Raw Citrus Brownies

I revealed a few days ago that my family have cut out refined white sugar and highly processed ingredients. So, I have been on the hunt for sweet treats with no sugar and processed ingredients.

I came across these Raw Lemon Bars from The Rawtarian. I was instantly in love with them and made them that very day. I then tweaked the recipe a little to include the goodness of both oranges and lemons, changed the nuts from the suggested almonds to walnuts and we have Raw Citrus Brownies - decadently rich yet oh so good for you.

I like to chop my dates and walnuts to make it easier on my food processor. You could just throw them in whole, just be prepared for a bumpy ride while the processor works through it all. Feel free to substitute your favorite nuts. I love cooking with Walnuts because of their high levels of Vitamin E, which is great for your skin. 
Essentially, they comprise of Raw Walnuts and Dates, with some delicious and nutritious sweetness and flavor thrown in from orange, lemon and coconut. They truly are luscious, just look at the raw ingredients in all their glory, before they met their fate in the food processor.

 I love how the walnut in the middle looks a little like a butterfly!

This is the gorgeous mound of grated lemon and orange zest. I used a fine grater but you can use a zester if you have one. Just make sure you get only the orange/lemon rind and as little of the bitter white pith as possible.

Along with cutting the brownies into bars, I used a little bear cookie cutter and cut some into little bear treats for the kids. I served a brownie bear as a treat for Mr 2, along with some brown rice macaroni and chicken pieces leftover from making chicken stock. He also ate his way through half a raw red pepper while at the table! 

In the past week I've made the Raw Citrus Brownies twice and the family ADORE them. I gave a few to my Husband to take to work and he generously shared them with a couple of colleagues, who all asked for the recipe. So - I told him I'd just post the recipe on my blog and he could send them the link! (Hi to Hubby's Work Buddy's!! *waves*) Yes, I'm a little lazy, but I felt then I'd get to share the recipe with them and you at the same time - win-win!

Raw Citrus Brownies (Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Sugar Free & Vegan)
Adapted from The Rawtarian
1 and 1/2 cups Pitted Dates, chopped
1 Cup Walnuts, chopped
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Zest from 1 Lemon
Juice from 1/2 a Lemon
Zest from 1 Orange
Juice from 1/2 an Orange
1 Cup Shredded Coconut
1 teaspoon Sea Salt

1. Place all the ingredients in a food processor fitted with an "S" Shaped blade.
2. Blend until well combined. You may need to switch the machine off and scrape down the sides with a spatula a few times until the mixture forms a sticky "dough".
3. Place the Raw Citrus Brownie dough into a dish, I used a rectangular pyrex dish.
4. Refrigerate for at least an hour to fully set and cut into bars.

These Raw Citrus Brownies are sweetened from natural sweetness of the dates and fruit. I'm getting more and more into sweetening treats with sugar alternatives and I'd love to hear from you about any unusual ingredients you use to sweeten your treats.

To recreate the bento meal, you'll need:

 

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