Trail Fuel: Raspberry Almond Energy Brownies
I could call these energy bars, but they're too good for that label. So, I'm going with energy brownie. Most energy bar recipes are of the granola variety with loads of oats and dried fruit, and after a few I'm over it. These brownies are a different story. Alex and I can eat these any time all the time.
Here's the kicker: they're raw and vegan. Good clean nutrition for you. They're made with seven ingredients (six if you skip the protein powder): walnuts, dates, cocoa powder, protein powder, freeze dried raspberries, almonds and salt.
No offense to you Lara Bar lovers out there, but these don't taste like date bombs, even though there's two and a half cups of them. The dates give these guys a chewy soft texture, plus lots of fiber, potassium and unrefined sugars that don't spike your blood sugar. You could also make them into balls instead of bars for a more bite-size experience.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups whole walnuts (make sure to not get salted or roasted, just plain or raw)
- 2 ½ cups Medjool dates, pitted
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder or 1 cup if not adding protein powder (high-quality, or raw cacao powder)
- 1/2 cup chocolate protein powder (we use Vega brand)
- 1/2 cup unsalted almonds, roughly chopped
- 1 cup freeze dried raspberries
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
Directions:
- Place walnuts in food processor and blend until the nuts are finely ground and resemble bread crumbs.
- Add the cocoa powder, protein powder and salt. Pulse to combine.
- Add the dates one at a time through the feed tube of the food processor while it's still running. It should look crumbly but moist so that when you press it together it consolidates. Add a date one at a time until you have the right texture
- In a large bowl fold the raspberries and chopped almonds into the date-cocoa mixture.
- Press into a lined cake pan or roll into balls to make bites. Place in freezer for an hour or fridge until ready to serve. Store in an airtight container (preferably in fridge, but can also live in a cool place).
