Raw Hazelnut Chocolate Brownies

1. In your food processor, process the hazelnuts until it’s a fine flour.
2. Add the dates, cocoa powder, maple syrup and vanilla and process until a sticky dough forms.
3. Place the dough between two Silpats or pieces of parchment paper and roll out to about 1/4″ of an inch thick (or really, however thick you want it).
4. Cut them however you like (I used 1 1/2″ circular cookie cutters) and form the excess dough into a ball, roll out again and cut out more shapes.
5. For the frosting, in the bowl of your food processor, combine all the ingredients until thoroughly combined and no chunks of avocado are left. If it’s not sweet enough, add more maple syrup.
6. The espresso flavor was really light even with quite a bit of powder, but I still liked the difference it made. Add the frosting to the cake and store in the fridge.
7. Yields 5 2×3-inch frosted cakes or about 12 of the brownie towers you see above.

Recipe courtesy of Erin, the author behind the blog Texanerin Baking, which is all about making healthier baked goods taste just as delicious and decadent as the original. Whether it’s 100% whole grain, gluten-free, or grain-free, her recipes have been healthified in some way.