From the title, these little squares of heaven sound like a real treat right?!
I mean the fattening kind of vegan treat. Not the kind of vegan treat that is made out of 1 ingredient and called a healthy dessert. I mean the kind that you may regret eating later (even though you should indulge every now and again!)
BUT – let me tell you, these decadent squares taste like frozen freezer fudge layered brownies and come with no guilt strings attached.
AMAZING.
While coconut oil and raw cashews/nuts are used in many vegan dessert recipes – I opted for other ingredients to cut out the fat but not the dessert-like taste. I’ve been meaning to share this recipe since June and have been making it every few weeks throughout the summer as I’m completely addicted, so finally, as a end of summer (wow, why did I say that) hoorah, these whimsical treats are making a much-needed appearance.
This recipe has proved to be one of those that never fails – one you can keep coming back to. Promise.
Made out of:
- gluten-free oats
- gooey & sweet medjool dates
- raw cacao powder
- raw carob powder (optional)
- maca powder
- cinnamon
- sea salt
- ripe bananas
- pure maple syrup
- small amount of sunflower butter
- small amount of vegan chocolate chips
Basically, I’m giving you permission to eat half of the entire creation in one sitting, if you’re feeling up to it 🙂 because… GUILT FREE.
Maybe you can relate – desserts are a necessity in this life and while I love all the tasty raw vegan gourmet treats,. more often that not, they are drowning in fat whether it be oil, vegan butter, some form of coconut, or nuts/seeds. Not that a dose of whole food, healthy fat is a bad thing, but they’re heavy and uber rich on top of being sweet.
You’d be surprised how quickly the fat grams can add up. Seriously.
So let’s do ourselves a favor and ENJOY these oil-free No Bake Double Chocolate Brownie Bars. Because we can and we should.
Process the sticky brownie crust until combined.
Flatten the crust into the bottom of a loaf pan. Blend up the chocolate fudge layer.
Pour the decadent fudge over the brownie crust.
Add a small amount of vegan chocolate chips if you so desire.
Freeze. Slice. EAT!
These bars may melt quickly (as you can see!!) but they’re all the right kind of messy.
- 1 cup gluten free rolled oats (or oat flour)
- 1 cup gooey medjool dates (soak in hot water for 10 minutes if they're not soft)
- 1/4 cup raw cacao powder
- 2 tablespoons carob powder (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon raw maca powder (optional)
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 very ripe and spotty bananas
- 1/4 cup carob powder
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup (or any other sticky sweetener)
- 1 tablespoon sunflower butter (or any nut butter)
- 2 tablespoons vegan chocolate chips, for topping
- Line a 9x5" loaf pan with parchment paper.
- In a food processor, blend the rolled oats until fine like a flour, unless using oat flour. Add in the rest of the ingredients for the Brownie Crust Layer and process until well combined and mixture clumps together in one ball. Transfer the crust mixture to a lined loaf pan and press down until even. Set aside.
- Now add all ingredients for the Chocolate Fudge Layer into the food processor. Blend until smooth and creamy. Pour mixture over the crust, scraping down the sides with a spatula.
- Sprinkle vegan chocolate chips on top.
- Freeze for about 4 hours until firm. Cut into pieces and freeze again for 20-30 minutes to firm up more and prevent melting - if you can wait that long!
- Store leftovers in the freezer, covered.
- Enjoy!!!
Is a freezer necessary for this recepie? Because I din’t have it but I fell in love with the recepie. Is the fridge okey?
if i can’t use carob powder (it’s ridiculously expensive when I can find it at the store), can I just use unsweetened cocoa powder?
Made these last night. They are incredible!!! So happy to have a yummy chocolate snack!
Thank you so much for your great recipes!
Oh my goodness – these look delicious! I love using dates to fuel my long runs. Might switch it up once in a while with these little treats.