These rich, chocolatey brownies are a quick and healthy alternative to the variety made with refined flour and sugar. They’re naturally-sweetened with dates and take only minutes to prepare!
I use the term “brownie” liberally here, because this recipe is really just a batch of chocolate date balls, pressed into a pan for a thicker, bar-style treat.
It’s a bit of a time saver to make them this way, since you don’t have to roll them into 20+ individual balls, and when you add a quick chocolate frosting on top, I think it’s safe to call them “brownies.”
They sure look decadent, don’t they? My 4-year-old son is a big fan.
Made with mineral-rich dates, cacao, and almond flour, these brownies are loaded with:
- Magnesium
- Iron
- Calcium
- Antioxidants (raw cacao has 40x more antioxidants than blueberries!)
- Fiber
- Healthy fat
Because these brownies are nutrient-rich and loaded with fiber, they will keep you feeling satisfied much longer than a regular brownie would. I hope you’ll enjoy them as a healthy treat soon!
No Bake Brownies (Date Sweetened!)
Ingredients
No-Bake Brownies
- 1.5 cups dates , pitted (12 ounces)
- 1 cup almond flour
- 6 tablespoons cacao powder
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Almond Butter Fudge Frosting
- 3 tablespoons cacao powder
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons almond butter
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil (melted)*
Instructions
- In the bowl of a large food processor fitted with an "S" blade, process the dates until crumbly. (It's okay if a ball forms.)
- Add in the almond flour, cacao, salt, and vanilla and process again until a relatively smooth and sticky batter is formed. It's okay if the mixture is crumbly, as long as it easily sticks together when you press it between your fingers.
- Line a pan with parchment paper. Use a loaf pan for thick brownies, or an 8-inch square pan for thinner brownies. Transfer the batter to the pan and use your hands to press it evenly into the bottom. Place the pan in the freezer to set while you make the frosting.
- To prepare the Almond Butter Fudge Frosting, stir together the cacao powder, maple syrup, almond butter, and melted coconut oil in a small bowl. Stir until thick and smooth, then take the brownies out of the freezer and spread the frosting on top. Smooth with a spatula, then let the brownies set in the freezer for at least 20 minutes before serving. (*Note: For an oil-free frosting, use 1 extra tablespoon of almond butter instead of the coconut oil and thin with 1-2 teaspoons of water until easily spreadable. This frosting will remain sticky when chilled so keep that in mind.)
- If you don't want to serve the brownies right away, store them in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to serve. They will keep well in the fridge for at least 2 weeks. For a softer brownie, leave them out at room temperature for 20 minutes before serving.
Video
Nutrition
Per Serving: Calories: 92, Carbohydrates: 13, Protein: 2, Fat: 4
Recipe Notes
- I personally prefer the thinner brownies made in an 8-inch square pan, as the ones I made in the loaf pan (pictured in this post) need to be cut smaller since they’re so thick and rich.
- If you don’t have almond flour on hand, you could use another nut or seed ground up in the food processor in its place. (For a nut-free version, try using sunflower seeds!)
- Raisins could be used as an alternative to dates, though they will change the flavor slightly.
As always, if you make a modification please leave a comment below letting us know what worked for you, so we can all benefit from your experience.
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Reader Feedback: What’s your favorite healthy dessert?
I made your flourless black beans brownies this weekend for the second time and they are my all time favorite brownies! I can’t wait to try this no-bake version! Thank you for all of your delicious recipes.
from QC, Canada
Can regular or whole wheat flour be used?
Wow these look great! Would they still be good if I made them Lactation Brownies by adding brewers yeast, Shatavari powder, flaxseed meal, and ground oats? Would I just have to use more dates or less almond flour? What are the recommendations for the?
Wow! That is all I can say, These are truly superb. My kids loved them too even the picky 10-year old. This recipe couldn’t get any easier! Thanks so much for another healthy but yummy recipe.
