Raw Pecan Crunch Brownies with Peanut Butter Frosting

I promised my daughter I'd write up the recipe for these brownies, because she loves them so much! I've been making them for a while now, in various forms: with or without frosting, and using different nuts and seeds.

They're gluten- and sugar-free, as well as being plant-based, and highly addictive – but they're probably pretty good for you, too (they're certainly good for the soul).

Raw brownies are a cinch to make, and full of the good stuff, including dates, nuts, oats, and raw cacao. They're also super-customisable, according to your taste.

I recommend keeping them covered in the fridge, especially if you're going to add my highly addictive sweet-and-salty peanut butter frosting, which I certainly recommend you do!

If you choose not to frost them, you can roll the dough into truffles and dip them into dark chocolate, or roll them in cacao powder or seeds, if you fancy. Once you've mastered the basic recipe, what you do with it is up to you.

SERVES:
approx 12 bars or 24 squares

Ingredients
Instructions

Ingredients

For the brownie base

130g pecans, nuts of your choice, or a mix

50g rolled oats

40g cacao powder

60g cacao nibs, plus an extra 1-2 tbsp for topping the frosting

Around 18 medjool dates, depending on size and gooeyness

250g peanut or other unsweetened nut or seed butter

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp ground cinnamon or other ground spices (optional)

Good pinch of Himalayan or sea salt

For the frosting

400g tin full-fat coconut milk (cream only – save the milk to use in another recipe)

150g smooth unsweetened peanut or other nut or seed butter

2 tbsp maple syrup (optional)

1 tsp vanilla extract

Good pinch Himalayan or sea salt

Instructions

Line a 10' x 8' baking dish or tray with greaseprooof paper. If you don't have a dish large enough, you'll have a thicker brownie, but that’s absolutely fine.
Add all the ingredients for the brownie base to a food processor, and blend until the dough just comes together. When you pinch the mixture, it should hold its shape. If the dough is a little bit dry, add a couple more dates or an extra drizzle of nut butter to bring it together.
Tip the dough into your prepared tray, using your fingers or the bottom of a glass to press it down. Place the tray in the fridge while you make the frosting.
Using a free-standing mixer or handheld whisk, beat together all the frosting ingredients until smooth. Empty into a small bowl, and place in the fridge to firm up – this should take around 30-45 mins.
When the frosting has firmed up, scrape it back into your mixing bowl and whisk it again, until light and fluffy. This double-whisking method gives it a gorgeous, fluffy texture.
Remove the brownie base from the fridge and spread it with the frosting. Sprinkle over some extra cacao nibs and a little sea salt, if you like. Cut into squares or bars to serve.