Kezia Hall recipe: No Bake Chocolate Brownies

These No Bake Chocolate Brownies squares are the perfect hybrid of brownie gooey- ness and fudge firmness.

With no baking involved even the most shall we say, culinary challenged, of you will be able to whip these up in a flurry.

And best of all, they are healthy too. This recipe is jam packed full of magnesium (which may be one of the reasons you crave chocolate), healthy fats and protein to keep you full for longer.

My recipe calls for ‘raw cacao’ which is a unprocessed version of cocoa powder and is often touted as a ‘superfood’ due to its large amounts of magnesium which can help lower insulin resistance and reduce cardiovascular disease risk.

Most of us actually suffer from magnesium deficiency, and this can lead to migraines, hormone issues and even sleep problems, so delicious treats like this, with a mineral boost, can do us good.

Plus is it a really natural and gentle way to energise you. I switched my coffee to a hot cacao drink to set me up for the day a while ago and it works a treat.

Other than cacao, the brownies are mainly made up of brazil nuts, which are full of selenium, meaning not only will it help your hair, skin and nails, it will also help to prevent coronary artery disease, liver cirrhosis, and cancers.

These nuts are also a good source of vitamin B complexes and contain thamin, niacin and riboflavin, which are essential for energy, contribute to healthy iron levels and essential for various bodily functions/reactions.

The brownies are also free of refined sugars too, and sugar as we have spoke about before, can cause havoc on our mood, weight, skin, hormones and so much more.

Time and time again I see clients who sort out there health and energy by ditching the refined sugar and thankfully you can still enjoy some awesome treats and still be sugar free!

So these are really chocolately, fatty, bites of goodness. And simple to make too - just grab your food processor, blend, chill, then munch!

If you want more help in dealing with your sugar cravings and more naturally sweet recipes then click here as I have just the thing to help you Beat the Sweet!

No bake chocolate brownies recipe:

Makes 12-15 squares

Ingredients:

• 200g brazil nuts soaked overnight
• 75g organic cocoa or raw cacao - see note below if using standard • • cocoa 1 tbsp scoop coconut oil
• 8 medjool dates pitted
• pinch salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• Chocolate 'icing'
• 2 tbsp scoop coconut oil
• 2 tbsp cocoa/cacao powder
• 1-2 tbsp raw honey
• pinch salt
• 1 tbsp vanilla essence

Method:

Optional - Soak the brazil nuts in salted water overnight. This makes then easier to blend and all the nutrient more accessible to the body.

1. Place the brazil nut and dates in food processor and blend for 1-2 minutes until broken down. Then add other ingredients and blend until a wet dough forms.

2. In a lined tray push the mixture into it and smooth out the top - don't worry if its rough you will be covering it with chocolate!
Place in the freezer for 1/2 hours. Once set, put all the icing ingredient in a pan and put on a gentle heat until fully combined and melted.

3. Then plunge the pan in some cold water and stir briskly for 1 minute until you notice the mixture thicken. Then take the brownies out the freezer and pour the icing over and place in the fridge until set and you want to serve.

Notes - Don't let the nuts be processed for too long otherwise you will release too much of the  naturally present oils, making the recipe a bit too oily.I recommend cutting this into small squares and it will store in the freezer for a few months if you let it get that far!

If you are using cocoa you may need to add 1-2 scoop tbsp of coconut oil to make it a more solid dough, as cocoa is more absorbent then cacao. This applies to the icing and the base.