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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.
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.
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.
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Notes
Nutrition
If you try this date brownie recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below letting me know how you like it!
Plove dates and nuts ,interested in any combo. I eat paleo and looking for ideas since I’m new at this way of eating
Thanks! These taste really good!
A note about making them double chocolate: Lily’s brand makes chocolate chips that are stevia sweetened. So you can still do the double chocolate thing without adding any refined sugar! Can’t wait to try out your recipe!
I made these brownies today, omg, they are so tasty!!! This recipe will be my go-to for sure. I love the fact that they only contain healthy ingredients. Wow!
So delicious! The best vegan brownie recipe I’ve ever tried!
My original idea was to make this for everyone, but as it turns out they’re so tasty I’m just going to eat the entire batch myself haha!
Love your recipies, I look forward to trying more!
I made these brownies last night and they are amazing! My husband absolutely loved them and I am having a hard time just having one per day! Easy to make but just make sure you have the time you need to put them into the mini muffin tins. That took about 15 minutes in my case but it was definitely worth the time. I am sure the second time I will be faster and they will certainly be top of my list for a healthy alternative to the typical brownie recipe!
OMG! I finished making these about an hour ago. Amazing! I used crunchy almond butter and blitzed up chia seeds rather than the flax because that’s what I had. So good. And that’s from someone who’s not vegan and only just stepping into the healthy desserts world. Love the crunchy top and gooey bottom
Hi Megan,
I love your Date Sweetened Flourless Brownie recipe.
I would love to feature it in our website GreenThickies. I will not be posting the actual recipes, but I will only use one image from the post, title, a small quote and link directly back to your post.
Will that be all right?
Thanks 🙂
Katherine,
Greenthickies
Yes, it’s fine to share an image without the recipe and a link back. 🙂
These are ridiculously good. My boyfriend used your recipe to make me these brownies with the addition of some roughly chopped dark chocolate chunks from a bar. The end product was fudgy and decadent while still being guilt-free! I’m going to make them again tonight. Thank you for “healthifying” nostalgic comfort foods without compromising on flavor! 🙂
These are fantastic! made twice now, and we are big peanut butter fans but definitely think they are better with cashew or almond butter. Low on dates so added some raisins to get the right amount and turned out just as good. Love the date sweetened recipes and would be delighted to see some more. Maybe some easy muffins for healthy on the go breakfast.