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this 5 ingredient no bake brownies recipe yields deliciously soft ‘n dense no bake vegan brownies that’ll satisfy your chocolate cravings!
Happy Saturday!! (Finally!) What better way to kick off the weekend than no bake brownies? Make that no bake vegan brownies. The crowd goes wild!! Why yes, I do need my very own hype machine over here. <– I read that out loud and Erik started whopping for me, Arsenio Hall-style.
Now that January is finally over, we can put all of our bulky gym equipment away, make like 100 vegan gluten free brownies, cancel our shiny new online gym subscriptions, make 200 vegan chocolate cakes, and quit being healthy!!
Said no one ever.
Dang it!
Well, February is ALL about the chocolate (and the best vegan brownies), but we need not get any whiplash whence, yep whence, transitioning from healthy-friggin’ January to chocolicious Feb. Amiright? (And you can totally make those vegan gluten free brownies on the side as well, if you like.)
So how’s about we start the chocolatiest month ever with a gentle, easy and so-friggin-delish no bake vegan brownies recipe? Let’s no bake this!
How to Make No Bake Brownies
To make this no bake vegan brownies recipe, simply follow these steps:
Add Dates & Almond Butter
Add dates and almond butter to a food processor.
Blend
Blend until you get a sticky, dough-like ball. Add almonds and blend again as directed.
Add Ingredients
Then, add in the remainder of the ingredients and blend until the no bake vegan brownie mixture is well mixed.
Press, Chill & Slice
Press mixture into a pan, chill until firm and slice! You can also do a fun chocolate drizzle. Enjoy the best no bake vegan brownies!
what kind of substitutions can i make in this no bake brownies recipe?
Can I use another dried fruit instead of dates?
Yes! Just keep in mind that the flavor of the fruit will affect the flavor of the no bake brownies.
Can I use regular unsweetened cocoa powder?
Yes! I prefer using this raw cacao powder in this no bake brownies recipe, but you may use unsweetened cocoa powder if you desire.
Can I swap the almonds for another kind of nut?
Yes, however all nuts blend & release oil differently. Just keep that in mind.
Testimonials
Brittany says, “Love this recipe!!! I added chocolate chips and walnuts. Thank you!”
Ellen says, “Demeter, these are fabulous! I’ve had other raw brownies, but with a different texture. This is moist and very close to seeming like it was baked—I’m not sure I would have picked up on them being raw brownies. A lot of other recipes use walnuts, which are okay and healthy, but not my favorite. And none use almond butter. So good, so easy to make. Your directions were perfect. My only tweak was to place cacao nibs on them for decoration and added nutrition and crunch.”
Mike says, “These are crazy good! The dates bring a lot of texture and flavor for sure. Curious now to try this exact recipe with other dried fruits. Looking forward to experimenting!”
easy and delicious no bake vegan brownies—all you need are 5 ingredients!
Great Tools for the Best No Bake Vegan Brownies
Click the links below to check out my favorite tools & ingredients used to make this recipe.
- Medjool Dates – super yummy dates that stay fresh for ages!
- My Favorite Food Processor – such a great food processor! I use it to make everything from homemade nut butters to ice cream to… no bake vegan brownies! 😉
- Raw Cacao Powder – delightfully unrefined and a more nutrient-rich alternative to unsweetened cocoa powder. 🙂
- Unsalted Natural Creamy Almond Butter or Raw Creamy Almond Butter
- 8-inch Baking Pan – my favorite baking pan to use in so many recipes!
Are you ready to no bake this? Let’s do it!! It’s truly so wonderful learning all about baking & creating these tasty vegan desserts with you. I can’t wait to hear what you and your loved ones think. ‘Til the next yummy vegan adventure…
Sending you all my love and maybe even a dove, xo Demeter ❤️
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📸 Did you make this no bake vegan recipe? Take a pic and share it on Instagram with the hashtag #beamingbaker & tag @beamingbaker. I’d love to see it! 📸
More Delicious Vegan Brownies
- Vegan Gluten Free Brownies (GF, Dairy Free)
- Ultimate Fudgy Paleo Vegan Brownies Recipe – Easy Paleo Chocolate Brownies!
- Vegan Banana Brownies Recipe
- Best Vegan Brownies Recipe – Easy ‘n Moist!
No Bake Vegan Brownies – 5 Ingredient!
Ingredients
No Bake Brownies
- 11 Medjool dates, pitted (3/4 cup, packed)
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons unsalted, natural creamy almond butter or homemade almond butter
- ½ cup unsalted almonds or walnuts
- ½ cup raw cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt, optional
Optional Vegan Chocolate Drizzle
- ¼ cup vegan chocolate chips
Instructions
- Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper or wax paper. Set aside. Clear some room in the freezer for this pan, you will need it later.
