No Bake Vegan Date Brownies

I am a bit slow in posting recipes, which sadly will be out of season. Between my social media detox + creating a newer vision of vegan recipes coupled with vintage cookware/clothing to inspire nourishing recipes, I will be uploading many recipes that may be slightly out of season. 

This month marks two years being single after the separation of my marriage. When they say time flies, I can't believe it. I can't believe five years ago in October of 2014 I moved to Germany. Time does fly and most blogs are very chipper and express romantic ideals of how happy home life and such is for them.

For me, I am doing well at this point, but throughout the last two years I have been forced to heal, pick myself up financially all while balancing full-time work with my creative outlets of this blog + YouTube Channel. Working as a trainer and a health coach in Seattle has allowed me to dig deep into people's inner worlds. I do think I am a non-traditional healer, as though I am very logical I am very spiritual at the same time. Healing doesn't always happen on a reiki table, and people forget that our support systems navigate us through life's difficult situations and help us heal. 

One way to start healing yourself is through Whole Foods nutrition and re-healing the gut with nature. Most of us adore sweets, I know I do. I can't live without sweet food. But, we can retrain our guts and palate to crave naturally sweet foods like cocoa and dates. 

I swear dates are a miracle food. There are so many ways to use dates, and no matter how you consume them, it adds a bit of sweetness to life without the guilt. 

My food processor is a bit old and so newer food processors can handle the toughness of almonds more than mine, but this brownie mixture may require you to use less (or more) milk than I posted. Really soft dates blend well. If your dates are older or harder it may be worth soaking in hot water for 30-60 minutes prior to making the brownies. Enjoy! 

No Bake Vegan Date Brownies
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Makes: 1 9-inch pie pan 

Ingredients:
12 oz dates (2.5 cups)
1 cup raw almonds
4-6 tbsp nondairy milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/8 tsp salt

Topping
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/4 cup maple syrup
2-3 tbsp coconut oil, melted

Directions:
Grind the nuts in a food processor until finely chopped. Next add all the ingredients except for the milk into the food processor. Depending on how soft your dates are and how strong your food processor is, you may only need 1-2 tbsp of milk. If the blade is unable to mix, add 1 tbsp at a time of milk and then blend with the food processor. Continue this process (while scraping the sides of the food processor) until you reach a desired texture.

Line a 9 inch pie pan with parchment paper and press the brownie mixture into the pan. Next, mix the maple syrup and cocoa in a small bowl. Then mix all of the topping ingredients in a bowl and immediately pour on top of the brownies quickly. The coconut oil hardens quickly and will make this chunky. Spread evenly on top with a spatula, cover, and set in the fridge for several hours or overnight. Cut into slices or squares - however you desire! Enjoy! 

LET'S CONNECT! Enjoy my other dessert recipes! 

Brown Sugar Apple + Pear Crisp

Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana "Cream" Pie

Vegan Upside Orange Cake

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