Get this recipe is a raw brownie which uses easy-to-find ingredients from your local supermarket. The brownies are gluten free (perfect for Pesach!), dairy free and can be made vegan by substituting agave syrup for the honey. There are variations which I included at the end of the recipe, but feel free to do some experimenting with your own favorite flavors and add-ins as the recipe is very forgiving.
No Bake Cappuccino Brownies
Servings
8 Servings
Ingredients
- 2 cups walnuts pecans or a mixture of both (I like 1 cup of each)
- 1 pound medjool dates pitted
- 1/2 cup natural cocoa powder not dutch processed
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon pure instant espresso
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1-2 tablespoons honey or agave syrup or to taste (I use 2)
- 1/4 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk almond or soy
- 4 tablespoon good quality non-dairy margarine or butter
- Pinch salt
- 9 oz. good quality non-dairy dark chocolate chopped
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Place the nuts in the bowl of a food processor and process until they are coarsely ground and crumbly.
- Add the dates to the ground nuts and process again until the mixture sticks together and the dates are completely broken down.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the food processor and pulse until the mixture becomes a rich, chocolatey brown (beware the cocoa dust cloud at first!). Stop before the mixture becomes too fine and pasty – it should still look crumbly and moist.
- Transfer the mixture to an 8 x 8 square pan and press down firmly using clean hands. Refrigerate until cold (the brownie is much easier to slice when cold and firm).
- In the meantime, make the ganache frosting: in a small saucepan, heat the soy milk, margarine and salt until the margarine is melted and the soy milk just comes to a boil.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the chopped chocolate. Let it sit for a minute until softened, then gently stir with a spatula until the chocolate is completely melted. Add the vanilla extract and stir. The ganache should be smooth and glossy.
- Spread the ganache evenly over the chilled brownie and refrigerate until set.
- Cut into squares and store in the refrigerator.
- Makes 16 2” squares.
- Ideas for variations on this recipe:
- – Use different spices/flavorings in the brownie (such as ginger, cardamom, cayenne)
- – Add dried fruit or other add-in to the brownie – mix in by hand after processing (such as dried cherries or cranberries, chopped dried apricots, chopped crystallized ginger)
- – Use a darker, more intense chocolate for the ganache with a sweeter brownie or vice versa
- – If you like a thicker brownie, double the recipe for the brownie portion.
You can leave it out, it’s for flavor only
Can you leave out the instant coffee? Other than them not being “cappuccino “ brownies would it affect the recipe?
I tried once to use prunes in something like this and I did not like it, dates are really best.
can anything be substitute for the dates
can you substitute anything else for the dates?
What is pure instant expresso?
Thanks for the great tip, Illume. Chag Sameach!
If k4p almond milk can’t be found, one can easily make their own almond milk, if one has a pesadik blender.
http://healthyblenderrecipes.com/recipes/home_made_raw_almond_milk
Fantastic , my husband is vegan and because of that I was looking for vegan recipes. Really thanks !
A solid fat is needed to make the ganache or it will be too runny and will not set up. If you are hesitant to use even an all natural margarine, you could try coconut oil, but just make sure it is a solid, not liquid, fat.
I don’t like using margarine, is it possible to use oil instead? If so, how much oil would I use instead of the margarine? Thank you.