Date and Oat Coconut Brownies

Rich, tender and indulgent brownies coming at you. Like, now.

I am so impressed with this recipe – if I don’t say so myself. If you follow me on social media, you’ll know I often talk about self-love, self-worth and self-belief and that the majority of us do not practice these three things often enough. One friend commented that she tries to talk to herself how she would talk to a friend. How refreshing that is. We wouldn’t be nearly half as critical, berating or negative towards a friend as we are towards ourselves. So, here’s a gentle reminder to believe in your self-worth and know that you are amazing.

Date and Oat Coconut Brownies

So, I can say that I am P R O U D of this brownie recipe and of my efforts. I hope you will be too, when you make them.

Date and Oat Coconut Brownies

I have to admit that these are actually pretty simple and fail-proof to bake. As there is no gluten, there is no worry about over-mixing the batter to become a tough or un-risen bake and because there are (obviously) no eggs, there is also no need to worry about an undercooked bake. You can have these Date and Oat Coconut Brownies as fudgy and gooey as you like and they’ll be just as good for you.

That’s another bonus to this recipe. Every single ingredient boasts good-for-you qualities. We’ve got oats for fibre and complex carbohydrates, pumpkin seeds for vitamins, coconut (desiccated and oil) for healthy fats, cinnamon to promote lower blood sugar levels, maca for healthy hormones, raw cacao for all those super antioxidants and dates as our refined sugar free sweetener to also help with blood sugar regulation. I’ve said this before, but these are all fun facts I have picked up on my way towards health and happiness but are well-known nuggets of wisdom.

Date and Oat Coconut Brownies

I am really enjoying using dates as binders and sweeteners in my baking – especially granola and granola bites, too. Blitzed with some coconut oil and milk, they form a gorgeous caramel-like paste that holds together the oat-seed-coconut brownie mix, while keeping it moist.

You can totally enjoy these Date and Oat Coconut Brownies any time of the day – they’re healthy and nutritious enough to have for breakfast and indulgent enough to enjoy with a scoop of ice cream for dessert. They’re not your usual crispy top ooey-gooey brownies but the addition of dark chocolate chips makes them feel more decadent, even if they’re basically a chocolate granola batter! These are quite rich because I use raw unsweetened cacao powder, so if you’re after a sweeter bake, opt for a naturally sweetened or not-raw cacao or cocoa.

Date and Oat Coconut Brownies

Are you ready? Let’s get the oven on…

Date and Oat Coconut Brownies
Makes 12 squares

Ingredients:
100g oats
75g pumpkin seeds
50g desiccated coconut
4 tbsp/40g raw cacao powder
1 tsp each: cinnamon, maca
½ tsp salt
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
125g pitted dried dates (I like these ones)
80g coconut oil
180ml/ ¾ cup plant-based milk
50g dark chocolate, chopped small
To decorate: 50g chocolate, 2 tbsp cacao nibs, 1 tbsp desiccated coconut

Method:

1. Soak the dates in boiling water for 10 minutes and then drain.

2. Preheat the oven to 160Fan/180*C and line a baking tray with parchment paper (I used a square 20x20cm tin and sectioned off an area for thicker brownies).

3. Plate the oats and pumpkin seeds in a food processor and whizz until a fine flour forms. Tumble into a large mixing bowl and stir in the desiccated coconut, cacao, cinnamon, maca, salt and bicarbonate of soda.

4. Add the drained dates and coconut oil to the food processor (no need to clean) and blend until a paste forms – it will look bitty and may separate but this is fine. Slowly add the milk ¼ cup at a time and the paste will turn uniform and creamy. Scrape down the sides as necessary.

5. Pour the date paste over the dry mix and stir well until the mix comes together. Add in the chocolate chunks and stir again.

6. Transfer the brownie mix into the lined baking tray and spread out evenly, ensuring the top is smooth.

7. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes (depending the thickness of your brownies) until the top feels firm to touch and an inserted skewer comes out clean.

8. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes in the tin before removing the bake and placing directly on the wire rack to cool fully. Cut into bars.

9. To decorate, melt the chocolate over a bain-marie and then drizzle over the brownie squares and sprinkle with cacao nibs and desiccated coconut. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days – if they last that long!

Date and Oat Coconut Brownies

Here’s celebrating my first (of many, I hope) brownie recipes. I would love to see if you make my Date and Oat Coconut Brownies, so please tag me in your creations – I’m @nourishing.amy on Instagram and use the hashtag #nourishingamy and leave a comment below!

With brownie love x

I love dates, but they can get pricey, and I’ve recently discovered these juicy Deglet Noir Dates from Buy Wholefoods Online which are great for raw and cooked baking – and snacking!

THIS POST ISN’T SPONSORED ALTHOUGH I WILL EARN A SMALL COMISSION ON ANY PURCHASES MADE THROUGH THE LINK TO THE DATES.