteners. I hope that helps!
Thank you!
These look amazing- great photo work too! I am adding these to my "to-make" list....thanks for sharing. I look forward to reading more from your website!
Thanks much! Nice to "meet" you!
These look so good! Thanks so much for linking up to Gluten Free Wednesdays. We really appreciate it. Could you please add a link to Gluten Free Wednesdays in your post.Thanks!
Hi Lynn - I think my son must have overlooked it. I am so sorry- we'll be more careful. He's adding the link in now. We've had a bunch of personal crises going on and things have been just crazy.
Your recipe looks delicious. I am a huge chocoholic so I will definitely have to try these. FYI: the ingredient list reads "pure plain" as an ingredient instead of saying pure plain stevia. Thanks for posting such wonderful recipes.
Thanks for the headsup. My blog has been having issues and the words and text have been getting mucked up - I fixed it and hope it's done for good. I'm making a big blog move in the next few days that hopefully will take care of this sort of thing.
Oddly enough, I didn't even like chocolate until I was 30! I got into it, because dark chocolate became an easy dairy-free sweet hit to find whenever we were out. I mean, I need a sweet fix!
As a vanilla girl for so long, I have trouble labeling myself as a chocoholic, but the bite of raspberry-infused dark chocolate that I just had (at 8am) begs to differ 🙂 I"m still not a true fan of fluffy chocolate things (like cake), but like anything dense - straight chocolate, fudge, or treats like these! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
I've loved it FOREVER! You are lucky!
Thanks so much, Alisa - it's always so nice to hear from you!
uh...what is coconut nectar? what is coconut sugar? what is coconut butter? are there substitions which can be made?
I don't have a vitamixer to whip this stuff up myself....
HI there. Interesting name you have :). There are links to the coconut nectar and sugar in the recipe - are you able to see them? You can see substitutes listed in the ingredients list as well- let me know if you need more help. Thanks!
All of Ricki's recipes look amazing!
I agree - she's like my candida hero!!!