These raw brownies are totally awesome. When making them I honestly didn’t have high hopes. I thought, “yeah, sure, they may taste a little like a brownie just because they’re chocolate and all.” But, I figured this vegan raw brownie recipe would taste more like a Larabar than anything else. WRONG.
These raw brownies with dates are a total DREAM. Fudgy, chewy, a touch salty… basically perfection.
I love that these are made with whole ingredients and no super specialty ingredients, like egg replacers and specialty nut or starch flours. Dare we even call these raw brownies “healthy”?
Are Raw Brownies Healthy?
Let’s break the ingredients and their benefits down a bit:
- Dates – fiber, potassium, copper, magnesium, and vitamin B6
- Raw cacao powder – 40 times the antioxidants of blueberries, highest plant source of iron and magnesium, calcium, boosts neurotransmitters…chocolate = happy (duh)
- Walnuts – omega 3’s, copper, manganese, molybdenum, and biotin
- Flax seeds – omega 3’s, fiber, vitamin B1, magnesium, manganese
- Coconut oil – MCT’s, immune supporting (lauric acid), vitamin E
Plus, there is no flour, corn syrup, artificial flavors, or other junk you’d find in a boxed mix. Pretty awesome!
However, if you’re asking “are raw brownies healthy?”, the sugar content is something to consider. If you use medjool dates like I did, then each brownie will have around 19 grams of plant based sugar (assuming you cut the brownies into 12 servings).
Obviously this is higher than I would like, and if you’re low carb, you’re better off making keto brownies like these. But if you are not low carb, here’s why I think it’s okay for a TREAT and for this particular raw brownie recipe:
- All the sugar, except a small amount of maple syrup, comes from the dates. It’s not processed or refined sugar. Getting sugar from a whole food packed with fiber is not the same as consuming regular sugar.
- This is a treat, not something you should keep in your kitchen each week. Think birthday parties, Valentine’s day, Christmas, etc…
Still, if you don’t want so much natural sugar at once, you can easily cut these raw brownies into 24 instead of 12.
How To Make Raw Brownies With Dates
If you want to learn how to make raw brownies with dates, it doesn’t get any easier!
This vegan raw brownie recipe takes less than 10 minutes to prepare. All you need to do is place the “dough” ingredients in a blender or food processor, and blend until a dough forms. I like to let it run for an extra minute to create a fudgy, creamy consistency, instead of chunky.
Press the dough into a pan.
Then, whip up the fudge frosting. Simply mix together a little coconut oil, cacao powder, maple syrup, and vanilla. Spread that onto the brownies.
Top with some flaky coarse sea salt, and chill for an hour, until they set up nicely. Here is what they look like before cutting:
How To Store Raw Brownies
You can store raw brownies the same way that you’d store regular brownies. They are fine on the counter in an airtight container for a few days.
Some people swear by putting bread in the container with the brownies to help them stay fudgy. Even though we are gluten-free and this is a paleo raw brownies recipe, you can still do that with any kind of bread just for storage (it works with paleo almond flour bread, too).
Can You Freeze Raw Brownies?
Yes, you can freeze raw brownies with dates! Simply wrap the individual pieces in plastic and freeze.
More Paleo Chocolate Recipes
If you like this raw brownie recipe, you’ll love these other paleo chocolate recipes:
- Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies – Seriously the best chocolate chip cookies ever!
- Paleo Hot Chocolate – This is my super simple recipe! You can also try this dairy-free hot chocolate.
- Paleo Chocolate Mousse – Super rich and creamy.
RECIPE CARD
The Best Vegan Raw Brownies Recipe
These are the BEST raw brownies ever... fudgy, chewy, sweet, a bit salty! This vegan raw brownie recipe needs just 10 minutes prep + 7 simple ingredients.
Ingredients
Please ensure Safari reader mode is OFF to view ingredients.
Raw Brownie Dough
- 2 cups Medjool dates (about 24, pitted)
- 1 1/2 cups Walnuts
- 1/2 cup Flax seed meal
- 1.2 cup Raw cacao powder
- 1 tbsp Coconut oil
- 2 tsp Vanilla extract
Frosting
- 1/4 cup Coconut oil
- 1/2 cup Raw cacao powder
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- Coarse sea salt (for sprinkling)
Instructions
More TIPS about this paleo recipe in the post above!
Place the dough ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend on high until combined. Leave it running for a minute or so, until part of it starts to become creamy. There will still be texture left, which you want so that it will hold together.
Spread the batter into a parchment lined square baking dish. Flatten out the dough until it is 1" (2.5 cm) thick.
Melt the coconut oil over low heat. Turn off the heat and whisk in the remaining frosting ingredients. Spread evenly across the brownies.
Refrigerate just until cool then sprinkle with the salt. Chill 1-2 hours until set. Cut into 12 pieces (or 24 for smaller brownies). Store in the refrigerator until ready to eat.
Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 brownie, or 1/12 of the pan
Nutrition Information Per Serving
Where does nutrition info come from? Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy, sourced from the USDA Food Database. Net carb count excludes both fiber and sugar alcohols (though the latter are rarely seen on this site), because these do not affect blood sugar in most people. We try to be accurate, but feel free to make your own calculations.
© Copyright Wicked Spatula. We'd LOVE for you to share a link to this recipe, but please DO NOT COPY/PASTE the recipe instructions to social media or websites. You may share a photo with a link back instead.
Did you make this recipe?
Click here to leave a comment + star rating! ★★★★★
Then, share a pic on Instagram. Tag @wickedspatula or #wickedspatula!
Leave a Comment, Question or Review