Not only are these the fudgiest brownies ever, but these grain-free and dairy-free fudge brownies are entirely date sweetened and have a healthier peanut butter chocolate fudge frosting!
First of all, I just have to say this – if you put these brownies in the fridge, they are like straight up fudge. Seriously. They do not taste grain-free! I took these pictures when the brownies were at room temperature because it was sunny (a rarity around here at this time of the year!) and I was sleepy and wanted to nap. But now I’m kicking myself for not waiting so you could see what they look like refrigerated!
I’ve been working on this recipe since I started grain-free baking about a year and a half ago. But the other day I realized… there’s no fat in there. Why have I never added fat?!
The brownies below are the fat-free version. Or I guess I should say the added-fat free version. If you want to make those, just omit the coconut oil from the recipe. I’m sure these would also work well with only 2 tablespoons of oil! The oil-free version is good and all but why have fat-free good brownies when you could have the best ever fudgy brownies?!
I used coconut oil in these brownies and don’t know if any other fats would work. So go with coconut oil! And I only have access to refined coconut oil (which has absolutely no coconut taste) so if you use unrefined, I don’t know if it’d have a slight coconut taste or not. But even if it did, I bet these would still be delicious!
The most amazing thing about these brownies is that they’re entirely date sweetened! No honey, no coconut sugar, no maple syrup. Just dates!
You whip the batter up in the food processor, meaning that the dates are totally processed to a paste and nobody will have a clue that there are dates in there!.
I don’t normally like recipes with just coconut flour in them, but these are an exception. And I’m afraid that there are no subs for coconut flour here. You have to use coconut flour. It’s expensive but you use so little at a time!
I also used Dutch process cocoa powder, just because that’s all we have over here. When I was in the US this summer and did some baking, I was a little surprised by the difference between Dutch-process and normal or even Hershey’s dark cocoa powder. I definitely recommend getting some of the Dutch-process kind! It just makes baked goods taste more intense and somehow more developed. If that makes any sense.
I’ve also tried these with prunes but I found them a bit gross. You could definitely taste the prunes! Stick with dates. :) I just used normal dates because I’ve never seen Medjool dates around here, so if you want to use Medjool, get out your scale and go by weight.
After posting my healthier Halloween sugar cookies, I asked on Facebook what other Halloween goodies people would like to see healthified. The first answer I got was anything with chocolate and peanut butter – so I jazzed these fudge brownies up with a little peanut butter! It’s in both the batter and the frosting. While you can’t really taste it in the brownies, you can taste it in the frosting, although it’s not super peanut butter-y.
The frosting is the same one I used in my spiderweb cupcakes but I doubled the peanut butter. And the frosting does have a tablespoon of honey in it. I couldn’t make that date sweetened. It just didn’t work.
The frosting is like dark chocolate peanut buttery fudge when refrigerated. When at room temperature, you can see what a mess it is. I didn’t refrigerate my brownies before cutting them, but you should to avoid a mess. And if you don’t want to use peanut butter, you can use any nut butter or maybe even coconut butter (not coconut oil!) And for a nut-free version, I bet SunButter would work just fine!
You can see my pathetic attempt at Halloween-ifying these fudge brownies. At least it was quick, easy, and free of super processed junk! It was just a little white chocolate but you could use anything that’s pipe-able.
If you try these, let me know how they come out! I’d love to hear what you think. :D
Grain-free Fudge Brownies
- Prep Time:
- Cook Time:
- Ready in:
- Yield: 8 brownies
Ingredients
- 80 grams (this is 11 regular, non-Medjool) dates1
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1/4 cup natural peanut butter (the kind with no added fat or sugar!)
- 2 tablespoons milk of choice
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup (25 grams) coconut flour
- 1/3 cup (38 grams) Dutch process cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 1/2 tablespoons (21 grams) coconut oil
- 1/4 cup (64 grams) natural peanut butter
- 2 1/2 tablespoons (~12 grams) Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon (20 grams) honey
Brownies:
Frosting:
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Prepare a 9" x 5" loaf pan with a piece of parchment paper for easy removal of brownies. If you don't have parchment paper, you can spray the pan with baking spray.
- In the bowl of your food processor fitted with the S-blade, process the dates until it becomes pasty. It'll be spreadable, but not a liquid.
- Add the vanilla, peanut butter, milk and coconut oil and blend until homogeneous.
- Add the egg and pulse just until combined. Do not over mix here!
- Add the remaining ingredients (coconut flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder) and pulse once or twice to get it mostly combined, and then use a plastic spatula and finish mixing it in.
- Bake the brownies for 10 – 12 minutes or just until the top appears set. If you press down into the brownies with your finger, they will be very, very soft.
- Let cool completely before frosting.
- For the frosting, melt the coconut oil, natural peanut butter and cocoa powder in a small pan over low heat. When completely melted and smooth, take the pan off the heat, add the honey and stir until well combined.
- Frost the brownies and place the loaf pan back in the refrigerator to allow the frosting to set (to allow for easier cutting).
- Once the frosting is set, cut the brownies and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Notes
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189 comments on “Grain-free Fudge Brownies (gluten-free, dairy-free)” — Add one!
Interesting brownie. I made it with raw almond butter from TJ’s, since I was low on PB. I also used 80g of medjool dates, which is the only variety I’ve ever seen. Maybe sweetness and density would be different if you use whatever the “normal” kind of dates is?
