My kids think these are a treat. I think they’re the easiest thing I make all week. Raw brownies go from a bowl of nuts and dates to a tray in the fridge in about fifteen minutes, and the oven never gets switched on, which matters a lot in a Queensland summer kitchen.
I started making them because I was tired of buying packaged snacks that vanished in two days and left me wondering what was actually in them. These are nuts, dates, a bit of cocoa and a chocolate frosting that sets in the fridge. You can read the lot off the bench in about five seconds.
They’re a healthy sweet end to a Christmas meal, sure, but I cut them into smaller squares and they pull double duty as a lunchbox filler and a 3pm pick-me-up. The recipe comes from our Golden Door kitchen, filled with the goodness of a variety of nuts that provide healthy fats, protein and fibre.
The bit I love most is that there’s no waiting around a hot oven and no second sink full of mixing bowls. One food processor, one tin, one square of baking paper. My youngest does the pressing-down job with the back of a spoon, which she takes very seriously, and the whole thing is done before the kettle’s boiled. If you’ve ever stood in front of the pantry at half past three wondering what to hand a hungry kid that isn’t beige and out of a packet, this is the answer I keep coming back to.
Quick note before the list, because someone always asks me how many nuts is a sensible amount. A healthy daily intake of nuts is 30g (a small handful) or roughly:
- 20 almonds
- 15 cashews
- 20 hazelnuts
- 15 macadamias
- 15 pecans
- 2 tablespoons of pine nuts
- 30 pistachio kernels
- 9 walnut kernels
- a small handful of mixed nuts or about two of each of the ten nut varieties (except chestnut which isn’t eaten raw)
Ingredients
Base Ingredients
- 1 cup raw almonds
- 1/4 cup raw cashews
- 1/2 cup raw walnuts
- 2 cups dates
- 1/3 cup or regular cocoa powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1-1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup of chopped pistachios and goji berries (optional)
Frosting ingredients
- 1/2 cup coconut oil – semi solid
- 1/4 cup rice syrup
- 2 table spoons cocoa powder
- pinch salt
Method
- Line a square tin with baking paper.
- For the brownie base mix, process almonds and cashews in a food processor until you get a fine consistency. Add walnuts and dates and pulse – mix should be crumbly and not coming together. Add cocoa, salt and vanilla and pulse – mix should be sticky and hold when pressed. If it’s dry, add a few drops of water.
- Add pistachios and goji berries and gently mix into the mix.
- Press mixture firmly into the tin.
- For the frosting, combine coconut oil and rice syrup until smooth. Add cocoa and salt then mix til just incorporated.
- Lightly apply frosting over the base and refrigerate for an hour or more until set.
- Cut, serve and enjoy.
Makes one square tin, roughly 16 squares. Recipe by Golden Door Executive Chef David Hunter.
A couple of things I’ve learned the hard way. Don’t over-process the base or the nut oils come out and it goes greasy; you want it to still have a bit of grit. And press the mixture in properly, firmly, into the corners as well as the middle, because a loosely packed tray crumbles the second a kid picks one up. If the frosting seizes a little as it hits the cold base, that’s normal, just spread it quickly with a warm knife.
Make-ahead, storage and a few swaps
This is a make-ahead recipe at heart. I make a tray on a Sunday afternoon, leave it to set overnight, then cut it into small squares and keep them in an airtight container in the fridge. They hold their shape all week. If you want them to last longer, the freezer is your friend – lay the cut squares on a tray, freeze them firm, then tip them into a bag. They’re good for a couple of months and you can eat one straight from frozen on a hot day.
A word on the dates, since they do the heavy lifting here. Soft Medjool dates blitz down beautifully; if yours are dry, soak them in warm water for ten minutes and drain well before they go in the processor. My honest opinion is that the goji berries are worth the extra step for the little tart bursts they give, but the recipe works without them, so don’t make a special trip.
If you’ve got a nut allergy in the house, you can lean on sunflower and pumpkin seeds in place of some of the nuts, though the texture shifts a little. Dates and dried fruit are naturally high in sugar, so I treat these as a real treat rather than an everyday snack – the team at Better Health Victoria has a sensible rundown on nuts and seeds if you want to read more, and Nutrition Australia is my go-to for balance.
For another no-bake fix the kids actually finish, our raw chia energy bars and our little date and lime balls use the same blitz-and-press method. If you want to push the boat out for a birthday, the macadamia and strawberry cheesecake is a showstopper, and there’s a whole stack more in our dessert recipes if you’re feeding a crowd over the holidays.
— Nicole Barnes, Golden Door Living kitchen
