Fudgy Date Brownies
Made with dates, these brownies are low in added sugars, have no artificial sweeteners, and take on all the fudgy, chocolate flavor of classic fudge brownies.
My Date Brownie Testing Process
Testing Status: COMPLETE
I had a few goals for these brownies:
Tall with a fudgy texture: I love a brownie with height, so I tested this recipe only in my 8-inch cake pan, 8×8 square pan, and 9×9 square pan.
Sweetened only by dates: Dates are naturally sweet and delicious with chocolate. I didn’t see a need to sully that natural sweetness with extra added sugar, and I wanted to take full advantage of the date’s unique flavor. So, the only added sugar you’ll find in this recipe is from the chocolate (if you select one that’s sweetened).
No dairy or nuts: Many people in my life are lactose-intolerant and allergic to tree nuts (including coconut), so I personally decided to omit these ingredients from this recipe. I used sunflower seed butter as a “creamy” base with a nutty flavor, and the dates conveniently have a sticky, fudgy texture once soaked in hot water and blended.
One bowl: Sometimes, you need something that’s super simple to put together and doesn’t involve all those extra steps. For the most part, everything is assembled in the food processor. If you want to, you can soak the dates in the food processor bowl to really make this a one-bowl recipe.
Fudgy Date Brownies
Ingredients
- 1 pack Medjool dates 12 ounces
- 2-3 cups boiling water enough to cover the dates
- 13 ounces melted chocolate I use dairy-free dark chocolate.
- ¼ cup sunflower seed butter 64 grams
- 4 large eggs 200 grams
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla paste 4.2 grams
- ½ cup oat flour 60 grams
- ½ cup whole-wheat flour 76 grams
- ½ teaspoon baking powder 2.4 grams
- ½ teaspoon salt 3 grams
Instructions
- Add the dates to a heat-safe bowl and cover with boiling water. Soak for 20 minutes.
- Once the 20 minutes are up, preheat your oven to 350°F. Line an 8x8 square baking dish (or 8-inch cake/pie pan) with parchment paper. Drain the water from the dates and add the dates to your food processor. Blend the dates until a sticky paste forms, about 1 minute.
- Add the melted chocolate, seed butter, eggs, and vanilla to the food processor. Blend on high speed until very well combined, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the processor if needed.
- Add the oat flour, whole-wheat flour, baking powder, and salt to the food processor. Blend until just combined and no dry flour is left.
- Pour the batter into the baking dish, smoothing out the top as much as possible.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 25-35 minutes, depending on your pan size and preferred doneness. Let the brownies cool for 15 minutes before serving. (Note: They’re even better after cooling completely.)
