The Healthiest Brownies that Ever Existed: Guest Post from The Whole Tara

Today I have a very special guest post for you from the beautiful Tara from The Whole Tara – author, fellow yogi and certified holistic health coach. This beauty put together this delicious (and nutritious!) Coffee Chocolate Walnut Brownie recipe for the readers of LPN. Lucky us ;) I’m pretty sure this is the tastiest and healthiest brownie that has ever existed… so don’t wait before taking this recipe out of a spin in your kitchen.

Lots of love,

With Love from, The Whole Tara

I can’t find words to describe this blissful combination of dates, cacao, spiced coffee, and walnuts. It’s a soft, yet chewy, chunk of chocolatey goodness that’s too good for some descriptive adjective. If you’re looking for a brownie that tastes better than an actual brownie, then these Coffee Kissed Chocolate Walnut Brownies are the ones for you. They’ll fool you by tasting as unhealthy as ever, while they’re actually one of the healthiest layered brownies out there and are boasting with antioxidants and omegas with a kick of caffeine. YES PLEASE.

[An LPN note: these brownies contain some beauty foods too – if the recipe wasn’t enough to make you want to jump into the kitchen. Hempseeds (balanced omega 3 & 6) and walnuts – omega-3 rich-foods strengthen your skin cells helping them lock in moisture and stay “plump” hello plump and glowing skin!) They’re also great for hair and these healthy fats may also reduce skin inflammation and play a role in protecting the skin against harmful UV rays! Power foods! Yes!]

COFFEE KISSED CHOCOLATE WALNUT BROWNIES

I’ll be honest with you and tell you that I’m not really a coffee kind of gal. However, I love to use it in my recipes. The right kind of coffee, which I’ll get to in a sec, adds a sense of richness that takes these brownies to a whole ‘nother level with a burst of caffeine energy. I used Via Bom Dia‘s Cinnamon Chocolate Cacao flavor for it’s subtle addition of cacao nibs and cinnamon spice, but you can choose any flavor to custom tailor your brownies. I truly love this brand, since everything is sourced from small scale farms and there are no sneaky ingredients involved.

INGREDIENTS

1¼ cup raw walnuts
½ cup hulled hemp seeds
1½ cups pitted dates, soaked to soften
1 cup raw cacao powder, divided
½ tbsp Via Bom Dia Cinnamon Chocolate Cacao ground coffee
1¾ tsp vanilla extract, divided
½ cup coconut oil
¼ cup maple syrup
sea salt

INSTRUCTIONS

In a food processor, pulse the walnuts until crumbly. Scoop out ¼ cup of the crumble and reserve for later.
Add hemp seeds and dates and process until very sticky and chopped.
Add ½ cup cacao powder, 1½ tsp vanilla extract, ¼ tsp salt, and ground coffee and process until well combined.
In a parchment lined baking pan scoop the mixture and press until smooth and flat. Layer the pressed mixture with the crumbled walnuts previously set aside, so that you have two layers so far and freeze for 10 minutes.
In the meantime, heat a small pot over medium heat and add the coconut oil until melted. Remove from heat and stir in ½ cup cacao powder, maple syrup, ¼ tsp vanilla extract, and a pinch of sea salt.
Remove the mixture from the freezer and drizzle the chocolate over the brownies. Put it back in the freezer until the top hardens, or about 20 minutes.
Remove from the freezer and slice into squares. Serve chilled.

Have a beautiful and sweet weekend, healthy birds