The result I got was a fudgy, yet somehow fairly light texture. Not very sweet at all, a bit bitter, actually. To me, this brownie definitely needs the frosting to qualify as a dessert, even though I enjoy 70% chocolate chips in cookies, and 70% chocolate bars as a treat.
The smooth texture and the flavor of the PB frosting is great – very much like a normal PB frosting texture. Something I’d make again for vegan cakes. I also tried a raw almond butter version of the frosting, but the texture was a little grainy (TJ’s brand almond butter is) and I found the almond flavor intrusive, rather than complementary the way the peanut butter was.
The thing I found most surprising was that I could taste the coconut flavor from the coconut flour (my refined coconut oil has no flavor.). Usually, I don’t think coconut flour tastes coconutty, but it this recipe it does, at least, at room temp or warm. It has a lot less flavor cold, so warm is how I’d eat it (also surprising since I love a cold desert, including cold cakes and cold brownies).
Though I have another date-sweetened, grain-free brownie recipe I like better, I could see making this again. I like that this recipe is very fast and simple. It’d probably make a good base for a brownie sundae or just a la mode. The contrast of sweet vanilla ice cream and low-level bitter brownie would probably be good.
These are so good, Erin! Thank you!
I’m so glad you liked them! Thanks for your feedback. :)
What can I substitute the peanut butter for to make this nut free?
I haven’t tried it but I think sunflower seed butter might work.
i made these recently and they were so good! i skipped the glaze and put some salt on the top and have loved them cold from the fridge. the fruit-sweetened recipe is perfect for me because i try to eat grain and sugar free. they tasted wonderful!
I’m really happy that you enjoyed them! A little extra salt sounds good. :) Thanks for your feedback!
I’m planning on making these for Mother’s Day, but I don’t have any coconut flour. We have whole wheat flour and oat flour. Would any of those work as a substitute? Also, the dates we have are Medjool dates. It’s pretty complicated going to the market because of the Coronavirus. Would the recipe stil work with these changes?
I’m so sorry for just now seeing your question. :( It landed up in spam for some reason and with my son home the last 2 months, I haven’t been diligent with checking that. Hopefully you found the answer to the coconut flour question in the post. There’s no sub for coconut flour. One commenter said they used oat flour but I’ve never tried it. You can use the same amount of Medjool dates by weight. Sorry again for my ridiculously slow reply!
These are fantastically delicious and the texture in a diabetic grain free brownie. Thank you!! I used only 8 dates and did butter instead and they were great.
I’m so glad that you enjoyed them! Good to know that it works well with fewer dates. :) Sorry for just now seeing your comment. Things have been crazy! Thanks a bunch for your feedback.
Does this recipe work with Almond flour?
Sorry for the slow reply! Hopefully you found your answer in the post. :) I’m afraid that there are no subs for coconut flour here. You have to use coconut flour.
These are excellent! My children were delighted with this treat… Thank you for working so hard to bring us such good recipes! So happy the only sweetener is dates!
I’m so happy that your children enjoyed them! I wish I had more date-sweetened treats. Sorry that I don’t. Thanks for your comment! :)
I made these yesterday and doubled the recipe. I did a couple of things differently. I soaked the dates with just enough water to cover them for 15-20min and then I included that water in the food processor and omitted the milk in the recipe. I did more than 160 g of dates, maybe closer to 200. I baked for 20 min in 8×8 pan. I refrigerated them for a few hours before cutting and serving. I did not make the frosting to go with them because my kids and the guests we had for dinner were eating them with ice cream. I ate mine plain and it was just lightly sweet and fudgy in the middle with the hint of peanut butter. It was a good alternative to regular brownies, a nice healthy treat!
Thanks so much for sharing your version! It’s always interesting to learn how other people modified the recipe. :) I’m happy that it worked out well! Thanks again for your comment.
Um yum! Thank you for making a recipe with the EXACT ingredients that I wanted to use to make healthy brownies – you saved me the trouble of figuring it out myself :). I didn’t have coconut flour, so used oat flour. The only other change I made was adding a little sea salt and cinnamon, and on the frosting I used coconut sugar and also added vanilla and cinnamon. I put the brownies in the freezer so I could frost them sooner and then put them in again to cool with the frosting. Super delish!
That’s awesome! I’m so happy that they worked out well for you. And with oat flour?! Interesting! Did you use the same amount? Thanks for the tip and your feedback!
Hi Erin,
Yes, I used the same amount and have also made your banana chocolate muffins (awesome) and a modified version of your apple muffins all using oat flour :). Love your site, thank you for all your work developing healthier dessert recipes that taste amazing!
I’m about another batch right now!
