You'd never guess these brownies are sweetened entirely from dates! These vegan and gluten-free Date Brownies are sweet, rich, fudgy and made from whole-food ingredients!
I love when I can make classic desserts just a little bit more wholesome by swapping out some of the processed ingredients for more natural whole food ingredients. Dates are an especially great way to add sweetness without having to use lots of processed white sugar. Some of my favorite date-sweetened recipes are these Oatmeal Date Granola Bars, this Date-Sweetened Cookie Dough and this Date-Sweetened Chocolate Sauce. And of course, we are loving these vegan and gluten-free date brownies!
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Why This Recipe Works!
- Gooey, sweet Medjool dates get blended into a paste before the remaining whole food ingredients are added. The dates add plenty of sweetness and help to hold the brownies together!
- These date brownies are made entirely from whole foods--just 7 simple, plant-based ingredients get blended together until a thick, rich dough forms. You'll want to make this easy recipe every week!
- If you're trying to eat a whole-food plant-based diet, but still want to enjoy a sweet treat every once in a while, this is the recipe for you!
- Thanks to a flax eggs, almond butter and sticky dates, these date brownies are not only vegan, but gluten and refined-sugar free, making them perfect for anyone with dietary restrictions.
Ingredients
- Dates - I personally love to baked with Medjool dates. They are soft and gooey and are easy to rehydrate if they've been chilling in a fridge for a while. Really any dates should work though!
- Almond Butter - Any nut butter should work in this recipe. I just personal like to bake with almond butter because it has a more neutral flavor than peanut butter, but is still readily available. Just remember that whatever nut butter you use will be what you taste!
- Cocoa Powder - Cocoa powder is obviously important in this recipe because it is what makes these date brownies, well, chocolatey! Use any kind of cocoa powder you enjoy. Cacao powder should also work.
- Almond Flour - Thanks to almond flour, these vegan date brownies are entirely gluten-free, making them perfect for anyone with allergies. Almond flour and almond meal will both work.
- Flax Egg - To replace the eggs in these vegan brownies you'll be using a flax egg. To make a flax egg, simply whisk together 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons of water. Allow the mixture to thicken for 5 minutes or so before carrying on with the recipe.
See recipe card for full list of ingredients and quantities.
Variations
If you're looking for a wholesome brownie recipe, but you don't have some of these ingredients, I'd recommend checking out some of my other brownie recipes instead of trying to tweak this recipe They are all similar, in that they are wholesome, vegan and gluten-free, but they each use different bases and sweeteners. I'll list them out below!
How to Make this {Recipe}
Step 1: Add the dates and warm water to your food processor and process until a paste forms.
Step 2: Add in the remaining ingredients, except for the chocolate chips if using, and process until a smooth, creamy batter forms.
Step 3: Stir chocolate chips into the batter before pouring it into your greased baking dish and spreading the batter out into an even layer.
Step 4: Bake the brownies for 18-22 minutes or until set.
Hint: Allow the brownies to cool completely before trying to cut and remove them from the pan. I'd even recommend letting them chill in the fridge for a while before enjoying them!
Storage: Store any leftover brownies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
My Tips
- I like to make these date brownies when I have a fresh pack of Medjool dates on hand. Usually after I open a pack of dates I store them in the fridge and they get harder the longer they chill. However, if you use fresh dates, they will blend so much easier when processed with the warm water.
- Cashew butter and almond butter are my favorite nut butters to bake with as they are fairly neutral in flavor. They add a lot of richness to these oil-free, date-sweetened brownies.
- I recommend letting these brownies cool completely before you try to cut and enjoy them. They hold their shape better once they have cooled completely.
Recipe FAQs
Sometimes if your dates are old or extra dry, it's helpful to soak them in boiling water to soften them up and rehydrate them. However, for this recipe, I recommend using fresh, sticky Medjool dates so that you don't dilute their sweetness with extra water.
These date brownies are made from whole food, plant-based ingredients. I recommend storing them for up to 1 week in an airtight container in the fridge.
While dates do contain quite a bit of sugar, they are still lower on the glycemic index than refined sugars. Because they are a dried fruit, they contain more fiber and nutrients than processed white sugar and therefore make a great sugar substitute if you're trying to eat healthier!
More Wholesome Brownie Recipes!
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📖 Recipe
Date Brownies
Equipment
- 1 food processor
Ingredients
- ¾ cup pitted packed dates
- ½ cup hot water
- ½ cup almond butter
- 1 flax egg 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed + 3 tablespoons water
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- ¼ cup almond flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- pinch of salt
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips optional
Instructions
- Grease a loaf pan and preheat the oven to 350. °F
- Place the pitted dates and hot water into a food processor and process until a paste forms. Scrape down the sides of the food processor bowl as needed.
- Add the remaining ingredients, except for the chocolate chips, and process until a smooth batter forms. Stir in the chocolate chips if using.
- Pour the batter into your greased loaf pan and bake the brownies for 18-22 minutes or until the top is set.
- Allow the brownies to cool completely before trying to cut and enjoy the brownies.
Notes
- Use fresh dates if possible so that they blend easily into a paste.
- Be sure to use a more neutral flavored nut butter if you want a more traditional brownie flavor.
jacquie says
I like the idea of a fruit sweetened brownie but don't have a food processor. Do you think it would work to finely chop the dates? thanks.