Raw Chocolate Brownie Hearts (Vegan + GF)

– vegan – gluten free – grain free – oil free – refined sugar free –

If you have ever had Little Debbie’s Cosmic Brownies, this is what these little brownie hearts taste like – except these are vegan, gluten free, refined sugar free and much healthier. The brownies are so soft, chocolatey and perfectly sweet, but the chocolate ganache coating is really what takes them to the next level. The best part is they are raw, so no baking required! This is a super fun project to do with kids or make for your lover (or yourself) on Valentine’s Day. 

Helpful tips:

• If you don’t have a heart-shaped cookie cutter, you can use any cookie cutter! And if you don’t have any cookie cutters, there are 2 other options. You can either use the open side of a small cup/jar as a makeshift cookie cutter to create circles OR press the brownie dough into a parchment lined loaf pan. Once chilled, you can remove the parchment paper from the pan and cut brownies into squares then dip into the chocolate ganache.
• When rolling out the dough, we want to keep it fairly thick – about 1/2 inch – so they don’t break when dipping in the chocolate ganache.
• When making the chocolate ganache for dipping, we want it pretty thin so the brownie doesn’t break during the process. I recommend putting the ganache in a small cup for easier dipping. Alternatively, you can spoon on the chocolate ganache while the brownies are on the baking sheet. You won’t use all the ganache, but I find it easier to work with when there is extra.
• How many brownies this recipe makes depends on the size of your cookie cutter. I used a 2 inch heart-shaped cookie cutter and this recipe made 16 brownies.

Kitchen essentials:

• A mixing bowl + spoon
• A baking sheet
• Parchment paper
• A rolling pin
• Cookie cutters
• A small cup or mug

Substitutions:

• Almond flour: I have not tried any other flours for this recipe, so I can’t attest to how it would turn out. If you try something different, I would love to know how it worked in the comments!
• Pure maple syrup: you can substitute with agave nectar or date syrup.
• Natural peanut butter: you can substitute with any nut or seed butter and it will work perfectly.

If you like this raw dessert, you will love these ones as well:

• Raw maple donut holes
• Raw cookie dough bars
• 4-ingredient chocolate truffles
• German chocolate fudge
• No-bake chocolate PB hemp bars

Raw Chocolate Brownie Hearts (Vegan + GF)

Recipe by Slow Down Company Course: DessertsDifficulty: Easy

Servings

16

servings

Prep time

40

minutes

Cooking time

0

minutes

Total time

40

minutes

Ingredients

• Brownie base

• 2 cups almond flour⁣

• 2 tbsp cacao powder⁣

• 5 tbsp pure maple syrup⁣

• 2 tbsp creamy natural peanut butter

• 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract⁣

• 1/4 tsp sea salt⁣

• 2 tbsp dairy-free chocolate chips (optional)

• Chocolate ganache

• 1/4 cup dairy-free chocolate chips⁣

• 3 tbsp nondairy milk

Directions

• Make the brownie dough. Combine all ingredients for the brownie base in a bowl. The dough should be thick and stick together really well. If it’s too dry, add more maple syrup. If it’s too wet, slowly add more almond flour.
• Roll out the dough. Transfer the brownie dough to a baking sheet and place a large piece of parchment paper over the top. Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough until it’s about 1/2 inch thick (if they are too thin, they will break easily when dipping in chocolate later). ⁣
• Cut out the shapes. Use your cookie cutter to cut the brownies into shapes then set back on the baking sheet (see my “helpful tips” above if you don’t have any cookie cutters). Refrigerate for 20 minutes to set. ⁣
• In the meantime, make the chocolate ganache. Add the chocolate chips and milk to a small cup or mug and microwave in 15 second increments, mixing in between, until fully melted. ⁣
• Dip brownies in ganache. When the brownies have chilled, dip them into your chocolate ganache and set on a wire rack or back on the baking sheet. Refrigerate for another 20 min for the chocolate to harden and enjoy! 

Notes

• How many brownies this recipe makes depends on the size of your cookie cutter. I used a 2 inch heart-shaped cookie cutter and this recipe made 16 brownies. Nutritional label is based on 1 brownie.
• Store in the fridge for up to 10 days or at room temperature for 4-5 days.
• Substitutions are listed above.
• Total time does not include chill time.

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