Amazing Healthy "Brownies"

I have a serious sweet tooth. Even though I tend to crave savory and salty treats more, I like a little something sweet every day. On and off again I go on a no-sugar kick that also involves no artificial sweeteners. In an effort to clean up my diet and get back on the training wagon, I'm on that kick and found myself longing for cupcakes, frosting, pies, ice cream... pretty much anything sweet. I tried almond milk "ice cream" and the texture was a disappointment. I was successful with a coconut milk chocolate mousse, but tons of stevia was needed to sweeten it. Then I discovered pure heaven when I came across a recipe for healthy brownie bites.

The first attempt was a huge success and my boyfriend confirmed they were amazing. We had them before an evening bike ride and they provided perfect fuel on top of being insanely delicious. The recipe called for rolling the dough into little balls, which I did, but I decided to try making actual brownie squares on the next round. The best part is how incredibly simple it is. You toss everything into a food processor and pulse until you have sticky crumbs.

Then you either roll into balls or press into a pan and cut into squares.

The resulting treat tastes so much like a rich brownie, yet contains no added sugar, no flour and no dairy. These are definitely high in calories due to the use of dates and nuts, but the ingredients are clean and healthy and so much better than an actual brownie. You can control the portion size by making smaller squares or bites, but you'll have a hard time stopping at just one! I plan to weigh the ingredients and calculate nutrition with next week's batch and will provide an update. Enjoy!

Healthy Brownies 

2 2/3 cups pitted dates
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Ghirardelli)
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup pecans
2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Place all ingredients in the food processor and pulse until very well blended into sticky crumbs (pinch mixture to be sure it holds together). Pour into a large ziploc bag and squeeze the dough together (you can skip this and just use your hands, but it saves a huge mess). Either roll into tablespoon-sized balls, or press into a small pan and cut into squares. I used a loaf pan and it made 10 brownies that were approximately 1-inch thick. I like the combination of walnuts and pecans, but you could use a single nut instead. Store brownies covered in the refrigerator, but warm to room temperature before eating.

Original recipe here