Ayurvedic Vegan Brownies

True healing happens when the body is at rest, so the harvest and hibernation seasons are ideal for shifting towards a cleaner, more holistic diet. Adding a pinch of awareness to our recipes goes a long way when attempting to get the most nutrients out of what we consume.

To stoke your digestive fires this Fall/Winter, check out the following guidance from Aparna Khanolkar, Ayurvedic Lifestyle Counselor.

The yogi/dancer/mother of two lives by the mantra, "food is medicine." She's created several programs for health and healing, like "Loving Yourself First" and "Reset and Rejuvenate" and she offers a range of consultations from personalized sessions for anxiety and weight loss to her service as the former head chef of the Chopra Center in San Diego, and a YouTube channel that features such news as her Fall Cleanse Invitation and the upcoming Natya Yoga Dance Retreat in her hometown of Mysore, India.

Aparna is also an author of several books: Happy Belly Happy Soul, Spice, A Mother's Blessing, Kitchen Tantra, Everyday Ayurveda, and her latest, Nectar - Food For Yogis and Dancers.

Her recommendation for the colder seasons? Ayurvedic brownies!

And as if that's not balanced enough, we've also included this video of her cooking up some warming kicheri, the perfect pre-brownie snack for holiday soirees.

I love desserts, but I don’t like to add eggs to desserts. Here is a super simple sweet little dessert that is filled with good ingredients including some herbs.

 

Ingredients:

1 cup pumpkin puree OR almost 1 cup of apple sauce

½ cup unsweetened cacao powder

1 cup almond butter or cashew butter

1 tsp cinnamon

½ cup raw sugar or coconut sugar

½ tsp rose petal powder

1 tsp Bramhi powder

1 tsp Marshmallow root powder

 

Instructions:

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend till smooth. You may have to scrape the sides once or twice. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Pour the sticky batter into the baking tray. It may take a few minutes to smooth out the batter evenly. If you wish, you can garnish with some chopped pistachios. Bake for 30 minutes or till the center is no longer moist.

Cool for at least 30 minutes before cutting into squares. Garnish with dried rose petals. Serve with chai. Store in the fridge for up to 5 days. 

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Every living being is a unique blend of mind, body, and energy. As a human being, this blend is your personal imprint upon the world. This living, breathing organism called “you,” can thrive and live with passion, intensity and full engagement with life when you care deeply about your physical, mental and energetic well-being.

The ancient yogis of India have spent thousands of years mastering the art and technologies of inner wellness, which directly benefits your physical and mental well-being. I guide my clients via Zoom online and in person using Vedic tools such as mantras, yoga, asana, Ayurvedic food and spiritual processes to support them in embodying high ideals both on the spiritual and physical realm. www.aparnakhanolkar.com