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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Using a mini muffin pan ensures that the brownies will cook correctly, with a perfectly chewy center. I don’t recommend trying this brownie recipe in square baking pan, unless you’re prepared for a potentially gooey center.
I haven’t tested it that way yet, but if you want to experiment with it, I would try using slightly more almond flour in that case. (I would start with a 1/4 cup more and see how the batter comes together.)
Yes, if you don’t need a vegan recipe, you can replace the ground flax seeds and water with a real egg, instead. In that case, you’ll blend the egg with the dates during the first step.
The vinegar will react with the baking soda, to help the brownies rise without using eggs. You can replace the baking soda and vinegar in this recipe with a teaspoon of baking powder, if you prefer.
Looking for more date-sweetened desserts? Try the Healthiest Cookies Ever, my Healthy Birthday Cake, or Peanut Butter Date Cookies for more ideas.
Healthy Date Brownies
Ingredients
- ¾ cup Medjool dates , pitted (6 ounces)
- ¼ 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.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
If you try this date brownie recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below letting me know how you like it!
I loved this recipe so much . I had no almond butter so I made it with more of peanut butter and a bit of coconut butter
to make half cup.they were moist and so choclolaty can’t feel that it’s with dates. Normally my hubby doesn’t like dates but he enjoyed it saying this is exactly like brownies. ❤️
Hi Megan, I made these tonight with the egg option and tahini instead of almond butter. They are insanely good! Thank you for the recipe.
wow, these were so good. We made these with the egg and used paper liners with our mini muffin tin. These will go fast. thank you!!
My husband and I lost 20 lbs last fall and have kept it off, which I attribute to cutting out added sugar. So when our daughter shared this recipe I was eager to try it. It’s delicious! One question: I’m making it w/ egg instead of the vegan version w/ water and flaxseed. When I double the recipe do I double all of the ingredients?
I was surprised how delicious and NORMAL these tasted! (So many “healthified” brownies just do NOT taste right or have the right texture). These were perfectly sweet, fudgy, and also filling. I am not the biggest fan of plain dates, so I was hesitant trying this recipe…but the dates just made the brownies nicely sweet, fudgy, & almost caramely. I added a handful of semi-sweet chocolate chips into the batter and a good pinch of finely ground coffee as well, to bring out the extra chocolate flavor. Also, I only have a regular-sized muffin pan, and so this recipe made about 6 individual portions in the normal muffin pan. Perfect amount for our family.
I was so excited to try these based off reviews, the clean ingredient list and the amazing picture. I was so disappointed. I followed the recipe to the T and baked for the lowest amount of time, 12 minutes. They came out so dry. Not moist or gooey at all. I couldn’t enjoy them because of how dry they were. There was also an odd taste to them. I’ve never used almond butter to make baked goods so I’m not sure if that is the culprit to the odd flavor. The batter was also really stiff prior to cooking so I’m not sure if that had something to do with the overly dry texture. I’d love to try them again and give a better rating if they came out moist. Any ideas as to what could make them more moist?
Hi Julie! So sorry the brownies weren’t moist enough. The two contributing factors to the moisture in this recipe are the dates & almond butter. Make sure the dates you use are super soft & squishy, or you can soak them in very hot water for 10 to 15 minutes to help them rehydrate if you think they look dry before using them in this recipe. And make sure the almond butter you use has a drippy consistency when opening the jar for the first time. (The oil should be mixed in well when you open it.) Also, you can always add an extra tablespoon of water to the mixture, if you think it’s looking stiff after mixing. It should have a thick, glossy texture when you scoop it into the mini muffin pan. Hope that helps!
Really delicious! I used peanut butter, and used an egg-baking powder leavening instead of the original. Plus a small sprinkle of chocolate chips on top. Taste just like a regular brownie, but fresher and not overwhelmingly sweet.
Made them three times already. First time as written, second time with peanut butter (wife loves Reese’s) and this time with some very finally chopped walnuts finished off with a teaspoon of dark chocolate ganache once they had cooled completely. All are yummy.
This is my go to vegan, gluten free, sugar free chocolate treat! I always use tahini instead of the nut butter, which you can’t taste at all!
Thanks for a great recipe!!
These were great! I used mixed nut butter from Costco and egg instead of flax and baked them til they read 158 F to ensure the egg cooked (about 20 min). I doubled the amount of cocoa powder because they weren’t chocolatey enough when I tasted the batter and added 1/4 C of coffee for deeper flavor and to thin the batter with the extra coca.
Looks delicious, but I don’t see the quantities of each item. Where can I get the amounts?
