This recipe for Raw Chocolate Cherry Brownie Bars is a “clean eating” dessert with no added sugars and no baking required.

I love eating LARABARS, but they are a pricey snack and sometimes hard to find. My favorite part is the short ingredient list – I’ve been trying to avoid processed foods lately in an effort to eat “cleaner”. A few weeks ago I picked up a giant container of medjool dates at CostCo for only $6, and I’ve been wanting to try making homemade bars. It finally happened!

These are more of a dessert bar, with a brownie / “frosting” topping. The base comes together quickly in a food processor with dates, almonds, and a small amount of cherry juice.

Raw Chocolate Cherry Brownie Bars
Makes 12 square bars.

Base Crust~
1 cup pitted medjool dates
1 cup mixed raw almonds
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 Tablespoons cherry juice {from the thawed cherries}

Brownie Topping~
1 ripe banana
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
4 Tablespoons unsweetened almond butter
1/3 cup tart cherries {frozen}

How to~

• Cook frozen cherries in a saucepan on medium low until thaw. Drain of all liquid, setting aside two Tablespoons for the crust.

• Mix together base crust ingredients in a food processor, starting with the almonds. Once the almonds are well chopped, add all other base ingredients and process. 

• Grease a glass 9×12 pan {I used butter}. Spread base crust evenly in the pan and press down with a fork.

• Mix brownie topping ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Spread evenly over base crust.

• Cover pan in aluminum foil and freeze for 30 minutes. Chill in the refrigerator for an additional hour, or overnight. Freeze leftovers.

Yum

{Adapted from Raw Vegan Fudge Brownies on POPSUGAR Social}