4 ingredients? No refined sugar? No bake? SIGN ME UP!
One of my dear college friends recently visited from the West Coast and told me all about this to-die-for dessert. She knew that I was trying to cut back on eating sugar, and since this dessert only involves sugar from dates, she thought it would be a good treat for me. And boy was she right. Thanks, Kerry! Kerry found this recipe on the website My New Roots, a healthy, inspiring, and beautiful food blog with lots of exciting and interesting recipes. (This blog is amazing and you should definitely check it out).
Ingredients:
![Picture 1 ingredients](https://josiegirlblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Picture-110.png)
You can purchase all these ingredients in any health food store.
* 1 cup whole walnuts
* 1 1/4 cups Medjool dates, pitted
* 1/2 cup raw cacao
* a dash of sea salt
Directions:
* Place walnuts in a food processor or high quality blender and leave on high until the nuts are finely ground.
![Picture 4](https://josiegirlblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Picture-43.png)
I love how easy it is to grind up nuts in a vitamix blender. The blades are serious knives!
* Add the cacao and salt. Pulse to combine.
![Picture 5](https://josiegirlblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Picture-51.png)
Doesn't this remind you of those tubes with colored sand in them?
![Picture 6](https://josiegirlblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Picture-62.png)
Blurry picture of the three ingredients combined. My version of art.
* Remove pits from the dates (annoying, I know, but I couldn’t find organic high quality dates without pits. Harumph.)
![Picture 2 dates](https://josiegirlblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Picture-210.png)
Wrinkly dates in a bag.
![Picture 3 removing pits](https://josiegirlblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Picture-33.png)
Taking the pits out of the dates. Although annoying, it is a lot easier to remove pits from a date than say, pits from an olive.
* Add the dates in little sections at a time. You want everything blended throughout and the dates should make the mixture hold together (they are very sticky like glue).
* Press the mixture into a small lined pan (with wax paper).
![Picture 7 wax paper](https://josiegirlblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Picture-73.png)
Wax paper is so underused. It makes the cleanup fast and allows you to not have to grease the pan.
* Place the pan into the freezer for at least 4 hours and you are ready to store. The cold air “cooks” the brownies. AND TADA! BROWNIE TIME!
![Picture 8 cutting](https://josiegirlblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Picture-83.png)
Cutting the brownies after being in the freezer is a little hard (I have weak arms which probably makes it harder). But it is key that they are cold when you cut them.
![Picture 9 tada!](https://josiegirlblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Picture-92.png)
I had these in Tupperware but Ken made me switch to a plate. Thank you!
![Picture 10 finished product](https://josiegirlblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Picture-103.png)
Store the brownies in an air-tight container, either in the fridge or room-temperature. Delicious, I swear!
Notes to self:
* This is more of a fudge brownie than a dry brownie.
* I presume using a cuisinart is substantially easier than using a vitamix. A vitamix is a strong power tool that I can’t live without. That said, it is not a food processor even though I like to pretend it is.
* I promise you, cross my heart, hope to die, that this tastes like a brownie. It is absolutely worth giving this recipe a try. PROMISE.
On the My New Roots website, she lists all the great qualities from each of the ingredients. A must-read blog and one of my go to’s on the internet. Also, check out her website to see prettier pictures of these brownies….although they taste amazingly like a brownie and are delicious, my photos do not do them justice. I don’t think I have the tools to be a food journalist.
Hope you like it as much as I do! Let me know what you think and please forward any other ideas for healthy desserts in my last weeks before giving birth!
Have a great weekend!
Anika Yael Natori, aka, The Josie Girl
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Loose definition of brownie, but looks good!
Just checked out my new roots. looks like a great site. thanks for the lead!
girlfriend, you are WAY too healthy!
kerry + yael = magic. nice work ladies.