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Date Brownies are 100% fruit sweetened, but you’d never know just by tasting them. They are made without flour or oil, and have a rich & chewy texture you’ll love!
Why You’ll Love Them
They’re delicious. These healthy brownies have a rich chocolate flavor, and a texture similar to the two-bite brownie bites you’d find at the grocery store. My kids gobble them up! (And they are quite picky.)
They’re naturally sweet. Dates are the perfect sweetener for this recipe, with a caramel-like flavor that isn’t too detectable. (Unlike banana or applesauce, which would contribute almost too much flavor to a chocolate dessert.)
They’re nourishing. Dates contain important minerals, like iron and potassium, and when you pair them with nutrient-rich ingredients like almond butter and cacao powder, these brownies will help you get more fiber and antioxidants into your day.
They’re perfect for special diets. If you’re trying to avoid added sugar, or are following a Paleo, vegan, dairy-free, or gluten-free eating plan, this recipe is perfect for you! Be sure to check out the substitutions below, if you need to make a swap.
Ingredients You’ll Need
This recipe requires no added sugar– just pitted Medjool dates! You can add in a few mini chocolate chips, if you’d like a double-chocolate brownie, but that’s totally optional.
If you don’t have almond butter on hand, you can use any other nut butter you like, such as peanut butter, cashew butter, or sunflower seed butter, instead.
Note: This recipe works best if your dates are soft and squishy. They should be easy to split apart with your fingers to remove the pit. If your dates feel too hard or dry, try soaking them in a bowl of very hot water for 10 minutes to help them soften up.
How to Make Date Brownies
1. Process.
Add the dates and water to a food processor, and process briefly to help them break down, about 60 seconds.
Next, add in the almond butter, ground flax seed, cacao or cocoa powder, baking soda, vanilla extract, vinegar, and salt. (The vinegar is here to help react with the baking soda, but you won’t taste it in the final brownies.)
Process again, until the batter looks thick and sticky. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the machine, if needed.
2. Scoop.
Prepare a mini muffin pan by greasing it with coconut oil or olive oil. Use a 1-ounce cookie scoop, or a tablespoon, to scoop the mixture into each slot of the prepared pan. You might not fill all 24 spots; I usually get 18 to 20 brownie bites from this batch.
Get your fingers wet, and flatten the tops of the brownies. If you’d like to add a few chocolate chips on top, now is the time to do so.
3. Bake.
Place the pan in an oven preheated to 350ºF and bake until the tops look dry, about 12 to 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, and let the brownies cool completely in the pan.
They will be quite fragile while they are warm, but will firm up with a chewy texture once they are cool.
Run a knife around the edges of each brownie, then use the knife to help you lift it out of the pan. Since these brownies are made without egg, they may sink slightly in the center, but the texture should still be amazing.
Store leftover date brownies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. Or you can freeze them for up to 3 months.
Looking for more date-sweetened desserts? Try the Healthiest Cookies Ever, my Healthy Birthday Cake, or Peanut Butter Date Cookies for more ideas.
Ingredients
- ¾ cup Medjool dates , pitted (6 ounces)
- ⅓ cup water
- ½ cup almond butter (or nut butter of choice)
- 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds
- 5 tablespoons cacao powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and grease a mini muffin tin with spray oil, or your favorite oil, to help prevent sticking.
- In a food processor fitted with an “S” blade, combine the dates and water and process until the dates have broken down into a paste. (They may turn into a ball in the processor, which is also okay.)
- Add in the almond butter, ground flax, cacao powder, baking soda, vanilla, and vinegar and process again until a sticky, uniform dough is created. (If you need to add 1 more tablespoon of water to help it blend smoothly, that's okay.) The batter will be thick and sticky.
- Use a tablespoon or 1-ounce cookie scoop to help you scoop the dough into the greased mini muffin tin. Use your fingers to gently flatten each mound of dough. Because the dough is very sticky, it helps to get your fingers wet with water before pressing each mound down so your fingers won't stick to the dough.
- Bake until the tops look dry, about 12 to 15 minutes. (The centers will still feel slightly soft to the touch.) Remove from the oven and let the brownies cool completely, at least 30 minutes, before attempting to remove them from the pan. They firm up as they cool, but are very fragile when warm. Run a knife around the edge of each brownie to help loosen them to be removed, then serve immediately or store them in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
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Nutrition
If you try this date brownie recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below letting me know how you like it!
Amazing!! I just made these using regular sized muffin tins (all i had) and about 2 tablespoons dough per brownie. I’m shocked by how good these are and love the mellow sweetness of the dates versus other types of sweeteners. Thank you Megan!
So yummy, no guilt! And the batter is amazing! I baked it in a smaller (7.5×3.5″), parchment lined loaf pan and increased the baking time a bit.
These taste amazing! I’ve been trying to eat less sugar and no diary after giving birth but I crave something sweet and chocolaty. It was so easy to put together, it’s a lazy, quick, healthy recipe! I used peanut butter for more protein and didn’t taste much of it! Also, i didn’t soften the dates and when I used a blender they were cut up into these little chunks, but barely tasted the dates, as i don’t like the taste of them. Overall definitely a keeper and need to keep dates in stock to make more!
Wow, it was my first time ever making brownies, and I was amazed!♥️ They came out soo good & taste more like brownies to me than actual brownies. My family loves them. Could never have imagined these healthy ingredients could make such a delicious chocolatey dessert. Thank you☺️
I am obsessed with these, already made them twice in the last week! I added 3 dark chocolate chips on top of each one and I can’t wait to try some of the suggestions from other reviewers. And, balsamic vinegar? Genius! The perfect snack!
Is there anything that I can use besides vinegar, or could I omit it completely?
Yum! Just made these but switched the cocoa powder for chocolate protein powder and they are delicious!! 🤤
Hello, if I’m using an egg I instead of a flax egg, do I still need to use the balsamic vinegar?
No, you can skip the vinegar if you use the egg. Make sure you use a little less water in that case, too.
I loved them! The cooking time was shortened by me after the first batch. I shortened the cooking time by 12 minutes.
Thanks for sharing this simple and oh so yummy recipe! They’re delicious with peanut butter.
These are awesome! Great treat for when you are cutting back on sugar! People can’t believe there is no flour or refined sugar.