Hi Gwen! Thanks so much for letting me know! I’m really interested in how you subbed oat flour in those recipes. The only grain my son can really have is oats so I’ve been trying very hard to figure out how to sub oat flour in my recipes and having a hard time. Everything comes out gummy and dense! The chocolate banana muffins use 2 cups of almond flour and 3 tablespoons of coconut flour. So how much oat flour did you use? And thank you for your kind words. :)
Hm I’m not sure exactly… I think with the muffins I started with the same amount of flour and then probably added a little more until it got to what seemed like the right texture to me? And when I say “oat flour,” I mean rolled oats that I blended up to flour ;). I try to do oat because there are kids with severe nut allergies at my daughter’s school, so if I bake anything with nuts she can’t take it to school. I made your chocolate chip cookies with oat flour last night and no nut butter, just coconut oil, and I probably needed to use more flour than I did. They came out very thin, crispy/chewy, and brittle – delicious, and everyone loves them, though :)
Thanks so much for the reply! That’s good to know. I so wish there were a good conversion that works every time! And if you mean the perfect paleo chocolate chip cookies… I’ve been trying to make an oat flour version of those, too! I can get them good but nowhere near as delicious as the original. I’ll be sure to post that version if I’m ever successful. Thanks again for your comment. :)
I made these today with a few changes and loved it very much. The changes were to sub coconut palm sugar for honey (goes so well with chocolate; and a somewhat dubious study indicates the gi index is lower, so possibly less impact on blood sugar). I also subbed almond flour for coconut flour, because that’s what I have on hand, and used almond butter with the peanut butter for a rounder flavour. Then I added a good amount each of chocolate chips and hazelnuts for decadence, and increased the amount of Cocoa powder by 2 tbls. My partner didn’t notice the absence of processed sugar. His only comment: ” Absolutely delicious.” Thank you so much for thinkng of such a great recipe, I know I played with it a bit, but replacing those 1-2 cups of sugar in most brownie recipes, having that protein from the nut butter, and using dates makes all the difference in having something nutricious and decadent! We loved it.
I’m happy that they came out well with all your changes! Your version sounds delicious. :) I’ve also got to try these with almond butter! And great to know what almond flour also works. Thanks a bunch for your comment!
Do you think substituting applesauce for some of the oil would work? These look delicious!
I’m not sure. I usually don’t like the results of that sub so I haven’t tried it in these brownies. Sorry about that! Let me know how it goes if you try it out. :)
I subbed unsweetened applesauce for all the oil and they were STILL delicious! The consistency was a little different (actually more like brownies) whereas with coconut oil they seem to be like fudge. Either way, so so so good! Thanks, Erin!
Oooh! Interesting. I’ll have to try it with applesauce then! More brownie-like could be good. :) Thanks for the tip! So happy that they came out well.
I have subbed these twice before once with avocado instead of coconut oil and another with vegan nutlex margarine ! Both fab !!!
Awesome! So happy that your subs worked out well. :) Thanks for sharing!
I made these and I cannot stop eating them! They are absolutely amazing and I’m sharing the recipe with everyone!
Sorry for just now seeing your comment! I don’t know where the week went. And I’m so happy you liked the cookies! Thanks a bunch for sharing the recipe with everyone. I hope your friends will enjoy them, too!
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! I tried this a few weeks ago and loved it! I am making it again today, since it is Halloween and I want to have something healthy but yummy to eat while I say no to candy all day.
I think these are a much better alternative to candy. :) I’m so happy you enjoyed them and are making them again! Thanks for your comment. :)
Can’t wait to make these tomorrow! I am changing my diet to avoid taking meds for hypothyroidism and was looking for a mostly sugarless and gluten-free dessert:)
I hope you’ll enjoy them! I’d love to hear how they come out. :)
I’ve been making these for years and love them!! I always double it for an 8×8 pan :) I have found that other data work as well as coconut oil. I’m not at all a paleo person, just a healthy eater. I’ve successfully used olive oil and butter, and am thinking of trying Greek yogurt next.
Wow! I love how much you’ve experimented with this recipe. :) How long do you normally bake them for in an 8×8? I tried it recently and must have messed them up somehow because they came out so dry. Thanks for your comment! :)
Amazing! I just made these as I’ve been looking for interesting coconut flour recipes – this recipe is a winner! I can’t eat eggs so replaced with flaxseed and I had to replace the peanut butter with cashew butter
I also had them slightly warmed and made some of the frosting into a sauce – melt in the mouth dessert fantastic with non-dairy vanilla ice cream
Sorry I just now saw your comment! I’m happy you found a good solution for the eggs and cashew butter. :) I’ll have to try that myself! Thanks a bunch for your comment. :)
Do you have the nutritional info for these? They look wonderful.
Thanks! I don’t have that info but you can copy and paste the recipe here for the nutritional profile, if you’d like. :)
Could I use something other than dates (or prunes) to sweeten this? I don’t have a food processor or anything else to blend them. I like this recipe because it uses coconut flour and not teff flour.
I hate to say it but unfortunately not! The dates are the base of the recipe and subbing another sweetener wouldn’t work. Sorry about that!
Can I use almond flour or regular flour if I don’t have coconut flour?
Coconut flour is unfortunately not interchangeable with any other flour as it absorbs so much more liquid. Sorry about that!
I made these last weekend and double the recipe to fit an 8×8 pan. They we okay once they cooled down on the counter but they were AMAZING after being in the freezer! They tasted like a regular sugar, flour, butter brownie. I use past tense because they are all gone! I didn’t make the peanut butter frosting but I will next time. Thank you so much!!!
That’s awesome! I like refrigerating my brownies for a fudgier texture but I haven’t ever tried freezing them. Thanks for your tip and for your feedback!
Question, if I am using different brands of coconut flour or almond flour than your recipes call for, should I go by the measurement in your recipe (such as 1/4c., etc.), or the weight in grams?
I’d go by weight in grams! It’s always the most accurate way. :)
I am making these today for the third time! My daughter is having to follow a strict diet for now and these are so helpful as an occasional treat for her!! The texture is fantastic and it’s just sweet enough to feel like dessert. We have to use almond butter and I used 1T of coconut sugar instead of honey for the topping. I also add some vanilla. So good….thank you!
