No-Bake Hemp Seed Brownies
on Jul 18, 2022, Updated Jun 11, 2026
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These no-bake hemp seed brownies are rich, fudgy, and chocolatey, finished with a layer of chocolate ganache. They come together in a food processor from dates, walnuts, hemp seeds, and cocoa, so there’s no flour, no oven, and no refined sugar. The hemp seeds blend right in, adding a boost of protein and a subtle nutty flavour.
Why You’ll Love Hemp Seed Brownies
- They’re an easy no-bake recipe. All you need is a food processor.
- They have a rich, decadent flavour and chewy texture.
- You only need a few simple pantry ingredients.
- They’re topped with the most decadent chocolate ganache you can use for other recipes too.
- The recipe is vegan, oil-free, gluten-free and naturally sweetened with dates.
- They can be made in advance and stored in the freezer so you always have a sweet treat ready to go.
If you love healthier dessert options, I also have these vegan black bean brownies, vegan avocado brownies, healthy zucchini brownies and no-bake vegan brownies.
Ingredient Notes
Below is a quick overview of what you’ll need to make the recipe and any substitutions you can make. Use the recipe card with the full list of ingredients and measurements at the bottom of the post when you’re ready to make the recipe.
- Dates: You can use any variety of dates as long as they’re not too dry. If they’re overly dry, you can soak them in hot water before using them in the recipe.
- Hemp Seeds: Also called hemp hearts or hulled hemp seeds. If you have extras, you can use them in tahini hemp seed bars, hemp seed flax balls and no-bake hemp protein bars.
- Walnuts: Use raw walnuts with no added oil or salt. You could toast them first for extra flavour if you like. Pecans, almonds, macadamia nuts or a mixture of any of the 4 work as a substitute. For nut-free brownies, you can use raw sunflower seeds.
- Cocoa Powder: You can use raw cacao powder, dark cocoa powder or regular cocoa powder. Dark cocoa powder will give you the richest chocolate flavour.
- Salt: A pinch of good sea salt helps to enhance the chocolate flavour.
- Vanilla: Vanilla is optional but also helps enhance the chocolate brownie flavour.
If you want to top them with chocolate ganache, you’ll need chocolate chips and coconut milk, coconut cream, or for an alternative ganache recipe, maple syrup, cocoa powder, and coconut oil.
How to Make Hemp Seed Brownies
Step 1: Start by adding the walnuts to a food processor and pulsing a few times or blending briefly to break them down into grainy flour.
It’s ok if there are some large pieces left but they should be fairly broken down.
Step 2. Add the dates, cocoa powder, hemp seeds, vanilla, salt and water and blend it up until you have a thick, sticky dough. You should be able to press the dough into a little ball between your fingers.
Water or maple syrup? You’ll need 2 tbsp of liquid to add moisture to the dough. Water works great but if you want the brownies to be a bit sweeter, you can use maple syrup. You could also do 1 tbsp water and 1 tbsp maple syrup for just a touch of extra sweetness!
Step 3: Line a 7 or 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper then firmly press the dough into the pan.
Step 4: The chocolate ganache layer is optional but it really takes the brownies to the next level! If you’re making the brownies for more of a healthy snack, you may want to skip it but if they’re for dessert, add it.
Melt the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl in the microwave or by using a double boiler.
If using the microwave, stirring every 15-20-seconds until they’re mostly melted and you can mix to melt in any remaining chocolate chips. Add the coconut milk or cream and stir until fully combined and smooth.
Step 5: Spread the ganache over the brownies, smoothing with a spatula or the back of a wooden spoon then place the entire pan in the freezer for 1-2 hours or until the chocolate ganache is firm.
Step 6: Lift the brownies out of the pan using the edges of the parchment paper, slice into 16 squares and enjoy.
Expert Tips
- Dates: It’s important to use soft, moist dates in this recipe. If your dates are overly dry, soak them (pitted) in hot water for 15 minutes then drain well before use. In this case, you can omit the water in the recipe.
- Measuring: For best results, use a kitchen scale to measure your ingredients for accuracy.
FAQ
Yes. Replace the hemp seeds with an equal amount of additional walnuts, or use pecans, almonds, or cashews. The texture stays similar, you’ll just lose the protein and nutrition the hemp adds.
Yes. Replace the walnuts with raw sunflower seeds for a nut-free brownie. Keep the hemp seeds as they are, since they’re a seed rather than a nut.
Yes. The coconut milk can be substituted with almond butter, peanut butter or melted butter. For another option, use the chocolate ganache from these cashew cookie dough bars made from maple syrup, cocoa powder and coconut oil.
No. Hemp seeds, also sold as hemp hearts, come from the same plant family as cannabis but contain only trace amounts of THC, far too little to have any effect. These are simply a chocolate dessert made with a nutritious seed, and they won’t get you high.