- Make the No Bake Brownies: Add dates and almond butter to a food processor. Blend until you get a somewhat cohesive and sticky mixture, like chunks of dough—the mixture should begin to pull away from the sides of the processor and roll into a ball. This will take about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the processor frequently, and take breaks in between to avoid overheating.
- Add in the almonds. Blend until almonds are nearly pulverized—about 1-2 minutes. Take breaks to prevent overheating. The mixture will be soft and crumbly. It’s done when you can roll a chunk in your palm and toss the chunk up in the air a bit, and it remains cohesive.
- Add cacao powder, vanilla, and salt (if using). Blend until very well incorporated, making sure to scrape down the sides of the processor regularly.
- Pour into prepared baking pan and loosely spread into an even layer. Once evenly distributed, use a rubber spatula to press down very firmly into an even, tightly-packed layer.
- Optional Chocolate Drizzle: Use the double boiler method or do the following to melt the chocolate. In a microwave-safe bowl, add vegan chocolate chips. Heat in 10-second increments until melted. Stir in between heating increments, until smooth. Spoon melted chocolate into a small zip bag and trim a tiny corner off; or, spoon chocolate into a small piping bottle. Pipe chocolate in a zigzag pattern across the top of the brownies.
- Chill in the freezer for 20 mins, or until very firm. Slice into 16 brownies. Enjoy! Storing instructions below.
Notes
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Hi,
So these sound delicious! I’m trying to eat clean, however, I have a nut allergy. Could you sub sunbutter for the almond butter? And what could I sub for almonds?
Thanks so much for sharing!
Hi Stephanie, you can try the sun butter for the AB, and perhaps sunflower seeds for the almonds. Good luck!
Hi, can you use peanut butter instead of almond butter? (We currently don’t have almond butter).
Looking forward to try this!
Hi Angie! Yep, that should work just fine. 🙂
These look great, but the picture shows frosting. Is there a frosting part of this recipe too?
Thanks!
Hi Hilary, thanks! 🙂 I melted chocolate and drizzled it on top to create that drizzle effect. Enjoy!
Hello!
I would really like to know where you find raw almond butter that’s not so expensive? Do you just make it at home, or is there an affordable brand to buy? So far, my family has only been able to find roasted almond butter for an affordable price at Costco (only ingredients are roasted almonds), which is much better than the ones containing oil and sugar, but raw almond butter would be wonderful!
These brownies look absolutely delicious by the way, and I cannot wait to try them!
Hi Ellie! My tips on finding inexpensive almond butter: 1) make your own homemade almond butter and use raw almonds that you bought in bulk online (it’s like half the price). It’s definitely so much cheaper! 2) buy almond butter at Whole Foods (at the bulk section) or Trader Joe’s. The recipe: I hope you get to try them and let me know what you think! 🙂
Love this recipe!!! I added chocolate chips and walnuts. Thank you!
Woohoo!!! I’m thrilled to hear that you enjoyed it, Brittany!! The chocolate chips & walnuts sound super yummy!
I didnt have the right dates (I had smaller ones) so I attempted to compensate by adding more. I also used peanut butter instead of almond butter. The mixture ended up too crumbly so I had the idea of adding half a semi-frozen banana and it worked wonders! I added chocolate chips and love these brownies!
So glad it all worked out Lauren! 🙂
Demeter, these are fabulous! I’ve had other raw brownies, but with a different texture. This is moist and very close to seeming like it was baked—I’m not sure I would have picked up on them being raw brownies. A lot of other recipes use walnuts, which are okay and healthy, but not my favorite. And none use almond butter. So good, so easy to make. Your directions were perfect. My only tweak was to place cacao nibs on them for decoration and added nutrition and crunch.
Thanks so much, Ellen!! 🙂 I love that you could barely even tell that they’re no bake–what a true delight, right? (No oven work with all the results hehe). It’s great to hear that my directions worked for you because this recipe can be tricky. Love your addition of cacao nibs! Thank you for always taking the time to let me know your thoughts. ❤️
We made these today and are absolutely obsessed!!
Woohoo! That’s so wonderful to hear Jessica! .
They look incredibly delicious! Need to make a batch of these, this recipe is a keeper!
Thanks Melanie!! That’s so nice of you to say. 🙂
Hello! Did you just melt dark chocolate and drizzle it on top? Thank you~ =)
Hi Ronnda! Yep, that would work perfectly. 🙂 Hope you enjoy them!