Hi! If you scroll down the post, you’ll find a printable recipe card with all of the measurements listed.
Hi, going to try this, looks yummy. Just wondering if I use an egg instead of flax seeds and water, would I leave out the baking soda and vinegar.
If you use an egg, I still recommend using the baking soda but you can omit the vinegar.
This recipe is awesome!!! My brother is gluten and dairy free, my son is peanut free and I’m vegan and my husband follows a low carb diet, and my older son is a vegetarian. I was tasting the batter as I made these. I’ll be making another batch today! Thank you and I can’t wait to try your other recipes.
This recipe on its own was pretty good! Although I felt that it needed just a *hint* of more sweetness, so I drizzled some agave nectar on top! I also did not have a mini muffin tin, so instead I made “brown cookies” and it turned out great! Will definitely be making this again!
I added flaked sea salt on the top before baking and POW, this was amazing! I took some to work and all my health conscious co-workers could not believe they were not ‘real’ brownies. My Gluten Free husband loves them, too!
These are so amazing!!! I love that they are totally sugar free, just naturally sweeten by the dates !! Thank you for this fantastic recipe. And they are kid approved!! Seriously my 9 and 11 yo love them and we’re schooled when I said there was no sugar. These will be made regularly in our home!
super freakin’ awesommeee!!! wow!!
These were SOO delicious!! I doubled the recipe and divided the batter over 10 ramekins for a family dinner. This is hands down the best healthy dessert I’ve ever made and no one believed it was healthy! Even the batter tasted like regular brownie batter. Thank you so much <3
What can be substituted for flax seeds? Currently cannot have dairy, flour, eggs, sugar, starch or seeds or squash,
I gave up added sugar to try to help my arthritis. I’m already vegan, so these are perfect. I’m going to make them frequently.
Made these today and I should’ve made a double batch!! They are a hit. So nice to know that what I’m eating is so simple and delicious. Even my husband loved them (and he is not gluten free).
I made this recipe only substituting a duck egg (it’s what we have) for the flax egg and carob powder for cacao It took me way longer prep time that I was expecting, by the time they were ready to eat I was mad. I thought I had wasted my time on something I wouldn’t like, boy, was I wrong!!!!! These are AMAZING!!!! Like, guilt inducing good. These are now my go to for a sweet tooth!!! Thank you for such a great detailed recipe. Once again, completely worth it!!!!
These are absolutely delicious! Great flavor and texture – you wouldn’t guess they’re vegan and gluten free! My husband asked how hard they are to make (super easy!) because he would like a batch for every day – and he’s picky about his desserts.
Fantastic healthy delicious date bars. A firm favourite in our house. My daughter doesn’t eat chocolate, so these are perfect.
I need a small amount of chocolate in my life daily and these fit the bill. I added an extra tbs of cocao and they were so decadent! Going to experiment with chips and nuts.
These are the best ” brownies” I have ever had!! I have searched high and low for some kind of healthier brownie recpie and this is it! I have made these at least four times now, and keep them in my fridge to snack on. Thank you so much for this recipe. It’s a keeper.
This recipe looks incredible. QUESTION can I bake these using a silicone mini muffin tin? Thank you so much🌻
Sure, I don’t see why not!
These were awesome husband, grandchildren, everyone loved these. They satisfy your chocolate craving. Will have to keep a big bag of dates from Costco on hand always. Have made 3 batches so far.
Loved this recipe! I used an egg and baking powder as substitutes and they fluffed up! They were absolutely delicious! Will be making on the regular!
Made these with peanut butter because I didn’t have almond butter and they are delicious! I think they’re better after cooling instead of warm from the oven. These definitely satisfy my sweet tooth and my love of chocolate! Thank you!
I love these brownies and will make them every week! I was looking for a flourless recipe with no sugar, because I am focused on a healthy diet. Thank you so much and they are delicious!
Sorry to leave this review, but after seeing all the great reviews I was surprised that these turned out to be disappointing. My hubs said they tasted “flat” & I agree. I made them exactly as written, except used apple cider vinegar. I didn’t taste chocolate, and barely detected sweetness or date flavor. I was hoping to take them to someone who’s vegan, but will have to find another recipe.
Fantastic. Used chopped dried dates I let sit in hot water for 10min, vanilla, an egg, almond butter and cocao.
This recipe is pretty brilliant. I was skeptical when I first started putting the ingredients together. Date sweetened baked goods always end up tasting a bit like “healthy” bars to me, fine for a snack but not as a proper treat. These are really yummy. I sprinkled a few dairy free chocolate chips on top to make them a little more indulgent. I will definitely make these again!