Sugar Free Raw Vegan Brownie Recipe & The Importance of Raw Foods and Soaking Nuts Before Consumption

The recipe I am about to share with you used to be my secret weapon for a long, long time.  However, with Easter in just a couple of days, I am feeling pretty generous .  And why not? There are no oils added to this scrumptious dessert, no sugar, and it is completely raw.

I first whipped it up working long hours, photographing weddings, when I needed a quick, but energy and calorie packed, snack to keep me going.  If it happened that my assignments involved other photographers, I shared, and they always felt the same way: “Wow, can I have more please?!” So, we used to call it: Energy Bites, and I used to shape it into smaller round balls, rolling them either in coconut flakes or dark chocolate… for even more energy–it made for a great presentation as well.

This time around, using the same recipe, I decided to make BROWNIES!  Having told you how bad processed sugar is for us, I thought that I need to give you alternatives for the Holidays.  Many of you agreed with me on Facebook yesterday .

WARNING: although this recipe is sugar and oil free, it is nut heavy, as such, try not to eat too much of it, because it is still calorie packed; so make it this weekend and share with others, or spread over a long period of time! 

WARNING2: due to high raw cacao content, especially if you are sensitive to any form of caffeine, like I am, try not to eat this delicacy too late at night… or you will be up all night.

Sugar Free Raw Vegan Brownie Recipe

the recipe yielded 24 squares (1.5×1.5×3/4 in) and 12 larger squares (2x2x1in)

Ingredients

• 2 cups previously soaked and dehydrated* raw walnuts
• 2 cups previously soaked and dehydrated* raw almonds
• 1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds
• 1 cup raw sunflower seeds
• 1/3-1/2 cup freshly ground raw cacao nibs
• 3/4 cup raw cacao powder
• 1 tbsp alcohol free vanilla

Binding Agent Option 1

• 3 cups pitted dates
• 2/3 cup honey or date syrup

Binding Agent Option 2

• 3 cups pitted dates blended (until smooth) with
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup honey for extra sweetness, if desired

Preparation

• Place dry ingredients into a food processor and blend until flour like mixture is formed
• Add vanilla and your choice of the binding agent, and blend until mixtures begins forming into a ball
• If you like walnut chunks in your brownies, like I do, hold back about 1/4 cup of walnuts until the last moment, then add them in and pulse
• To shape brownies, you have a few options: roll them into balls (first image), place them into a cookie mold of your choice, or line a baking sheet with wax paper and spread out the mixture evenly about 3/4-1 inch high, smoothing over the top

• Place in a freezer for a couple of hours, or until firm
• Remove and slice into brownie bars
• Decorate with raw cacao, cacao nibs, crushed walnuts or almonds, orange zest, or even melted sugar free chocolate (like Sunprise Grain Sweetened dairy free chocolate chips) and serve
• Keep leftovers in the freezer

(If you are wondering about the white cream over brownies, you can presoak some cashews and then blend them until smooth )

Enjoy!

And a happy wonderful Easter to all of you!

*Soaking Nuts

You are probably wondering, why should I soak and dehydrate nuts at all? And how does that work?  Glad you asked the right person.  See, long ago, I did not know about this trick and wish someone had told me.  For the longest time I had the worst reaction to walnuts–it took only one tiny piece to land on my tongue, and it felt like a ton of tiny razors were cutting my tongue open. Something in walnuts did not agree with me, and at that time I did not know what it was.  However, the longer I did this “vegan thing” the more I learned.  Eventually I found out WHY I was having a reaction to walnuts.

I discovered that un-soaked nuts and seeds contain enzyme inhibitors that are there to protect them (nuts and seeds) and prevent sprouting until conditions are right for growth.  When certain conditions (rain and sun) are met, the inhibitors and toxic substances (toxic to our bodies) are broken down and removed. Not only that, but the beneficial enzymes we want from them are actually double. In nature, when it rains the nut gets enough moisture so it can germinate and produce a plant. The plant then continues to grow with the sunlight.

When we consume un-soaked nuts and seeds, the enzyme inhibitors can actually interfere with proper digestions, so we are not only wasting foods (seeds and nuts) by not being able to properly absorb them, we are also expending unnecessary energy. Ingesting enzyme inhibitors will actually deactivate some of our own enzymes in our systems, our organs must then supply the enzymes, which causes undue burden on our systems. Eating enzyme-rich raw foods can help to restore health. By soaking nuts and seeds, protective toxic substances and enzyme inhibitors are broken down, and all the nutrients are then released for easy digestion and absorption.

Soaking times vary with the nut. Generally the more dense the nut, the longer the soaking time.  I normally soak walnuts and almonds overnight–that way I do not have to think about it. I rinse them a couple of times, especially before placing on a dehydrator, to make sure wash off any residue that comes off them.  I dehydrate nuts at 115-118 F (to keep the good enzymes alive) for 8-10 hours, to bring them back to their crunchy goodness.

After the nuts dry, I placed them in glass containers and in the refrigerator, since they are now lacking protective enzymes to keep them from breaking down.

Ever since I started practicing this little trick, I never again had a reaction to walnuts–I now actually enjoy them from time to time.

When I do soak nuts/seeds, I soak enough only to last us a couple weeks—there is no need to soak several pounds of them, as the enzymes are still intact, as with all live foods, and mold will grow quickly, if you don’t properly dry them.

Why Eat RAW Nuts?

Raw foods are full of enzymes.  Why are the enzymes so important to us? There are about 3000 enzymes that are currently known. Enzymes work within us and all living things, keeping our body systems operating. From digestive enzymes to metabolic enzymes, the body relies on enzymes to function. The performance of every organ in our bodies is linked to enzyme activity. In essence, without enzymes, there would be no life.

Cooking foods that have protective enzymes will sure get rid of them, but it will also destroy all of the beneficial enzymes as well.

Cooking foods (any food, not just nuts) over 115-118 F destroys enzymes.

On the other hand, roasting nuts at a temperature higher than 170F will cause a breakdown of their fats and the production of free radicals. When nuts roasted at the high temperatures used commercially are consumed, the free radicals they contain can cause lipid peroxidation-the oxidizing of fats in your bloodstream that can trigger tiny injuries in artery walls-a first step in the buildup of plaque and cardiovascular disease.

Psst… do not overeat on these! And make sure to come back and tell me how you liked them.

The post Sugar Free Raw Vegan Brownie Recipe & The Importance of Raw Foods and Soaking Nuts Before Consumption appeared first on Vegalicious.

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