These sweet, rich and fudgy no-bake brownie bites take minutes to make with just 4 simple ingredients.

A plate of brownie balls rolled in cocoa powder and coconut.
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Why Make this Recipe
What You’ll Need
Step by Step Instructions
Tips
FAQs
Recipe Variations
Storing
More Recipes
No-Bake Brownie Bites

Why Make this Recipe

  • Decadent but healthy. Love brownies but need a healthier option for an everyday treat? Made with 4 wholesome ingredients with no added sugar, these are totally suitable for a daily snack or dessert
  • Easily Customizable. Roll them in chocolate or coconut, add espresso powder or chocolate chips…this recipe is easy to make your own!
  • Rich and Fudgy. Soaked dates combined with walnuts and cocoa powder makes the ultimate rich and fudgy texture
  • Bonus – they’re vegan, gluten-free, oil-free and have no added sugar!

What You’ll Need

Dates, walnuts, almonds and cocoa powder in jars.

A complete list of ingredients with amounts and full instructions is located in the printable recipe card below. This section covers ingredient and substitution considerations.

  • nuts – I used a mixture of walnuts and almonds but you can choose from walnuts, almonds, pecans or hazelnuts, up to 2 cups total
  • dates – medjool, sayer and deglect noor are my favourite but since we’ll be soaking the dates first, pretty much any variety will work just fine
  • cocoa powder – regular cocoa powder is perfect but if you can get your hands on some, try raw cacao powder for an extra boost in nutrition

The recipe also calls for sea salt and vanilla, both of which are optional but I recommend them to enhance the flavor. Especially the sea salt!

Step by Step Instructions

It’s easy peasy! Let’s take a look.

Step 1. First you’ll want to soak the dates. Pop them into a bowl, cover with hot water and let them sit for 10 minutes then drain.

Pitted dates soaking in water in a bowl.

Do I have to soak the dates? If your dates are soft and moist, you can skip the soaking but to be on the safe side, I went with soaked dates for this recipe. Soaking the dates just ensures they’re moist enough to bind the recipe.

Step 2. Add the almonds and walnuts to your food processor and blend into a coarse, grainy flour. It’s totally fine if there are some large chunks left behind.

Blended walnuts and almonds in a food processor.

Step 3. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend into a thick, sticky dough.

Raw brownie dough in a food processor.

Step 4. Now that you’ve blended up the dough – it’s time to roll! Use your hands to roll the dough into about 16 balls.

For an extra treat, roll the balls in cocoa powder, vegan powdered sugar or shredded coconut.

A plate of raw brownie balls rolled in cocoa powder and shredded coconut.

Tips

  • Don’t over blend. Over blending the mixture will cause the natural oils to start to release from the nuts making the balls a bit oily. Not a huge deal but try to stop blending as soon as you can press the dough together with your fingers.
  • Firm in the freezer. Right out of the food processor the mixture will be a bit soft. Pop the rolled balls into the freezer for 30 minutes to firm them up.

FAQs

Can I make these in a blender?

You can but it’s so much easier in a food processor. If you must go the blender route, make sure you use a high-speed blender such as a Vitamix or Blendtec or you risk burning out the motor.

How should I store these?

These keep well in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or freezer for up to 2 months. I like them best stored in the freezer. They don’t freeze solid so you can enjoy them straight from the freezer.

Do these have to be refrigerated?

They’ll be totally fine out of the fridge for a few hours, even a day or more if kept cool but they’re best stored in the fridge or freezer. That being said, if you want to take them to-go, they’ll be fine, especially if they’ve previously been in the freezer.

A raw brownie ball on a plate with a bite taken out of it.

Recipe Variations

Want to have some fun with this recipe? Here are a few variations you can try.

  • Add espresso powder. Love coffee? Try adding 1 tbsp of espresso powder for a mocha twist! These espresso brownies are also amazing, btw.
  • Double the chocolate. Add 1/3 cup dairy-free chocolate chips, chopped dark chocolate or cacao nibs for some crunch and extra chocolate goodness.
  • Make them protein balls. Swap the cocoa powder for vegan chocolate protein powder to make them protein brownie bites.
A plate of raw brownie balls rolled in cocoa powder and shredded coconut.

Storing

  • Store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
  • Store in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 3 months.

More Recipes

Loving these no-bake treats? Check these out too:

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A plate of raw brownie balls rolled in cocoa powder and shredded coconut.

No-Bake Brownie Bites

★★★★★ 5 from 9 reviews
  • Author: Deryn Macey
  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Total Time: 10 minutes
  • Yield: 16
  • Category: Snack
  • Method: Food Processor
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegan
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Description

These sweet little no-bake bites are easy to make in minutes and the perfect healthier treat for chocolate-lovers!

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Place the pitted dates in a bowl and cover with hot water. Soak for 15 minutes then drain. It’s ok if they’re wet when you add them to the recipe, just make sure any excess water is drained off.
  2. Place the almonds and walnuts in a food processor or high-powered blender and mix until they’re mostly broken down and resemble a grainy flour. If there are some larger chunks left behind that’s ok.
  3. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until it forms a thick dough.
  4. Roll into 16 balls and place in the freezer for 30 minutes to firm. Enjoy right away or store in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Notes

Don’t over blend. Over blending the mixture will cause the natural oils to start to release from the nuts making the balls a bit oily. Not a huge deal but try to stop blending as soon as you can press the dough together with your fingers.

Use any nuts. Mix and match almonds, walnuts, pecans or hazelnuts up to 2 cups total.

Skip soaking the dates. If your dates are soft and moist, you can skip soaking them if you want. If you skip the soaking and the dough is on the dry side once you blend it, add 1 tbsp of water and blend again until it sticks together.

Keywords: brownie bites, brownie balls, walnut date balls

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UPDATE NOTE: This recipe was originally published August 19, 2015. It was updated with new photos and text in April 2020.