This is one of the BEST raw dessert recipes I’ve ever made. It’s so simple and easy to put together, and the texture is the perfect mixture of dense and chewy. I made Angela Liddon’s no-cook magic caramel sauce to top them with, and it was amazing. Thank you for posting!
Oh my goodness! These are AMAZING! Best healthy brownies I’ve ever made by FAR!!!
Can I use peanut butter instead of almond butter?
Delicious! I replaced the cacao with a high-quality cocoa, and the almond butter with peanut butter. Still turned out amazing
I did exactly as recipe said and it is way too dry. Going to add mor dates and some oil
So I wrote earlier that it didn’t work out, in the end I added a banan, some more dates, and about 1 tbl of coconut oil and Wow? I think maybe I should have let my dates sit at room temperature for a few hours.
Megan: would you recommend soaking the dates first?
I don’t soak mine because I am usually able to find soft and squishy dates at the store. If they are not squishy, you might want to soak them in warm water for 15 minutes to help soften them up.
These are my fave healthy go-to brownies! Husband and kids all love them! Thx!
I just bought your book and I’m loving the recipes so far!
I made these with ground pumpkin seed flour since I am sensitive to almonds and sunflower seeds in large amounts. They turned out really good. Our family is also a huge fan of your black bean brownies. Thank you for sharing all of these delicious recipes! You’re the best!!
Great recipe. Didn’t have enough cocoa so used half plain vegan choc melted in the base and melted choc in the topping. Delicious! Thank you
Edible – yes. Brownies – no. The flavor is off and my base never firmed up. The frosting is, well, cocoa flavored almond butter. I should have known better but tried this recipe anyway. Another fail. At least this time it is edible — with a spoon.
I tried to eat these too soon! After sitting in the freezer a bit more, the taste and texture was what I expected. I ended up enjoying them and am back to make again! This time I will add crushed nuts or peppermint to the frosting.
I have made these for years, and they are my FAVE recipe for healthy brownies. No guilt when eating these puppies!
I am so excited to make these! Do you use Deglet or Medjool dates?
I usually use Medjool dates.
This is fantastic! My 10-year-old son said, “I can’t believe these are vegan!”. He said that they don’t taste like fudge or brownies, but they are even better than either of them. I will definitely make this again. I think that next time, I will mix in pecans or add pecans to the top of the icing. This time I added a sprinkle of mini vegan chocolate chips. I also added one tablespoon of powdered erythritol to the icing because it wasn’t quite sweet enough for my taste.
Amazing! I got my first bag of almond flour today to make some healthier alternatives for my sweet tooth.
After an hour of searching recipes I found this and it literally took me a few minutes to make!
I didn’t make the frosting and added some chocolate chips to the mix (whoops). But otherwise followed it to the t and it is yummy!
These are unbelievably delicious!!! Made with almond flour and pumpkin seed flour (Limiting nuts). Quick soaked the dates in boiling water for 10 minutes prior, then drained and threw in food processor. Sooooo rich and super fast! Thank you 🙂
Yummy! Like the poster mentions I wouldn’t really classify as a brownie. It certainly has that fudginess of a brownie but the texture is different. It took me two days to decide and I think I can best describe it as an eatmore bar, in texture and taste. I subbed out almond butter for peanut butter, and didn’t add oil or water to thin my icing. I also recommend rolling your dough between two piece of parchment because it is very stick to try to hand press evenly in a tin. This recipe needs to setting time in a fridge or freezer. It changes the taste and the texture.
Not sure if I did something wrong, but the flavor is odd. I used date syrup as a 1 cup replacement for dates.
Sorry to hear that! I think store-bought date syrup tastes sort of weird compared to real dates, too.
Loved these! I added pecans and chocolate chips – makes me feel like I’m having a real brownie with no guilt 🙂
These were super delicious! They were perfect and easy to make. I will make them again and again.
Hands down the best raw brownies I have ever made!!!