vegan Archives - Her Modern Kitchen

The Little Darlin’ is a gem of a bar in South Austin with live music, sippable cocktails and the most complex ‘dive bar’ menu I’ve ever tasted. You gotta eat here.

The Little Darlin’ has been a regular for <3M and I since it opened a few years ago and I can’t believe I’m just now getting around to writing about it.

For those of you who don’t live in South Austin, this dive bar is the type of place that you could easily overlook but would be seriously mad you did — it’s got a great vibe, sippable cocktails and the most complex ‘dive bar’ menu I’ve ever tasted. It’s located off of William Cannon between i35 and South Congress and us South Austin locals can’t help but love it.

A Great Outdoor Space

The Little Darlin’ has a great outdoor space that’s dog-friendly and has an open area for kids to play (during the day, it’s +21 at night). My favorite part is the outdoor bar that wraps around a huge tree in the back patio. The bar seats here are covered by the canopy of trees and it’s a nice shady spot to relax and listen to the band playing on the huge outdoor stage. You can regularly find bands playing at The Little Darlin’ and from my past experience, most of the shows are free.

Creative Cocktail Infusions

Inside, the bar has additional tables, some pool tables, and an extensive bar menu offering up homemade infusions like spicy vodkas or fruity mixers that elevate the classic bar drinks. My favorite is a spicy margarita made with one of their rotating infused liquors. Or, if frozen drinks are more your style, The Little Darlin’ typically has a frozen mix on special that’s always worth a taste. They also offer a vast selection of rotating local taps & bottled beers for those not up for any of the hard stuff.

Seasonal Watermelon Salad with Candied Jalapeños

This Isn’t Standard Dive Bar Food

While the vibes and cocktails are great, my favorite part about The Little Darlin’ is its food menu. They’re not serving up the typical bar food — what The Little Darlin’ is offering is elevated, sophisticated, seasonal dishes for lunch, dinner, and brunch on Sundays.

The Little Darlin’ burger is a staple on the menu and not to be missed with a red eye mayo, cheese, bacon and a side of the crispiest fries! Rivaling the burger is the Fried Chicken Sandwich. This guy is fried up extra crispy with succulent, moist chicken on the inside and a pile of homemade coleslaw for crunch.

Little Darlin Burger

I’m also a huge fan of both The Little Darlin’s hummus, served with naan bread, and their Antonelli’s cheese plate. For $15 you get a mound of different cheeses, seedy mustard, house pickles, fresh bread, and some nuts & fruit for snacking. It’s a cheese lover’s dream and the price to quantity makes it a steal.

Chicken Sandwich & Texas Mushrooms

To Die for Vegan Fare

The Little Darlin’ also does a great job catering to vegans and vegetarians alike. They offer a Beyond Meat Burger, unique salads, soups, and a rotating vegan meal. In fact, the vegan meals are my favorite at The Little Darlin’. These dishes are thoughtfully crafted with local ingredients and are never trying to masquerade as a meat dish made vegan. Recently I enjoyed the Texas Mushrooms in a tomato sauce with tofu and it was a flavorful, fresh and had me licking my plate clean.

Texas Mushrooms (vegan)

Lastly, if you swing by The Little Darlin’ for brunch be sure to try their Fried Chicken & Waffles with pecan maple syrup, their rotating French Toast or the unique Reuben Eggs Benedict all washed down with a classic Bloody Mary or mimosa.

Chicken and Waffles

Even if you aren’t from South Austin, I guarantee a trip to The Little Darlin’ will be well worth your drive. Be sure to make it a lazy adventure so you have time to soak up their outdoor seating and listen to the band while you enjoy a few house cocktails and the best damn bar food you’ll ever taste.

Sinfully rich raw vegan brownies made with dates, nuts, and a dash of espresso glazed with a coconut chocolate ganache.

Years ago Whole Foods used to sell these delicious vegan raw brownies. They were found in a dessert case right near checkout and I absolutely loved them. The brownies were made with finely chopped nuts, dates, cocoa, and cocoa nibs. It had a thin chocolate ganache-like frosting and it was the most decadent treat.

Check out the full Baking Bucket List here.

