Raw Vegan Brownies with Spooky Sauce

I’ve been on a little hiatus lately; I’m sorry for my absence. I’m happy to be back and even happier to be posting this yummy fall recipe of crock pot applesauce (loaded with extra nutrients by way of carrot juice), drizzled over vegan, gluten-free brownies. Perfect for a Halloween party. If you are crock pot-less, the sauce can also be made on the stove top.

Vegan Brownies with Spooky Sauce

makes 16 servings

• 1 cup raw almonds
• 1 cup raw pecans
• 2 cups Medjool dates, pitted
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• dash of salt
• Spooky Sauce (recipe below)

1. Pulse almonds and pecans in a food processor until finely chopped.
2. Add dates, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and salt to food processor, pulse until dates are diced and mixture is completely combined.
3. Press mixture evenly into an 8×8 pan.
4. Slice brownies into 16 squares. Upon serving, top each square with a drizzle of Spooky Sauce.

Spooky Sauce

makes 2 cups

• 9 large apples (Gala, Fuji, Red Delicious), peeled, cored, and chopped
• 2 1/4 cup carrot juice
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup chia seeds

1. Combine all sauce ingredients in a crock pot.
2. Set crock pot to low heat, allow sauce to cook for 4-6 hours. If making on the stove top, use heavy-bottomed saucepan and set burner to low. Cook until apples resemble mixture below, about 1 hour.
3. Once fully cooked, turn heat off. Allow mixture to rest for 10-15 minutes.
4. Ladle sauce into blender. Blend until mixture is pureed.Caution: Be careful when blending hot mixtures!! Be sure to allow steam to escape (you can remove center piece from blender lid and cover with a few paper towels- hold the towels securely on lid while blending) or wait until mixture cools. I had a very serious bad blender experience involving hot black bean soup splattered over every surface in my kitchen. You want to avoid this at all costs.
5. Drizzle onto anything and everything, including your (almost-raw) vegan brownies. This would also be delicious on top of hot oatmeal. Or, eat by the spoonful; your call.  Refrigerate leftovers up to one week.