Once you start making raw desserts, you quickly discover that a single technique — nuts and dried fruit blended together — is the base for very different things: tart crusts, crumbles, bars, balls. Add raw cacao and you get these bites, somewhere between a brownie and a truffle. The walnuts, cacao nibs and cacao powder are blended on their own first, the dates come in only afterwards: that's what gives even crumbs instead of a paste that turns into dough too quickly. Expect twenty to thirty bites, and two weeks of storage in the fridge.
Raw Brownie Bites with Walnuts and Cacao Nibs
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Ingredients
- 2 cups walnuts
- 2/3 cup raw cacao nibs
- 1 generous pinch sea salt, to taste
- 1/4 cup cacao powder
- 1 1/2 cups pitted dates
Method
- Put the walnuts, cacao nibs, salt and cacao powder in a food processor and blend for about thirty seconds, until everything is well broken down into crumbs.
- Add the dates and blend for another twenty seconds or so. The mixture should start to clump together. If it doesn't, keep blending until a small amount pressed in your hand holds together easily.
- If the mixture stays too dry, add a few more dates: that's usually enough to bind everything together.
- Roll the dough between your palms into balls about 2 to 2.5 cm across.
- Refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.
Tip
The recipe halves very easily. The bites keep for two weeks in a sealed container in the fridge, and actually firm up nicely after a night in the cold.
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FAQ: your questions about raw cacao
What's the difference between cacao and raw cacao?
Regular cacao is roasted, meaning heated to a high temperature, which develops the chocolatey aromas we're used to. So-called raw cacao is dried and processed at a low temperature, generally under 45°C. The taste changes noticeably: more tangy, more fruity, often more bitter, with notes that recall dried fruit rather than a chocolate bar. The difference is therefore about the process, not the variety: you'll find criollo or nacional in both versions.
Can you eat raw cacao beans?
Yes, and it's actually the most direct way to discover the taste of cacao. Raw beans can be eaten as they are once shelled: expect something distinctly bitter and very crunchy, worlds away from a square of chocolate. Many people prefer to crush them into nibs to scatter over a bowl of fruit or into a dough, as in these bites. Start with a small amount while your palate adjusts.
Why eat raw cacao?
First of all for the taste: unroasted cacao keeps fruity, tangy notes that heat wipes out, which gives raw desserts a character very different from a classic chocolate cake. Then for the composition: less processing means less handling, no sugar, no lecithin or added flavouring. Nutritionally, it's often said that heating degrades flavanols; the data remains partial, and it's more honest to speak of a difference in process and taste than a proven health benefit.
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