The marriage of chocolate and pumpkin is more harmonious than it sounds: the natural sweetness of the squash rounds off the bitterness of raw cacao and gives a frosting that is both rich and light. Spread over a base of walnut and date brownies, this autumn dessert is made in the food processor in a few minutes, without switching on the oven. You make the frosting first, while the base firms up in the fridge. And if you have any left over, it is very good eaten with a spoon, like a dessert cream.
Raw brownies with chocolate and pumpkin frosting
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Ingredients
For the chocolate and pumpkin frosting
- 415 ml pumpkin or squash puree
- 3 tablespoons raw cacao powder
- 60 ml almond butter
- 3 to 4 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
For the brownie base
- 240 g walnuts
- 300 g pitted dates
- 6 tablespoons raw cacao powder
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Method
- For the frosting, blend the pumpkin puree with the cacao, the almond butter, the honey and the cinnamon until the cream is perfectly smooth, then keep it in the fridge.
- For the base, blend the walnuts, the dates, the cacao and the salt in the food processor fitted with the S blade, until you get an even dough that holds together between your fingers.
- Press this dough firmly into a 20 cm square tin lined with baking paper.
- Place in the fridge for 30 minutes, then cut into squares.
- Cover each square with the chocolate and pumpkin frosting just before serving.
Tip
You will probably have some frosting left over: a few spoonfuls on a porridge or in a bowl of fresh fruit make an improvised and very indulgent dessert. To keep everything completely raw, simply blend 500 g of peeled and diced Hokkaido or butternut squash flesh with a tablespoon of water: the puree you get is a little runnier than a cooked one, and a tablespoon of almond butter is enough to thicken it again. If your dates are dry, soak them for 10 minutes in lukewarm water before draining them. The frosted squares keep for 3 days in the fridge, in an airtight box.
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FAQ: your questions about raw brownies with chocolate and pumpkin frosting
How do you make walnut brownies easily?
Without an oven, two main ingredients are enough: blend 240 g of walnuts with 300 g of pitted dates until the dough holds together between your fingers, then add 6 tablespoons of raw cacao and half a teaspoon of salt. Press firmly into a 20 cm square tin and leave to firm up for 30 minutes in the fridge. The cutting is far neater on a cold dough. If the mixture stays crumbly, add one or two dates rather than water.
Which spice goes well with pumpkin?
Cinnamon is the most obvious one, and it is the one we use here, at a rate of one teaspoon for 415 ml of puree. Ginger, nutmeg, clove and cardamom work just as well and together make up the classic squash spice mix. In savoury dishes, pumpkin goes better with cumin, smoked paprika and sage. Always start with a small amount: these spices come through quickly and would cover the cacao.
How do you thicken a pumpkin puree?
Pumpkin releases a lot of water, which often gives a puree that is too runny. In a raw preparation such as this frosting, almond butter is the simplest answer: one extra tablespoon is enough to bring the whole thing back together. Raw cacao powder plays the same role while adding flavour. You can also let the puree drain for an hour in a fine sieve lined with a clean cloth before blending it.
Do you have to peel Hokkaido squash for a puree?
The skin of Hokkaido squash is thin and perfectly edible once cooked, so you can keep it for a classic puree. For a raw preparation like this one, however, peel it, because raw skin stays tough and leaves fibres in the frosting. Pumpkin and butternut squash, whose skin is thicker, should be peeled in every case. A wide-blade peeler does the job in two minutes on a squash cut into quarters.
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