Looking for a healthy, easy to make no bake brownie recipe with just a few simple ingredients?
I have the recipe for you! This recipe is plant-based, vegan, gluten-free, and free from refined sugar. Forget the store-bought variety. These brownies are stored in the freezer and are a kid pleaser. I love this recipe for its adaptability, simplicity and taste.
Blogger’s Notes: I omitted the chocolate glaze from the recipe. The brownies were super rich, chocolatey and delicious without the glaze. I also added a 1/2 cup of cooked chickpeas to the recipe to improve the consistency.
Adapted from https://elavegan.com/healthy-no-bake-brownies-vegan-gluten-free/.
Prep Time10 mins
Servings: 16 small brownies
INGREDIENTS
WET:
- 3/4 cup dates soft and moist ones (*see notes)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean
- ½ cup chickpeas (or white beans)
- 1 Tbs Maple syrup (optional)
DRY:
- 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp flax seeds (65 g)
- 1/4 cup + 1 heaped tbsp cocoa powder or raw cacao powder (30 g)
- 4 tbsp powdered peanut butter or almond flour (ground almonds) (32 g) (I used powdered peanut butter)
- Pinch of salt
Low-fat chocolate glaze: (I omitted the glaze.)
- 1/4 cup maple syrup or raw agave syrup
- 3 tbsp powdered peanut butter
- 3 tbsp cocoa powder
STEPS
- Grind the flax seeds in an electric spice/coffee grinder or blender until they turn into flour. You can also use store-bought ground flax seeds but make sure the flax meal is fresh.
- Process all dry ingredients in a food processor, then add the dates and vanilla extract and blend until the dough sticks together when you press it between your fingers. It might take a while until the dough comes together. If it’s still too dry after some minutes add a few additional dates or a little bit of maple syrup or raw agave syrup. The dates should be very soft and juicy. If they aren’t moist soak them in warm water until they are soft.
- Line a 5-inch square baking pan (double the recipe if you have an 8-inch or 9-inch baking pan) with parchment paper and leave about a 2-inch overhang on both sides. Grease the paper with a little bit of oil. (I used a silicone pan.)
- Transfer the brownie dough to the pan and press it down firmly.
Notes
- If the dates aren’t soft/moist enough, soak them in (warm) water until they are soft.
- To make the glaze, just combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix everything together with a whisk. You can skip the powdered peanut butter and use 1 1/2 – 2 tbsp of regular peanut butter (or any other nut/seed butter). However, it’s recommended to add more cocoa powder so the glaze isn’t too runny. Pour the glaze over the brownie dough and put the pan into the freezer for about 1 hour to set. (I omitted the glaze.)