Heart Healthy Brownie Bites

Many people love brownies, myself included.  But most brownies are simply an indulgence.  What if you could get  heart healthy omega brownies with no refined sugar?  I came up with a brownie recipe that is both heart healthy and delicious, plus it is no bake!  For a base, I used heart healthy hemp seeds, and ground flax seeds along with coconut and dates for sweetness with raw cacao powder.  Now, if you are wondering, but does it taste good? It certainly does!  It tastes like a fudgy brownie, and no one, not even kids would be able to tell these are healthy (so don’t tell them, just let them enjoy).  I glazed them with a bit of raw dark chocolate to make them extra good, but if you do not want to mess with that part, the brownies are delicious as is.  They keep for at least a month in the fridge (if they even last that long), and they are great for packing in lunches!

Author: Amy Lyons O’Neil

Amy has worked for Fresh and Natural Foods since 2006 contributing to the variety of healthful foods we offer. She graduated with a degree in studio art from Bethel University in 2007, but in her senior year of college, found that her passion was with the art of food. She later used her photography and culinary skills to create a vegan food and recipe blog, Fragrant Vanilla Cake. She has also written 3 cookbooks. She specializes in vegan and vegetarian recipes. Local, fresh and organic food has always been her focus in whatever she creates.

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Servings: 20 | Prep Time: 30 minutes | Cook Time: 0 minutes | Ready in: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 cups soft medjool dates, pitted
• 1/2 cup ground flaxseed
• 1 cup shelled Hemp Hearts hempseeds
• 2 cups finely shredded dried coconut
• 1 cup raw cacao powder or cocoa powder
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• Chocolate glaze:
• ¼ cup Dr. Bronner's unrefined coconut oil, warmed to liquid
• ¼ cup plus 2 Tbsp raw cacao powder or cocoa powder
• 2 Tbsp maple syrup
• A pinch of sea salt

Instructions

Combine the dates, flaxseed, hempseeds, coconut, cacao powder, and sea salt in the food processor and process until smooth and well combined and starting to hold together. Remove from the processor and press into a 1 inch high square on a foil lined baking sheet or cutting board (a flat surface) using a rolling pin to smooth. Carefully cut into small hearts (if desired), or just squares. If you do the hearts, the scraps can be re-rolled and cut. Place in the freezer for about 15 minutes to firm up while you make the chocolate glaze.

To make the glaze, whisk all ingredients together until smooth. Place in a plastic bag, and when ready to glaze the brownies, cut off the tip of the bag and drizzle over the brownie bites. Store in the fridge.