I’m happy that you found a recipe that your daughter can enjoy and that you like them enough to make them three times! And it’s great to know that coconut sugar works in the topping. :) Thanks so much for your feedback!
Erin, these brownies are seriously amazing! I want a constant supply of them in my fridge. I’m definitely going to make a double batch next time!
Aww, yay! So happy you liked them. What’s weird is that I tried a double batch recently and they were awful. I must have made a mistake! I hope you have better luck. :)
One question about this recipe- I’m making for a friend who is avoiding dairy AND eggs… any suggestions for a substitution? I was going to try 1/2 of a mashed banana or just try leaving it out altogether… thoughts?
So sorry I’m just now seeing your comment! I wouldn’t recommend just leaving out the eggs and not adding another binder. Unfortunately, I don’t have any experience with adding mashed banana as an egg sub. Perhaps a flax egg would work? I’m sorry I’m not more of a help!
Thanks! And no worries… it forced me to do some experimenting :) I tried half a mashed banana, and while it wasn’t bad, I wouldn’t recommend it… it made the brownies taste more like banana and less like a brownie… of course, we still ate the whole pan :)
Will try a flax egg as you recommended next time around!
I’m happy they were still edible! Hopefully the flax egg version will come out better. :) Thanks for letting me know how the banana sub came out!
I wonder if applesauce would work
Flax eggs work very well. The brownies may be more crumbly than egg brownies (not sure) but thw texture and flavor is very good ans fudgy.
Thanks a bunch for your tip! :)
I made these last night. They were quite good. I need to add a little water to the dates. I think the dates i bought were low quality. I also left them in the oven too long ( I should have heeded your warning)! The only thing I didn’t care for was the peanut butter frosting. I am making these again today. Thanks for the recipe!
I hope your next attempt will go better! That’s strange you needed to add some water to the dates. I haven’t had that issue before. Thanks so much for your feedback! :)
Do you think I could use sesame paste instead of peanut butter?
I’ve never used sesame paste so I honestly have no idea. Sorry about that! I hope you’ll enjoy them if you try it out. :)
AMAZING recipe- I changed a few things because of food sensitivities:
Used 1/4 almond butter instead of peanut butter, 1/4 butter instead of coconut oil, replaced cocoa powder with raw cacao powder, and just used 11 medjool dates… turned out SO well!
Only complaint is that it was small so I wish I did 2 batches!
I need to come up with a recipe that fits an 8×8 well! And I’m so happy you enjoyed the brownies and that they came out well with your changes. :) Thanks a ton for your feedback!
Thank YOU for the recipe! I had serious doubts about any “healthy junk food” recipes, but you proved me wrong!! Very happy to come across this and looking forward to trying more of your recipes!!
Well I hope you’ll enjoy the others just as much! I used to have doubts about healthy desserts, too. There are a lot of bad ones out there! I think they kind of scared me. Thanks a bunch for your nice comment. :)
Made them, loved them, making them again tonight. My only complaint was that they didn’t make enough so will doubling tonight’s recipe. I have never made the frosting though as I add some berries with extremely thick homemade coconut and vanilla yoghurt. Yum!
I love your yogurt and berry topping idea! Sounds delicious. And I agree about the yield. I need to convert this to fill an 8″x8″! Thanks a ton for your feedback. I’m so happy you liked them. :)
I found this recipe a while ago while looking for something dairy and gluten free that would be tasty. I love chocolate but I’m limiting my sugar intake to the minimum. The dates caught my attention and my god am I happy I found this! Just after making these amazing brownies. I used dessicated coconut that I put in my food processor to make it more powder like due to lack of coconut flour and subsitituted the peanut butter for almond butter.
Will definitely be making them again!! Thank you!
Your changes sound great! I’m so happy that they turned out well. :) Thanks for the feedback and sorry for my slow reply!
My family and I love these brownies, and make them often (I make a 1 and 1/2 recipe, and use an 8 X 8 pan). I do want to mention, though, that baking powder often has cornstarch in it – therefore not grain free – but I sub baking soda just fine.
Good to know that 1.5x the recipe works well for an 8×8 pan! And thanks for the tip on baking powder. I’ll add that to the recipe! Thanks so much for your feedback. :)
These look absolutely insane! I will definitely try this! I was wondering…can i substitute egg or just not using it?
I definitely wouldn’t just leave it out. I haven’t tried it but perhaps a flax egg would work? One of the commenters used that and it worked out for them! I hope you’ll enjoy the brownies. :)
These are seriously to die for! I’ve made them five times now in the last week {guilty!} but always without the frosting. I make them with cows milk and butter and I add a few extra dates (100g total, after being soaked) because my hubs camplained that they weren’t sweet enough when I made them with 80g. I used my magic bullet and it works great. Also, once I was out of milk and used yogurt, worked great too. I LOVE a recipe that gives measurements by weight. So much easier to get a good result, especially with ingredients like coconut flour. Thank you!! I made them for friends and they scarfed them down.
I am curious about a substitute for the peanut butter, I don’t want to gtive them to my daughter with peanuts but maybe with almond butter but I wonder if there’s any non but or seed sub for that. Just a pondering though because these suckers are SO good as written! Thanks again!
