Chocolate and Pecan Pinwheel Brownies

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~ raw, vegan, gluten-free, grain-free ~

It’s the holiday season, and I find myself in the kitchen creating wonderful healthy treats. Ok, so I basically do that 365 days a year… but now I get to listen to Christmas music while I do it. Ok, Ok, fine… for those of you who really know me… I surrender! I listen to Christmas throughout the year! Happy? I confessed. hehe

If you’re shopping for the perfect gift for your loved ones, forget standing in line at some department store. Give the gift of love that was created right in your own home, with your own hands.

Handmade gifts are the best kind, particularly when they’re edible. They’re so much more personal, and no one can resist homemade cookies, loaves of bread, and truffles, especially when these gourmet goodies are in a pretty package.

If you have spent some time on my site, looking through all the categories of recipes that I make… I am sure you noticed that I have a ton of fruit leather recipes. I always have a surplus of them on hand. Not only are they great for snacking, but you can also make some pretty amazing desserts with them on the fly.

I pulled open my drawer where I house the leathers and inspiration hit me. I grabbed a large roll of banana fruit leather and unwrapped it. I made a very quick brownie batter and spread it over the leather. Rolled it back uptight, popped it in the freezer, sliced it, and then rolled the slices in chocolate and pecans. Brownie pinwheels! After I had them all made up, I decided to package them individually in clamshells to give as gifts. They freeze perfectly so that you can take the stress out of holiday preparations.  See the photos below for inspiration. The lesson to be learned here… never underestimate the simplicity of fruit leather!

These pinwheels are festive looking, sweet, chocolaty, and have a wonderful mouthfeel. The banana leather adds a subtle chew, the crushed pecans add a nice crunch… and let’s not forget the melt-in-your-mouth brownie batter… just heavenly. I hope you enjoy this recipe. Please be sure to leave a comment below. Blessings, amie sue

Ingredients:

Yields 18 pinwheels

Banana leather:

• 4 large ripe bananas

Filling:

• 2 cups (190 g) raw pecans, soaked & dehydrated
• 2 cups (350 g) packed, moist Medjool dates, pitted
• 2-4 Tbsp (20-40 g) coconut oil, melted
• 1/4 cup (72 g) maple syrup
• 1/4 cup (25 g ) raw cacao powder
• 1/2 tsp (1 g) ground cinnamon

Chocolate edging:

• 1-2 cups hardening chocolate
• 1 cup crushed pecans

Banana leather:

1. Place the peeled bananas in a blender or food processor and blend until silky smooth.
2. Pour the batter onto a nonstick dehydrator sheet.
   • Spread evenly.
   • I like to hold the tray in my hands and tilt it in all four directions to help it spread towards the edges.
   • I didn’t spread mine to a square shape, though next time I might try that.
   • If you don’t have any of those, you can use parchment paper, but not wax paper as it will stick.
3. Dehydrate at 145 degrees (F) for 1 hour, then reduce and continue to dry for up to 20 hours.
   • The dry time will vary based on humidity and how thick it is.
   • Halfway through the drying process, flip the nonstick sheet over onto a mesh sheet and peel off the nonstick sheet. Continue drying until the fruit leather isn’t tacky when you touch it.

Filling:

1. In a food processor fitted with the “S” blade, combine pecans, dates, coconut oil, sweetener, cacao powder, and cinnamon. Process until combined.
   • Be careful that you don’t over-process the batter or it will become too oily.
   • If the dates are dry and hard, soak them in enough warm water to cover them for 15 minutes. Once done soaking, remove and hand-squeeze the excess water from them.
   • Also, be sure to inspect each date as you remove the pit. Check for mold and bugs. I don’t mean to gross you out; this is just the nature of dates (dried fruits).
2. Make to REMOVE ALL pits from the dates. Double, triple, check. One missed pit can ruin your whole recipe.

Assembly:

1. Place the banana fruit leather directly in front of you.
2. Spread the filling batter on the leather, reaching all edges.
   • Option: sprinkle crushed pecans on top before rolling for added texture.
3. Roll the leather up into a log, nice and tight.
   • Wrap in plastic wrap and chill until firm. You can do this in the freezer if you want to speed up the process.
   • You want it firm enough so you can make clean cuts when creating the slices.

Chocolate edging: (optional)

1. After making the melted chocolate, roll just the edges in the chocolate and then in the crushed pecans.
   • If you don’t wish to make your own raw chocolate, you can melt vegan chocolate chips instead.
2. Lay then flat in a single layer on a lined baking pan.
3. Place in the freezer until the chocolate sets up.
4. Enjoy right away, package for gift-giving, or freeze for later enjoyment.

Tags: Dairy Free, Dehydrated, Refined Sugar Free, Soy Free, sugar free, Vegan