In comparison, the Whole Foods’ raw vegan brownie was like a Larabar’s evil step sister — bittersweet, gooey, rich and sinfully delicious. I’m not sure whatever happened to that raw chocolate brownie but it disappeared from Whole Foods. Even now, from time to time I look for it but it seems like a lot of Whole Foods’ raw/vegan dessert offerings have switched over to local producers and none of them are serving up a raw brownie similar to the one I remember.

Dreams of this raw vegan brownie are what inspired my February Baking Bucket List Challenge. I wanted to recreate the raw brownie I loved so long ago. Inspired by the Whole Foods’ brownie, and with a wish list of ingredients, I pulsed together pecans, walnuts, hemp seeds, cocoa powder and dates to form my raw brownie batter base.

brownie batter with nuts, dates and hemp seeds

unfrosted brownies ready for their first chill in the fridge

Though already full of nuts, I wanted more crunch in my brownies so I added sweetened cacao nibs and roughly chopped walnuts & pecans to the batter. And, to enhance the chocolate flavor, I also added a tablespoon of espresso powder. The espresso powder addition strays from Whole Foods’ original flavor palette but I took some creative liberty and customized the brownie a bit to my own flavor preferences. But, if coffee isn’t your thing, you can easily omit the espresso powder.

After a quick chill in the fridge, the brownies were ready to be frosted with a vegan coconut chocolate ganache made of coconut oil, maple syrup and more cocoa powder. With one more 30-minute trip to the fridge, the brownies had stiffened up, the ganache hardened, and they were ready to slice!

To slice the raw vegan brownies, I advise you to utilize the ‘hot knife’ method. A regular knife will drag through the brownies while the hot knife method will leave you with clean lines and perfectly intact brownies.

To do this, you dip a sharp knife into a very hot cup of water, wipe the knife dry then cut one line through the chilled brownies. Dip the knife in the water again, wipe it clean and slice again. Repeat this process until you have 16 brownies.

So, how did these brownies turn out? They were EVERYTHING I was dreaming of.

Rich, bittersweet dark chocolate flavor, a perfectly nutty texture, and a creamy, smooth vegan ganache topping. You probably won’t believe me, but I loved my raw vegan brownies more than the gluten-filled, butter-heavy, double shot espresso brownies I shared last week.

Eating these raw vegan brownies felt like a dirty little secret.

I just wanted to be left alone with my brownie, a fork, and a tall glass of milk. I know in the future when I need some chocolate comfort, these raw vegan brownies will be on the top of my baking list.

Are you a fan of raw foods? If so, what’s your favorite raw dessert?

5.0 from 1 reviews

Baking Bucket List: Raw Vegan Brownies

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Prep time

30 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

1 hour

Author: Alyssa

Serves: 16

Ingredients

½ cup walnut pieces
½ cup pecan pieces
½ cup hemp hearts
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
½ teaspoons sea salt
250 grams pitted, Medjool dates
1 teaspoon water
2 tablespoons roughly chopped walnut
2 tablespoons roughly chopped pecans
2 tablespoons cacao nibs
1 tablespoon espresso powder
For the coconut chocolate ganache:

1/2 cup coconut oil
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
¼ cup pure maple syrup
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

Line an 8x8 inch pan with parchment paper and set aside.
In a large food processor, pulse the ½ cup walnut pieces and ½ cup pecan pieces until a fine crumb forms. Add the hemp hearts and dates and pulse again until finely chopped. Scrape down the sides and add the vanilla extract, salt, espresso and cocoa powder. Pulse to combine.
Test the dough by pinching a tablespoon size to see if it holds together. If it’s still crumbly, add the tablespoon of water and pulse again. Retest and continue the process until the dough forms a ball when pressed together.
Once the dough forms, add the remaining 2 tablespoons walnuts pieces, pecan pieces, and cacao nibs. Pulse to combine.
Place the dough in the lined pan, evenly spreading the dough into a single layer. Place the brownies in the fridge for 30-minutes or freezer for 10-minutes while you make the ganache topping.
In a small sauce pan over low heat, melt the coconut oil. Once melted, whisk in the maple syrup. Add the cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and sea salt. Once the brownies are fully chilled, pour the warm mixture on top of the cold brownies. Working quickly, evenly spread the ganache over the brownies to form a thin layer.
Return the brownies to the fridge for another 30-minutes or freezer for 15-minutes for the ganache to set. Use the ‘hot knife’ method to slice the brownies into 16 pieces.
Keep the brownies chilled in the fridge until serving or store for up to 5 days in the fridge.