I’m so happy that you’ve enjoyed them so much! And I like the idea of adding more dates. I think I’ll try that next time. I’m totally with you on the measurements thing. Today I was scooping out some coconut flour with a tablespoon and I realized I had no idea if most people pack their spoons or measure coconut flour like regular flour. Same thing with almond flour! I haven’t tried it but I’m assuming almond butter or any other nut butter would work. And I’ve never tried this in anything, but I’m guessing it’d work, too. Thanks so much for your feedback! :)
Just to update,
I tried making these with homemade cashew butter instead of peanut butter and they were so, so good! I just blended cashews and added a little ghee. The batter wasn’t as thick but they were just as fudgy and delicious. There wasn’t the peanut butter aftertaste (which I enjoued but my hubs didn’t) and I feel better giving them to my daughter (and about eating half the batch in one night since too much peanut butter does agree with me). Seriously. These are so amazing!!
I’m glad you shared that about the sunflower seed flour! I’ll have to try that to break up the monotony of almond flour from time to time!
That’s great that cashew butter worked! Sounds very interesting. I’m not even sure if I like cashews yet (I’m taking my time deciding ;)) but I’ll definitely recommend it to other commenters who ask about a peanut-free sub. If you try the sunflower seed flour, let me know how it goes! I’ve never tried it but I’m curious if it’s actually a good sub or not. :) Thanks so much for coming back to let me know how they came out!
Ha. Sorry. Did I really miss the part in the post about subbing out the peanut butter for almond or sunflower? I was just skimming the post again and saw it in bold. Oops. I think I skipped that part because I wasn’t making the frosting. Also.. I meant to say peanut butter doesn’t agree with me. Wish you could edit comments like on FB ;).
While the cashew butter is a good compromise for our family, I wonder what role the nut/seed butter plays in a recipe. Is it just a binder? What I was originally wondering is what might sub out the need for a nut or seed butter altogether. I have tried a few other recipes that call for nut/seed butters but not as key flavor elements and I wonder why they’re there, what’s their function. Not asking you to answer that because this recipe works great as is and I’m not trying to be one of those annoying commenters that asks you to give advice on how to completely change a recipe in ways you haven’t tested ;). Just pondering out loud! Thanks again!
Haha. It’s a long post. ;) I guess I should just add that bit to the recipe box to make it easier for everyone to find! The nut butter here is used as a binder. I guess you could try them without it but I don’t think they’ll come out as nicely! I just posted some gluten-free oatmeal cookies that completely fell apart in the first batches without almond butter. I added some almond butter and that made them so much better! And haha. You’re a very aware commenter. It’s awesome to see that the readers also notice how sometimes the questions can get a little silly. (“What can I sub for the 12 eggs in this angel food cake? I don’t like eggs. And how can I make it grain-free, nut-free and dairy-free? Thanks.”) You’re totally not being annoying and I’ve appreciated your thoughtful comments! :)
Big winner with the friends who thought they were eating conventional brownies :) When I said there was neither sugar nor flour in them, they were flabbergasted. I didn’t have coconut flour, so I just put some coconut flakes in the food processor before processing the dates. When I wanted more bulk from a batch, I added pureed chickpeas. I’m sure other pureed beans would work just as well.
That sounds like an interesting change! How much chickpea puree did you add? I’m so happy that you and your friends liked them! Thanks for the feedback. :)
In case anyone is like me and didn’t have coconut flour on hand and REALLY wanted to try this recipe out, I just used some fine dessicated coconut I had in my pantry and whizzed it around in a mortar and pestle for a little bit and my brownies came out great!
Wow! That’s awesome that that worked. Thanks for sharing your trick with us! So happy that you liked the brownies. :)
Ooooh my!!! I was so scared to try these because of the dates. Your picture looked so good though. I’m so happy I gave them a try. I put them in cupcake pan for ten minutes. I think they could have come out in 8. I loooooooved it to much. I want to eat the whole batch. So amazing. And only 250 calories
I’m so happy that you liked the brownies! I’m also scared of dates but I’m happy I got over it for these brownies. Thanks so much for your feedback! :)
Wow, I just made these and they are indeed amazing and super easy! They are so rich tasting that I decided to leave them unfrosted. I substituted ground flaxseed and water for the egg so my vegan friends can also enjoy them :) I’ll definitely be making these again. Thank you for sharing!!
Oh, wow. Good to know that a flax egg works here! Thanks for letting me know. So happy that you enjoyed the brownies and thanks for the feedback. :)
just made these, they are great. Didn’t make the frosting, they are great on their own. Excited to have a dessert to hand my kid that is actually a pretty well rounded meal by its self!
Sorry for my slow reply, Mackenzie! I’m happy that you and your kid enjoyed the brownies. And I love that you referred to these brownies as a well-rounded meal. I like how you think! :D Thanks so much for the feedback and sorry again for my slow response!
Holy crap! These brownies are totally awesome, thank you so much for this recipe! I changed a few things around (mostly because I don’t have coconut oil on hand right now) and they still turned out fantastic. Thanks again, I look forward to trying more of your recipes!
I’m so happy that they came out well with your changes! What did you use instead of coconut oil? I’m just interested. :) Thanks so much for the feedback!
