Chocolate Dusted Calimyrna Fig and Cardamom Brownie Bites
~ raw, vegan, gluten-free ~
I love, love, love, love these! But then I love figs and cardamom and together… I doubly love them. Haha Now that I have professed my love… it’s time to get serious! Well, as serious as I can get here, which isn’t very. :)
These are chubby, little brownie bites. About 3/4″ thick and 1″ square. The perfect bite! The flavor balance between the bitter raw cacao (chocolate) that coats the rich, warm flavor and aroma of cardamom, mingles well with the earthy, seedy, texture of the dried figs. Quite remarkable if you ask me… go ahead, ask me! (big cheesy grin) Not doing so well for being serious, now am I?
Ok, (clears throat, here it goes) I always like to look at spices in the eyes of Ayurvedic practices. Though cardamom has many health benefits, today, I wanted to touch on what it can do for the stomach. I am fascinated by the digestive system.
Not only is cardamom delightful and appealing, but it is also highly aromatic. Aromatic spices are a powerful friend to those with a myriad of digestive difficulties, from belching to sluggish digestion. It accelerates the gastric emptying rate, meaning it relaxes the stomach valves that prevent your food from entering the small intestine. It also has been shown to relieve nausea and has been used as an aid in morning sickness.
Ingredients:
yields 36 bites
- 2 cups rolled, gluten-free oats, soaked & dehydrated
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1/2 tsp Himalayan pink salt
- 3/4 tsp ground cardamom
- 2 cups diced dried figs
- 1 cup Medjool dates, pitted
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
- 2 Tbsp raw cacao powder, coating
Preparation:
- In the food processor, fitted with the “S” blade, combine the oat, almond flour, salt, and cardamom. Pulse together.
- With the food processor running, drop in the figs and dates. Then drizzle in the coconut oil. Process until the batter sticks together and starts to form a ball as the blade spins.
- Line a cookie or pan with plastic wrap and press the batter evenly and firmly. I made mine 3/4″ thick. It didn’t fill the cookie sheet, so I just squared up the edges. Place in the fridge or freezer to firm up.
- Remove and cut into small bite-size squares.
- Coat the brownie pieces with cacao powder and shake the excess off.
- Eat right away or store in the fridge for 1 week or in the freezer for 1-2 months.
The Institute of Culinary Ingredients™
Dates are an amazing ingredient for raw food recipes, click (here) to read why.- What is raw cacao powder?
- What is Himalayan pink salt, and does it matter? Click (here) to read more about it.
- Is coconut butter the same as coconut oil? Click (here) to find out.
- Are oats gluten-free? Yes, read more about that (here).
- Are oats raw? Yes, they can be found. Click (here) to learn more.
- Do I need to soak and dehydrate oats? Not required but recommended. Click (here) to see why.
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hmm. Looks yummy but I need suggestions to slow down my digestive system…not speed it up. Know of any? Mags
Good evening Mags… this is hard to answer quickly, being I don’t know your situation. You can always email me at [email protected] with more info and I can see if I can share some suggestions. I am not a nutritionist but happy to see if I can help. Have a wonderful weekend, amie sue
Wow that sounds great! I’m really trying to eat healthy for myself and kids, these are the kinds of recipes that’ll help me do it because the kids are picky eaters.
I just want to say thank you for providing such helpful ideas and recipes, keep up the great work. :)
Your welcome Abe and thank you for sharing. How old are your little ones? They are so blessed to have a mom who encourages healthy eating. Have a wonderful and fun weekend, I plan on it and shouldn’t be the only one. hehe amie sue
These sound too divine. I, too, adore cardamon. I might just break my week juice detox programme for this, as I can’t wait to try it!
A million thanks for the extraordinary inspiration you regularly provide, Amie-Sue.
oooh no, stay on track with your detox program… unless you feel it is time to stop, but you might want to ease into foods before adding such a rich dessert. Though I have no idea what your program looks like… I am sure that you are on top of it. :) The recipe will always be here for when you are ready. :) Blessings Kathryn.. amie sue
Hotep. Keep doing what you do, great inspiration..
These are my next dessert to try. They look and sound divine! How could they be anything but yummy with these ingredients? Thanks for sharing all of your good food :-)
These turned out absolutely amazing. Thank you for such a fantastic recipe!
Thank you Claudia for letting me know! Have a blessed day, amie sue
These are so wonderfully amazing! And easy!! Time consuming, yes, but I am getting used to soaking and sprouting and dehydrating and then storing so they are ready when I want to make something like this. I didn’t have enough figs for a batch and a half so used more dates than figs but the cardamom ratio is perfect so that is the flavor that mildly comes through!! Thank you for your website and recipes – I love every one that I have made!
Thank you Carolyn for posting such a wonderful comment. Soon you will be free flowing in the kitchen. Anytime we learn something new it can seem daunting, it is just a matter of retraining ourselves so we can adapt to new patterns. I hope that you continue to find inspiration throughout my site. Many blessings! amie sue
Hi Amie-Sue,
So very thrilled to have stumbled on your website – can’t believe I haven’t discovered it before! It truly is a thing of beauty! What an incredible resource you’ve created here. And how wonderfully generous of you to share so freely. Thank you so much. Have already made a couple of your amazing recipes and they turned out perfectly. :)
Sorry to ask yet another boring substitution question (you must get so tired of them!)….but I’m wondering what I could possibly replace the coconut oil in this recipe with and I’m drawing a blank. Obviously it’s got to be something reasonably firm. Would almond butter work, do you think? Or maybe chia gel? Any suggestions gratefully received.
Thank you Helen… I am thrilled to see that you have been zooming about my site. hehe. Thank you so much for the warm compliment.
As far as questions go… never a bother, I don’t grow tired of them because it is my passion to help others whenever I possibly can. :) To answer your question, I would suggest perhaps coconut butter or even raw cacao butter. The coconut oil helps give the bar a firmer texture after it is chilled. Almond butter could work but it might be a little softer… still yummy though. I hope this helps, blessings. amie sue
Hi Amie- Sue,
as you know i made these bars a while ago and as the times passes by they get even more delicious:) i added a few pecan nuts in the mix for crunch.. Our friends loved the taste as well… one raspberry or blackberry on top after cutting them small squares made them even more beautiful to serve with a cup of thee or coffee. Delightful! Thank you. Many Blessings, XXX
Ooooh that sounds yummy!! I needed to be at that tea party. hehe Great idea topping them with berries. You’re amazing! Sending you kitchen blessings, amie sue