These are the fudgiest, most decadent, sugar-free date brownies – made with Medjool dates, peanut butter, and cocoa powder.
Sugar-free brownies are a concept I’ve been exploring for the past couple of months, thanks to Rene (the Boyfriend).
Rene used to be a sugar addict. As in, must-eat-every-cookie-in-this-box addicted. As in, walk to the vending machine at 3pm every day like a zombie to buy a Snickers bar and scarf in down mindlessly in a single breath. This was the norm for most of his adult life – until he realized his chronic headaches and the addiction might just be connected.
One day, he decided to quit, and it’s been over a year since he had even a bite of anything with refined sugar. Like with breaking any addiction, the beginning was rough, but I’m enormously proud of him for sticking with it. (And yes, the headaches did decrease significantly! In frequency and in intensity.)
Nevertheless, the man loves chocolate, and I wanted him to have something a little more special for his 30th birthday than energy balls.
Enter these sugar-free date brownies. When I first found this recipe on Detoxinista, I was skeptical. Zero refined sweeteners, flourless, gluten-free, vegan, and easy to make? Seemed too good to be true. But lo and behold, these brownies turned out shockingly amazing.
(Even my intern – who’s a certified pastry chef – is obsessed with them).
Made with just a handful of ingredients (Medjool dates, nut butter, flax, and cocoa powder), these date brownies are unbelievably rich, fudgy, and satisfying. I tweaked Megan’s recipe just a tiny bit and now these are a staple in our household. If sugar-free desserts are your thing, you have to try these!
How to Make Sugar-Free Date Brownies
These decadent brownies come together quickly in a food processor (or a Vitamix, I’m assuming, although I don’t have one myself). You literally just puree all the ingredients together, scoop the batter into a muffin tin, and bake.
A few recipe notes:
- Medjool dates can be pricey in regular supermarkets. Look for them in bulk stores, middle eastern markets, and online.
- It’s important to use natural peanut butter here (the only ingredient should be peanuts) since it’s naturally gooey and responsible for these brownies’ richness. Oil separation is normal for natural peanut butter – do not drain it off. Be sure to give the butter a good stir before using.
- Feel free to use almond, cashew, or macadamia butter in place of peanut. If there’s a nut allergy situation, substitute with sunflower seed butter or tahini.
- This brownie batter is supposed to be very thick – don’t be alarmed.
- The brownies are pretty fragile when they come out of the oven. Be sure to cool them completely before removing from the muffin pan.
More healthy-ish desserts…
- Banana Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies with Chocolate and Hazelnuts
- Magical No-Churn Banana Coconut Ice Cream
- Avocado Gingerbread Loaf Cake
- Chickpea Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake
Sugar-Free Date Brownies
(5 votes, average: 4.20 out of 5)
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- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 10 brownies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These are the fudgiest, most decadent, sugar-free date brownies – you won’t believe they’re vegan. (Adapted from Detoxinista).
Ingredients
- 6 ounces Medjool dates, pitted (about 9 dates)
- 1/3 cup water
- 1/2 cup well-stirred natural peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal
- 5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- A bit of canola, coconut, or avocado oil, for greasing the muffin tin
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
- Combine the dates and water in a food processor and puree on low speed until a chunky paste forms, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed.
- Add the remaining ingredients and puree until a thick, sticky, homogenous batter forms.
- Lightly grease 10 of the 12 cups of a muffin tin with a bit of oil. Using an ice cream scoop or tablespoon measure, divide the dough among the greased cups. Press on the dough with a wet finger to smooth the tops of the brownies.
- Bake until the tops look dry, 10 to 14 minutes.
- Cool completely, about 30 minutes, before removing the brownies from the pan. To remove, run a butter knife around each brownie to loosen it.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days (although, they will not last that long).
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 brownie
- Calories: 148
- Carbohydrates: 19.2 g
- Fiber: 4.3 g
- Protein: 6 g
Keywords: brownies, dates, cocoa powder, peanut butter
Amy says
Will almond meal work?
Alexandra says
Hi Amy,
You mean instead of the peanut butter? I haven’t tried it but I’d say no because it doesn’t have the same amount of fat and this batter needs oiliness. But almond butter will work!