I have a serious problem experimenting with recipes for no good reason (often with disastrous results) so I’m not confident this was a legitimate replacement for the coconut oil, but I mashed up some banana and added a little butter instead. It was spur of the moment, but it worked out haha. I also used Medjool dates and may have added blueberries to the frosting haha. Be proud your recipe can stand up to my kitchen shenanigans! ;)
Haha. Mashed bananas and blueberries. Those sound like some slightly odd yet awesome subs. :D I actually tried a variation of these today with quinoa flour. I also tried to convert it for an 8×8 pan because this yields such a small batch. It was awful! Right in the trash they went. So good for you with your funky subs! ;)
Oh! I just saw your other comment. Those are some even more interesting subs! Did they actually taste like brownies? :) It sounds great! Thanks for letting me know about it. So happy that you’re getting some use out of this recipe!
Sooo I may have just made a straight-up banana version of this. Nixed the cocoa powder and instead added two bananas to the batter, twice the coconut flour and two eggs. They are DELICIOUS. Oh god. Just figured I would share my insane experiments with you.
I have these in the oven right now, and just by the way the batter tastes, they are going to be awesome! I’m at the beginning of my paleo/GAPS journey, and haven’t realized the beauty of cooking with dates yet…thanks for a delicious introduction to them!:)
I have to admit that I’m not the most knowledgeable when it comes to baking with dates, either! I definitely need to explore that a little more. :) I hope that brownies came out well! Thanks for the feedback. :)
I tried to use the nutribullet since I dont have a food processor… bad idea lol. It kind of shrank my batter so it made about half of the amount that it should have been but of course it was still delicious! I used raw cacao instead of cocoa and almond butter instead of peanut butter. I also blended in some ghee into the frosting to make it more buttery… OMG. Its kind of the most delicious thing ever. Cant wait to make a larger batter though! (Although more of these could be dangerous) lol. Thanks for the recipe!
I’m so happy that they came out well for you, despite the small batch issue! Almond butter and raw cacao sound like great changes that I definitely want to try. :) Thanks a ton for your feedback and good luck on the next batch!
Made with peanut butter, flourless, fudgy and date-sweetened?! These sound like brownie perfection and I like that you used coconut oil in them, too. Why can you only find refined, though? Organic groceries or even smaller stores tend to carry unrefined in my experience.
Not related to the recipe but I got excited when I read you’re living in Berlin. Germany still feels like blogger no-man’s land at times or at least when it comes to healthy food/ healthy living blogs written in English. So hi from another blogger living in Germany [and hoping to move to Berlin one day]. (:
Oh no. So sorry I missed this comment! I recently found unrefined coconut oil at LPG. Before that, I couldn’t find it at Alnatura, “reform houses” or anywhere else. I gave up looking after a while (I’ve been here for 5 years) so it could be that it showed up a while back. A few years ago, I couldn’t even really find it online and it was unclear if it was coconut oil or coconut butter. So now I’ve got a jar of unrefined! But I use it sparingly. I go through a lot of coconut oil in recipe testing (most of it ends up in the trash) and so I much prefer my 69 cent 250 gram chunks over the 8 euro / 500 gram jars. Do you know where to get it cheaper? :) And neat that you’re also living in Germany! I hope to move away from Berlin one day. Soon. :D Haha. Perhaps we could trade places? ;) And healthy food bloggers based in Germany and who write in English? Hmm. I just checked out your blog so now I know there’s a second person who fits this description. Are there any others? Sorry again for the slow reply!
These are my actual fav brownies to make EVER!! For the issue below about the mixture being super thick, all you need to do is a basic cooking trick and use the back of a damp spoon to smooth the mixture down into the lined pan. The tiny bit of extra liquid doesn’t affect the baking at all. & for those who have the nasty dry dates, just pop them in a tiny bit of hot water to soak for ten mins before hand. Thank you for the best recipe ever!
Wow! Thanks so much for your tips. :) I didn’t even know that nasty dry dates were a thing! I guess it makes sense (since she was referring to a powder). I’m so happy to hear that you like the brownies so much. Thanks a ton for your feedback and the rating. :)
I am about to make these and I think I got the wrong kind of dates. I got chopped ones that have a dusting on them. Will these work? NEVER used dates before so I have no idea and don’t want to waste the other ingredients. Thanks in advance!
So sorry for the slow reply! I’m on vacation and didn’t have access to the comments until now. :( I’ve never seen dates like that (with a dusting) but I’m assuming that they’ll work! Good luck if you do try. :)
No worries! I ended up finding regular dates and those actually blended up…the other ones I had didn’t. Not sure if I did something wrong, they did turn out pretty dry and its hard to swallow them without something to drink! I am definitely making them again though to make sure I measured everything correctly. Regardless of the dryness they were still delish :) Thank you
Oh no! I’m sorry they came out dry. I’m not really sure what could have happened to make them dry because they’re awfully fudgy. I hope they come out better next time! :)
I’m not sure what I did wrong. My dough was VERY thick and didn’t even spread out to fill the pan. It was as though there wasn’t enough liquid in the recipe. Has anyone else had this problem? I followed the recipe with the exception of subbing almond butter and and Medjool dates — I only used 5.
The batter is really, really thick… almost like fudge. Did it bake up properly, though? I don’t think your changes would have caused any problems (as long as you went with 80 grams of dates) so I’m stumped as to what it could have been. I hope they came out! Sorry I couldn’t be more of a help. :(
hi there! i’m interested in making these but its hard to get my hands on the dates near where i lived. is there other alternatives to substitute those? *fingers crossed*
Prunes are the only thing I can think of! I have tried these with prunes but they just didn’t taste as good (but then again, I don’t like prunes ;)) I definitely recommend ordering some dates online! They’re what’s so special about this recipe. If you don’t have dates, you could make any grain-free brownie recipe and use coconut sugar or whatever sweetener you like. :) Good luck!