Hemp seeds, hemp hearts, and hulled hemp seeds are all the same thing, the soft inner part of the hemp seed. They have a mild, slightly nutty flavour and blend smoothly into the brownie dough, so you won’t taste anything unusual. They also add plant protein, fibre, and healthy fats.
Each square has about 6 grams of protein from the hemp seeds and walnuts, which is more than most brownies. I have not tested adding protein powder but you should be able to blend in a scoop of chocolate protein powder with a little additional water.
You can. The ganache makes them more of a dessert, while the brownie base on its own is closer to a wholesome snack or energy bar.
Dry dates are almost always the cause, since they’re what binds the dough. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of warm water and blend again until the mixture presses together into a ball between your fingers. Soaking dry dates in hot water for 15 minutes first also helps.
How to Store Hemp Seed Brownies
- Raw brownies are best stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 weeks or freezer for up to 3 months.
- It is recommended to store them in the freezer for a firmer brownie.
- They can be enjoyed straight from the freezer as they do not freeze solid.
If you make this recipe, please consider leaving a comment and a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the comment section below. It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe, and I love to hear from you. Thanks for trying my recipes! – Deryn
No-Bake Hemp Seed Brownies
Ingredients
For the Brownies
For the Chocolate Ganache
- 3/4 cup chocolate chips
- 3 tablespoons full-fat coconut milk or coconut cream
Instructions
- Add the walnuts to a food processor and blend into a grainy consistency. It's ok if there are some larger pieces left behind but they should be mostly broken down.
- Add the rest of the brownie ingredients and blend again, starting with 2 tbsp of water, until you have a thick sticky dough. You should be able to press it together into a ball between your fingers. If needed, add the additional tablespoon of water and blend again.
- Line a 7 or 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper so it sticks out over the edges of the pan. This will make it easy to lift the finished brownies from the pan. Firmly press the dough into the pan, taking time to work it into all the corners and even the surface.
- Melt the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl in the microwave or by using a double boiler. If using the microwave, stir every 15-20-seconds until they're mostly melted and you can mix to melt in any remaining chocolate chips. Add the coconut milk or cream and stir until fully combined and smooth. Spread the ganache over the brownies, smoothing with a spatula or the back of a wooden spoon.
- Place the pan in the freezer for 1-2 hours or until the ganache is firm.
- Lift the brownies out of the pan using the edges of the parchment paper. Slice into 16 squares and enjoy. Store remaining brownies are best stored in the freezer.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published September 13, 2017.
Just made these but made into balls and rolled in coconut. So delicious had to put into freezer to stop eating them. My hubby doesn’t like walnuts but is eating them and said they so delicious. Made 30 balls will definitely make again. Super quick and super easy but above all so healthy and cheaper than the store bought ones.
Thanks for a great recipe
I needed to sub the walnuts with sunflower seeds due to an allergy. These are so decadent and delicious. Thank you for such a nutritious snack. Love all of your recipes.
Yum! I cut these into smaller pieces to stash in the freezer. I keep a small container of them in the fridge so I can pop one right before a run or the gym. Thanks!
My ‘dough’ has turned out more like a thick moose. Will this ‘firm up’ properly, or do I need to add flour and sugar now to save it?
Did you follow the recipe as written? It’s hard to say without knowing what was added. Let me know and I’ll try to help!
YUM! Followed recipe as stated and the taste was perfect. Instead of bars, I rolled these into energy bites. They were a bit sticky, so I rolled them in a light coating of coconut flour. Perfect! Thanks for the recipe!
First time I made these they were amazing! So of course I had to make them again. Second time round I couldn’t get the ingredients to go doughey. I ended up with crumbs that won’t stick together. I measured everything out. What did I do wrong and how can I fix it ?
Did you use different dates? If they were too dry the dough will not stick together (if using dry dates, soak them in hot water for 15 minutes before using). Adding a few splashes of water should help it form a dough. Hope they work out!
When you say soft dates do you mean soaked in water? These sound wonderful. I’m going to try them out.
No, you don’t need to soak them if they’re already fresh and soft. If your dates are dry and hard then soak them first. Enjoy!!
I’ve been following a vegan diet for a week now and every recipe I have used has come from this site. I am so grateful, especially for the treats which are so easy and yummy. These are perfect and will be a perfect treat for me! Thank you!
One of my favourite recipes…. so easy to make and delicious. A great little treat when you need to satisfy that afternoon sweet tooth.
Thanks, Brenda! I appreciate the feedback and I’m so glad you like them!
Love these! I recently found your site and this is the 5th recipe I’ve tried and I’m obsessed with them all! I love having something healthy on hand to satisfy my sweet tooth. Easy to make and delicious!