No Bake Date Brownies (GF, DF, Vegan option)
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Say hello to these chewy, chocolate-y, no-bake, nutritious and yummy date brownies!
If you’re looking for a gluten free, dairy free brownie you’ve found the right recipe. I usually devour these homemade brownies but when it’s 100°F outside sometimes turning on the oven just doesn’t sound like a fun idea!
These date brownies are filled with good-for-you ingredients like Medjool dates, walnuts and peanut butter. They’re also made with a really yummy frosting that’s only 4 ingredients.
Brownies are one of my go to desserts and these satisfy all of my brownie cravings. These gluten free Black bean avocado brownies are also a fun option if you’re looking for more healthy brownie recipes.
You’ll love these brownies because…
- All you need is a food processor to make them
- They’re no-bake
- Freezer friendly
- A great snack or dessert option
- Made with simple, healthy ingredients
- They’re a yummy dairy free, gluten free, egg free, and vegan friendly dessert option
- They taste decadent, fudgy and are perfectly chocolate-y!
Ingredient Notes
- Medjool Dates: dates are naturally sweet and I love them as a substitute for sugar. They are a wonderful secret ingredient in healthy baked goods!
- Walnuts: Walnuts and brownies go hand in hand and give these date brownies a boost of omega-3s too!
- Unsweetened cocoa powder: you can use your favorite cacao too!
- Coconut oil: melted coconut oil helps to bring the brownie mixture together
- Peanut butter: Use a creamy peanut butter, or you can use cashew butter, soy nut butter, almond butter, etc.
- Honey: Honey is used for the frosting. Use maple syrup for vegan option.
How do you make date brownies?
- Soak dates in a large bowl with lukewarm water.
- Lightly grease an 8-inch square baking pan, or line the pan with parchment or wax paper
- Process the walnuts, cocoa powder and salt in the bowl of a food processer.
- Remove half of the walnut mixture and set aside in a bowl.
- Chop dates and add about half of the dates, half of the peanut butter, half of the oil and vanilla. Process until combined.
- Transfer this half of the dough into the pan.
- Place remaining walnut mixture, dates, peanut butter, oil and vanilla into processor and process again until combined. Add more melted coconut oil as needed to bring the mixture together.
- Transfer dough to the pan and press firmly until dough is distributed evenly in the pan.
- Place in fridge while you make the frosting.
- In a medium bowl stir together the cocoa powder, honey, coconut oil and vanilla.
- Spread evenly over the brownies in the pan.
- Refrigerate again for at least 2 hours before cutting.
Tips and Variations
- I recommend using a fresh pack of dates for optional freshness. I still also recommend soaking them for at least 10 minutes just to ensure a great texture for the brownies.
- Almonds, cashews or pecans can be used instead of walnuts.They are a great binder for the brownie batter.
- When making the dough, you will need to process in two batches so it blends nicely in the food processor.
- Add more melted coconut oil do the dough when processing if needed. If the mixture does not hold together when squeezed in your hand, you’ll know you need to add a touch more.
FAQ
What can replace sugar in brownies?
For this recipe, I chose Medjool dates to replace refined sugar. For the frosting, I’m using honey to replace confectioners sugar but you can also use maple syrup for a vegan friendly option. Agave nectar is also a great choice!
What makes brownies fudgy?
Fudgy brownies typically have more fat than flour (fat usually coming from the butter and chocolate). These brownies are extra fudgy thanks to the chocolate frosting give them a decadent touch!
How do you store these brownies?
Leftover date brownies can be stored covered in the fridge for 1 week or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
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Gluten-Free No Bake Date Brownies
Ingredients
- 25 dates, pitted
- 2 1/2 cups walnuts
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
For the frosting
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder
- 1/3 cup honey or maple syrup
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Last step! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Lightly grease an 8×8-inch square baking pan, or line the pan with parchment or wax paper. Set aside.
- Soak dates in lukewarm water in a large bowl for 10 minutes. Drain and chop into small pieces.
- Process the walnuts, cocoa powder and salt in the bowl of a food processor until crumbly.
- Remove half of the walnut mixture and set aside in a bowl (all of the dough won't fit at one time to combine properly so you need to process half, set aside, then process the other half).
- Add half of the dates, half of the peanut butter, half of the oil and vanilla to the walnut mixture. Process until combined, adding more coconut oil as needed. If the mixture does not hold together when squeezed in your hand, you’ll know you need to add a touch more. Transfer this half of the dough into the prepared pan.
- Place remaining cocoa/walnut mixture, dates, peanut butter, oil and vanilla into processor and process again until combined.
- Transfer dough to the pan and press firmly until dough is distributed evenly in the pan. Place in fridge while you make the frosting.
- Stir together the cocoa powder, honey, coconut oil and vanilla in a medium sized bowl. Continue to stir until it thickens up a bit. Spread evenly over the brownies in the pan. Refrigerate again for at least 2 hours before cutting. Garnish with cocoa powder if desired.
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Notes
- Recipe adapted from Minimalist Baker.
- Leftover date brownies can be stored covered in the fridge for 1 week or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
I cannot believe how absolutely delicious these brownies are!!! I was never a fan of brownies; I had a box of Medjool-dates that my daughter brought home and was looking for a recipe to use them in when I came across this no bake brownie recipe. These brownies went quick, and I now have a brownie that I enjoy. I used maple syrup rather than the honey. Thank you for a terrific recipe.
Aw I am so so glad!! Thank you!! 🙂
Fabulous! Even better than my other Date Walnut brownie! I’m not big on icing but this recipe is FABULOUS!
Aw, thank you so much Anne!! So glad you enjoyed. xo, Tawnie
Sooo good! I made a couple of changes , I used half of some ingredients (dates and walnuts), added avocado, used grape seed oil and stevia instead of honey, for lower the calories content. It was still too delicious to be real. Thanks for sharing!!
That sounds delicious, thank you so much!!
I made these and all I can say is OMG!
Aw thank you SO much Natalie!
No bake is my middle name–and this frosting is also calling my name!
haha love it!! Hope you love this one!
That picture with the big bite out of it had me hooked, I had to make these! Go glad I did, delicious!
Thank you, so happy you enjoyed them!!
One of the best date-based recipes I’ve tried!
I love how versatile they are! So glad you enjoyed them, thank you!
I will definitely have to try these- I can’t resist anything with dates!
I hope you love them! Their natural sweetness makes them so fun to use in desserts!
This brownie recipe is perfect for when I dont feel like baking but want something sweet! The dates add that sweetness without over powering the entire brownie!
No oven required is my fav too! Thank you Meme!
Woah, these look so decadent!!
Thank you so much Emily!!