Hey Erin!
Thanks for the recipe! You inspired me to try this out and the brownies turned out great! I skipped the icing but they were still sooooo good! I even added a bit of protein powder to make them more nutritious and here’s the result: http://thewhitegiftbag.wordpress.com/2014/03/02/flourless-protein-brownies-engl/
You have a new fan :)
x
Christina
Hi, Christina! I’m so happy that you liked the brownies. :) And you added protein powder?! Awesome! I’ll have to go check out your recipe. Thanks so much for the feedback and the rating!
Made these twice now, they are soooooooooo good!
So happy that you liked them, Jen! Thanks a ton for the feedback and rating. :)
I’ll preface this with the fact that I almost never write reviews or comments on recipes. Also, that I have only ever eaten dates in date squares and didn’t care for them but recently thought I should give them another shot. Once I bought a package, I got worried that I’d break my blender/food processor and never did anything with them. Tonight I decided to give it a shot, Googled, and found this recipe. These brownies are INCREDIBLE! I didn’t make the frosting but the brownies are so wonderful on their own that they don’t need anything extra (but I’m sure it’d be a great bonus). I’ll definitely be trying some more of your recipes!
Hi, Ann! I’m so happy that you enjoyed the brownies. :) I also don’t like dates. To be honest, they remind me of roaches and that really creeps me out. ;) So I was shocked when these came out the way they did. Thanks a ton for the feedback and I hope that you’ll enjoy the other recipes!
The brownies are to die for! Made it now 2 nights in a row and in the morning there’s nothing left! My son is a keen cyclist and loves it as it is low GI and low everything else!
Now I’ve discovered your blog, I’ll be baking more of your recipes.
Thank you form us in Sunny (hot!) South Africa!
I’m so happy that you and your son liked the brownies! I hope that you’ll enjoy the other recipes, too. :) Thanks so much for the rating – I love feedback! And hello to you from very cold Berlin. ;)
Yummy, the look so delicious! I was wondering if you knew how many calories this recipe (or just one brownie) holds? Just roughly?
I ask because although I’m on a quest to eat healthier versions of everything but I’m also trying to lose weight so it would be nice to know if this is really high in calories:) Greetings from Iceland;)
Hæ, Amanda! :) I’m geeking out right now that an Icelandic person (although maybe you just live there and aren’t Icelandic?) left a comment on my blog. Iceland is my favorite country and I even learned your super complicated language for one semester in college! Anyway, I don’t have the nutritional info but if you copy and paste it into this neat recipe analyzer, it’ll tell you everything. I hope that helps! :)
Hello
I came across your site and this recipe and made them this morning, they turned out amazing, thank you.
I made them with regular baking cocoa, would they taste richer with the dutch process cocoa? Im new to baking and haven’t used it before. Whats the main differences in the end result?
Thanks
So sorry for the slow reply! I’m so happy that the brownies came out well for you. The main difference in the end result is that the brownies would taste darker and in my opinion, more chocolate-y. If you can’t find Dutch Process or it’s too expensive, get Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa Powder. It should be available everywhere. I hope you’ll be able to find that! Thanks a bunch for your feedback and the rating. :)
These are FANTASTIC, as everything else I have made from your site! Thanks for all of the wonderful recipes!
Yay! So happy that you liked the brownies and all the other recipes, Jen! Thanks a bunch for letting me know and for the feedback and the rating. :)
Thanks for this recipe Erin, these brownies look absolutely delicious! Totally baking them this week. Can’t wait!
I hope you’ll enjoy them, Marie! Let me know how they come out. :)
They were DELICIOUS, this recipe is a total winner!! Do you think I could double the ingredients and use a regular brownies pan (the square one) next time? The batch I made was gone way too quickly!
I’d love to make these in an 8″x8″ pan! When you say loaf pan, are you baking them in a pan like you use for banana bread?
Yes, that type of pan! A 9″x5″ loaf pan is what I used. You can double the recipe and put it in an 8″x8″ but you’ll need to cook them for a few minutes longer. I’m afraid I don’t know exactly how much longer, though! Let us know if you try it out and good luck. :)
Yay! So happy that you liked them! Thanks again for sharing on FB. :) I think doubling and using an 8×8 or 9×9 would be fine. The area of a 9×5 loaf pan is 45 so if you use a 9×9, the area would be 81, which is almost double. So your doubled brownies will be a tiny bit thicker. Sounds good to me! :) Thanks a bunch for the feedback and the rating!
Why not Medjool specifically?
They’re fine – just make sure you go by weight since Medjool are much bigger than the regular ones I used. Good luck! :)
These look SO GOOD. I am so happy they are date sweetened as well as GF and DF because I was just told I have to stay away from all sugar (except fruit sugar). I’ve been trying to find date or coconut sweetened brownies and so glad I found your recipe! Can’t wait to try. Also, I’ve included this in my round-up of favorite recipe pins on my “Friday Favorites” post. Thank you!
Thanks, Alexandra! I hope you’ll enjoy the brownies once you make them. :) And coconut sweetened brownies?! Mmm! I think you gave me a new goal. :) Thanks for including me in your round-up and good luck with the sugar-free baking!
