No-Bake Vegan Brownies

5 from 6 votes

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These double chocolate no-bake vegan brownies are made in minutes with just 4 simple ingredients, no baking required!

A stack of 4 raw brownies on a cutting board.

About the Recipe

These delicious raw brownies are vegan, gluten-free and quick and easy to make with just walnuts, dates, chocolate chips and cocoa powder!

For extra flavour, you can add optional maple syrup, salt and vanilla or make them even more decadent by adding the chocolate ganache from these No-Bake Hemp Seed Brownies or peanut butter frosting from these No-Bake Vegan Peanut Butter Blondies.

These are the perfect healthier dessert to stash in the freezer for whenever a brownie craving hits.

Ingredients

Chocolate, cocoa powder, walnuts, dates and vanilla in labelled containers.
  • Dates: It’s important to soft, moist dates but you can use any variety. You’ll need to soak your dates in hot water first if they’re very dry.
  • Walnuts: Use raw walnuts with no added ingredients like oil or salt.
  • Cocoa Powder: You can use cocoa powder or raw cacao powder.
  • Chocolate: You’ll need chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate.
  • Extras: Optional ingredients include maple syrup, salt and vanilla to enhance the flavor.

This list is not complete. Please see the recipe card at the end of the post for the complete ingredient list with measurements and detailed instructions.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1. Add the walnuts to a food processor and break down into a coarse, grainy flour. Some large pieces left behind are totally fine.

Blended walnuts in a food processor.

Step 2. Add the cocoa powder, dates, and optional ingredients (maple syrup, vanilla and salt) and blend everything into a thick dough.

Cocoa powder, dates and walnuts in a food processor container.

Step 3. Add the chopped dark chocolate or chocolate chips and pulse a few times to mix it in.

Dark chocolate chunks in a food processor with a thick chocolate dough.

Step 4. Press the dough into a standard-sized loaf pan.

Take a few minutes to press it in firmly and evenly. Pop the whole pan into the freeze for an hour or fridge for a couple hours.

Quick Tip: Line the pan with parchment paper so you can easily lift them out of the pan when they’re ready to slice.

Raw brownies in a loaf pan.

Once the bars have firmed up, lift them out the pan, slice and enjoy!

An overhead image of a slab of brownies sliced into 8 pieces.

FAQs

What if my dough isn’t sticking together?

If the dough is crumbly and not sticking together it’s most likely because the dates you used were too dry. Add 1 tsp of warm water, blend again and check to see if you can press the dough between if your fingers.

If not, add another teaspoon of water and repeat this until you can. Just a splash of water should do the trick.

How do you store raw vegan brownies?

These can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or frozen for up to 3 months.

They’re also ok to store at room temperature but will get soft if it’s warm. I suggest keeping them it the fridge or freezer unless kept in a cool location.

What kind of chocolate can I use?

I used Enjoy Life Mega Chunks to make these but you can Enjoy Life or another brand of dairy-free chocolate chips or chop up good quality dark chocolate. If you’re not vegan or plant-based, you can use any kind of chocolate you like. 

More Vegan Brownies

A close up of a stack of 4 raw brownies on a cutting board.
5 from 6 votes

No-Bake Vegan Brownies

By: Deryn Macey
These double chocolate no-bake brownies are so rich and fudgy no one will ever guess they’re vegan and full of wholesome ingredients.
Prep: 10 minutes
Chill Time: 1 hour
Total: 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 10
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Ingredients 

  • 1.5 cup raw walnuts, 190 g
  • 2.5 cups loosely packed soft pitted dates, 425 g
  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder, 35 g
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup, optional
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt, optional
  • 1 tsp vanilla, optional
  • 1/2 cup dairy-free chocolate chunks or chips, 85 g

Instructions 

  • Add the walnuts to a food processor and process to break down into a coarse, grainy four with some small pieces.
  • Add the rest of the ingredients except for the chocolate and process again until it forms a thick, sticky dough.
  • Add the chocolate and pulse a few times to mix it into the dough.
  • Line a standard-sized loaf pan with two overlapping strips of parchment paper that are long enough to stick out either side of the pan. Firmly press the dough into the pan, taking a few minutes to work it into every corner and smooth it out.
  • Place in the fridge for a few hours or the freezer for about an hour.
  • Lift and cut into 10 bars.

Notes

The salt, maple syrup, and vanilla help enhance the flavor. The recipe will work without them but I recommend adding them for the yummiest result.
Soft, moist dates are important. Medjool dates work best since they’re so juicy but deglect noor or sayer also work. If your dates are on the dry side, soak them in hot water for 15 minutes then drain well before using in the recipe.
If you blend everything up and the dough seems too dry and crumbly, add 1 tsp of warm water, blend again and check to see if you can know press it together between your fingers. If no, add another teaspoon of water and process again. Just a splash should do the trick.
For best results, use a kitchen scale to measure ingredients.
Store the bars in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or freezer for up to 2 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1brownie, Calories: 301kcal, Carbohydrates: 41g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 15g, Sodium: 118mg, Potassium: 467mg, Fiber: 6g, Sugar: 34g, Vitamin A: 2IU, Calcium: 53mg, Iron: 1.4mg
Like this recipe? Rate and comment below!

Originally published on December 13, 2016.

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27 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I love this recipe and have made it many times now. Thank you Deryn! I recently gave some of these brownies to an older neighbor on his birthday and he really loved them too! I never feel bad giving something healthy and delicious to others, it’s a win win.

    1. Well that’s just amazing to hear, love the win-win!! So glad you’ve all been enjoying them. Thank you so much for the review.

  2. These were so ridiculously good. I even misread the recipe and only added half the dates called for and they *still* turned out delicious! Can’t wait to take these to our Lenten potluck tonight. =)

      1. Haha.. well I’m glad they worked out and you enjoyed them! Thanks for letting me know!

  3. Hi! I was wondering if I could use all purpose flour instead of the walnuts because walnuts are prett expensive and I don’t want to use just all nuts.. Thanks and please let me know!

    1. I’ve never made this type of recipe with flour but you could try it. As long as you have a thick dough, it should work. It will change the flavour and texture and I can’t guarantee how they’ll turn out, but let me know if you try it!

  4. 5 stars
    An incredible recipe, as always!! I threw in a little coconut oil and some shredded unsweetened coconut as well and it turned out great. I was wondering – when you decide you’re going to create a new recipe, where do you start? Where do your draw your inspiration from, and how do you know something is going to work out?

    1. Haha, I don’t always know something is going to work out. There are many, many, many failures that don’t make it to the blog! A lot of recipes I don’t continue with or if I like it, I might have to make it 3 or 4 times with adjustments before I feel ok to share it on the blog. I draw inspiration from my own recipes, cookbooks, other bloggers, Pinterest but mostly I’ll just get random ideas and go with them. ๐Ÿ™‚ I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe. Thanks!