Raw Neapolitan Brownies
Three layers in every bite: a fudgy chocolate almond-walnut brownie base, a tart cherry cream, and a vanilla bean cream, all finished with a glossy chocolate almond coating. No oven, no refined sugar, and dairy-free.
Yield: One 8x8 pan, 16 squares · Active: 45 min · Total: 6½ hours, mostly freezing · Best in North America in summer, when tart cherries ripen (freeze-dried cherries work year-round) · Best eaten: early afternoon
Ingredients
Chocolate almond brownie base
½ cup almonds and ½ cup walnuts (or 1 cup sprouted rolled oats)
½ cup sprouted almonds
1 cup walnuts, soaked and dried ("crispy"), or raw
¼ cup raw cacao powder
3 tbsp coconut sugar
1 tbsp coconut aminos
⅓ cup almond butter
3 tbsp coconut oil
4 Medjool dates, pitted
Pinch of Baja Gold sea salt
1–2 tbsp water, as needed
¼ cup sprouted almonds, chopped, for the top
Vanilla cream
1⅔ cups cashews, soaked at least 4 hours and drained
⅓ cup maple syrup
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
½ cup coconut oil, melted
Seeds of 1 vanilla bean (or 1 tsp vanilla bean powder)
Cherry layer
¼ cup freeze-dried tart cherries (or ½ cup frozen tart cherries, with their juice)
2 tbsp chia seeds
Optional: 1 tsp beet powder, for a deeper color
A splash of water, if needed
Chocolate almond coating
1 cup raw cacao powder
½ cup coconut oil, melted
6 tbsp maple syrup
Pinch of Baja Gold sea salt
6 tbsp almonds, chopped
Method
Make the base. Line an 8x8 pan with parchment, leaving an overhang on two sides. Process all the base ingredients, except the chopped almonds for the top, until the mixture holds together when pressed, adding water 1 tbsp at a time if needed. Press it firmly into the pan, press the chopped almonds into the top, and freeze 30 minutes.
Make the vanilla cream. Blend all the vanilla cream ingredients until completely smooth.
Make the cherry layer. Set aside about a quarter of the vanilla cream. Add the cherries, chia seeds, and beet powder (if using) to the rest, and blend until smooth, adding a splash of water if needed.
Layer. Pour the cherry cream over the base, smooth the top, and freeze 30 minutes. Then pour the reserved vanilla cream over the cherry layer, smooth the top, and freeze at least 4 hours, until firm.
Make the coating. Whisk the cacao, melted coconut oil, maple syrup, and salt until smooth and glossy. Pour it over the frozen vanilla layer while it's still warm and pourable, tilting the pan to coat it evenly, and sprinkle with chopped almonds.
Set and slice. Freeze 1 hour more, then lift the slab out by the parchment and slice it with a knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry between cuts. Let the squares sit 15 minutes before serving.
A note on "raw": Every cashew sold has been heat-treated to remove the caustic oil in its shell, and U.S. almonds are pasteurized by law, so "raw" here means no-bake.
Storage
Frozen up to 2 months; thaw 15 minutes before serving.
Nourishment Notes
The three layers do flavor work as much as visual work. The cherry's tartness, the vanilla's creaminess, and the chocolate's bitterness each hit a different note, and stacking them lets each one register clearly instead of blurring into one muddy chocolate-fruit flavor. It's the same idea behind Neapolitan ice cream: the layers are there for your palate, not just your eyes.
Tart cherries, like Montmorency cherries, are one of the few fruits that contain naturally occurring melatonin, the hormone your body makes in the evening darkness. The amount in a brownie is small compared with what your body makes on its own, but it's a lovely bonus.
Walnuts are traditionally soaked to help reduce phytic acid, which can bind minerals, and then dried until crisp, so they're easier to digest and taste toasty and rich.
Tart cherries — anthocyanins, vitamin C, and naturally occurring melatonin.
Raw cacao — magnesium, iron, flavanols, and theobromine.
Almonds and walnuts — vitamin E, magnesium, and ALA omega-3s from the walnuts.
Cashews — magnesium, copper, and zinc.
Chia seeds — fiber, ALA omega-3s, and calcium.
Medjool dates — potassium, magnesium, and fiber.
Coconut oil — lauric acid, a medium-chain fat, which helps the layers set.
For your cycle: The cacao's magnesium and the cherries' melatonin make these a comforting luteal-phase treat, when chocolate cravings and restless sleep often show up.
Sourcing
Almonds — organic: unpasteurized Spanish almonds, like Terrasoul's, or sprouted almonds
Walnuts — organic and raw, kept in the fridge
Cashews — organic (every cashew sold has been heat-treated, even "raw" ones)
Sprouted rolled oats (optional) — organic, like One Degree Organic Foods
Raw cacao powder — organic, and ideally tested for heavy metals
Tart cherries — organic, freeze-dried or frozen, with no added sugar
Medjool dates — organic, soft, and plump
Almond butter — organic, made from just almonds
Coconut oil — organic, virgin, and unrefined
Coconut sugar and maple syrup — organic coconut sugar; organic Grade A dark maple syrup
Coconut aminos — organic and soy-free, like Coconut Secret
Chia seeds and beet powder — organic
Vanilla — organic vanilla beans or vanilla bean powder
Lemons — organic
Salt — Baja Gold sea salt
— Anna aka Food Marshall