We made these today, they are absolutely FANTASTIC! I have been so disappointed in gluten free desserts, but not any more. Thank you from the bottom of my chocolate loving heart for this recipe. Now to start looking at some of your others, and trying them out to! So happy I found this site.
It’s great that you liked the brownies! I’m so happy that you found the site, too. I don’t have to eat gluten-free (and I only bake GF about half the time) so when you see me post a GF recipe, you can trust that it’ll be super good. ;) Thanks so much for the feedback! I hope you’ll enjoy the other recipes as much. :)
That’s even better, Erin. I am only temporarily GF and my family isn’t at all, so I am looking forward even more to trying your other recipes. Thank you!
That’s great! I hope that your GF time won’t be so difficult. Good luck with it! :)
Can I omit the peanut butter or is it not really that noticeable? I’m not allergic to nuts just don’t really care for the taste. Thanks
Sorry for the slow reply, Deb! I wouldn’t omit it because it does add some fat to the brownies, which helps make them gooey. If there is a type of nut that you do like, you could use that nut butter. Or maybe coconut butter (not oil!) would work. The peanut butter flavor isn’t super strong in the brownies (most of the peanut butter flavor comes from the frosting) but if you really dislike peanut butter, I don’t know if I’d recommend making these.
Oh my word girl, these look insanely good! I was looking at a recipe for ‘The Best Brownies Ever’ on Smitten Kitchen, trying to figure out how to use coconut flour in place of the all-purpose, so this recipe comes at a great time! I can’t tell you how happy I am that you used dates in here too. Nicely done! :-D Pinned for my ‘After Halloween Sugar Coma’!
Thanks so much for pinning! :) And you try subbing coconut flour for all-purpose?! Wow. You’re brave! I don’t even bother. I hope you’ll like these! :D
All I can say is YUM!!!
Ooh, hey, it’s Winnie! Nice to see you here. :)
Sweetened with dates, huh? You have me really curious! They look incredible, I wish I had one right now!
I know it sounds weird but they’re really good! :)
Those look outrageously fudgy and rich, yum!
Thanks so much, Sylvie! :)
Can I substitute the coconut flour with Almond or Oat flour?
I’m afraid not. You have to use coconut flour here because it absorbs a lot more moisture than all the other flours. Sorry! :(
AMAZING!!! I am a serious sugar addict so have to be very careful about what kinds of sweeteners I eat. These are just subtly sweet and with that peanut butter chocolate combo! Perfection!!! I was lamenting not being able to eat any Reese’s Peanut Butter Halloween Pumpkins because they are a serious trigger for me. What a great alternative!!!
Yay! So happy that you like the brownies, Emily! :) I don’t get to eat any Reese’s either but that’s just because I live in Germany at the moment. At least we have these brownies! ;) Thanks so much for the feedback. I really appreciate it!
I just taste tested them on my 2 year old and YEP, they are a hit!!! :)
That’s awesome! Brownies for toddlers without the guilt. Woohoo! :D
is there anything that I could sub for the peanut butter?
Any other nut butter or SunButter (made from sunflower seeds) if you’re allergic to nuts. :)
Erin!!!! Seriously?! I am all over these! My three year old has been obsessed with dates, so I have a big tub of them.
Well that’s an awesome obsession for a three year old to have! Good job. :)
Totally love the look of these brownies – I’d never have realised how fat/sugar/grain free they were from the pics. They look so decadent!
Thanks, Kathryn! Happy I could “trick” you. :)
These look SO delicious, Erin. I tried to make brownies with coconut flour once and they had that chalky taste that coconut flour seems to give things sometimes. I am so excited to try your version!
Exactly! I don’t usually like coconut flour only baked goods. They just have a funky texture. But these are so full of creamy stuff that it’s not a problem. :D I hope you’ll love these!
These look insanely delish! Looking at the pictures I would never have guessed that they were sweetend with dates and did not contain butter or flour!
Amazing!
Thanks, Shashi! So happy that they don’t look date sweetened. It just sounds… unpleasant looking. ;)
These look amaaaaayzing! I am swooning over that frosting!
You have to try that frosting! So quick, easy and not that bad for you. :)
Wow, now that is a fudgy brownie if ever I’ve seen one!! Your recipes are so impressive – I wouldn’t even know where to start with grain-free baking.
That’s why I make it easy. Almond flour, coconut flour and oat flour – that’s all you’ll find over here! :)
As if girl!! These brownies are totally rocking my world right now!!
Haha. Good! :)
Nothing short of incredible! These are the definition of chewy, fudgy decadence in a brownie. Brilliant recipe!
Thank you, Georgia! Such a compliment, coming from you. :)
These look incredible! So rich and fudgy!
Thanks, girl!
These sound amazing! I love dates so this is perfect for me :)
Buuut, you can’t taste the dates! Just to make that clear. :D
Oh yum, these sound amazing! Love that they’re grain free too!
Thanks, Holly! :)
Please pass me a spoon for that frosting, yum! (P.S. I have an aversion to dates too, for the same reason you mentioned. Guess I will have to get over it for these fudgy brownies! ;))
Haha. It was torture touching those things. I avoid touching them at all costs!
If these are anything like those godly brownies you made with the peanut nutter filling then I am so in! These look supurb!!! :)
These are even fudgier! ;)