Brownies don't have to be unhealthy in order to be delicious. These thick and decadent Fudgy Gluten-Free Date Brownies are gluten-free, low-sugar, and have no butter or white sugar!
Enjoy a treat while also getting healthy fats, protein, potassium, and fiber with these Fudgy Date Brownies. They're a Vitamix recipe, meaning you just throw the ingredients in the blender, run it on high until the batter is smooth, and then mix in some chocolate chips before baking. Try serving these at your next event without telling anyone what they're made of and I bet you'll get some shocked responses when people learn what's in them.
I've been on a hardcore brownie kick lately. It all started when I started making mug cakes about a month and a half ago.
We were curled up watching the Golden Globes. We had just finished eating dinner and I wanted something sweet but didn't want to have to deal with making a whole batch of something.
So, I dug around online and found a chocolate mug cake. I forget where I found it, but it was good. I got that chocolate fix I was looking for. And if was. so. easy.
But, even with how good it was, the next time I craved some chocolate (i.e. the next day), I needed something a bit fudgier.
And so, out came the baking dish and this recipe that I found on Sally's Baking Addiction. Oh man, so good.
I made those brownies 1 or 2 weeks and then I also started playing around with my own Peanut Butter Brookie recipe (should I share it? Comment below, if so!). I don't think there's been a single day around here lately without some form of chocolate confection on my countertops or in my freezer.
And even though I am all about balance and believe that there's just as much room for a peanut butter brookie in my diet as there is room for a kale salad, sometimes it's just nice to have a healthy brownie recipe on hand for those days I want something lighter, or something that won't spike my blood sugar as much.
The type of brownie I could have for a snack an hour or two before a workout as well as the (typical) after dinner.
So, I got to work and started playing around with my ingredients. I knew Medjool dates would be in the brownies -- how could I not with their already thick and fudgy consistency? -- and I also knew that I wanted to work in some black beans. After all, they would keep the brownies gluten-free and would add some plant-based protein and other healthy nutrients.
I also knew I wanted to start with a melted chocolate base (just like in Sally's recipe), as I knew that would provide some richness where it counted and would help disguise the dates and black beans in the brownies.
So, I melted together coconut oil, chocolate chips, and peanut butter and threw them in the blender with eggs, dates, maple syrup, cocoa powder, black beans, and a few other ingredients. And after a few tweaks on ingredient proportions, out came these Fudgy Date Brownies that are rich, indulgent, and fudgy, throwing me back to my previous few weeks of brownies, but without the sugar coma that usually follows.
These Fudgy Date Brownies are...
- Gluten-free
- Full of fiber
- Easily made dairy-free
- Low on added sugar
But also...
- Thick
- Chocolatey
- Satisfying
- The perfect dessert
- A great snack
When it comes to healthy dessert recipes, it can be hard to find the best of both worlds -- satisfying and rich, while also offering healthy and not-so-heavy. This recipe provides both, though. I dare you to try it -- I'm putting bets on that you'll like it as much as we do. 😉
How do you make healthy brownies from scratch?
There are other ways to make healthy brownies from scratch, but in this recipe, we will take the following steps:
First: Preheat the oven and melt the chocolate chips, coconut oil, and peanut butter together in a bowl.
Second: Add the melted chocolate mixture, eggs, vanilla extract, dates, salt, black beans, and cocoa powder to the blender. Run hte blender on medium or high speed for about 1-2 minutes or until the batter is smooth.
Third: Pour the batter out of the blender into a large mixing bowl. Stir in more chocolate chips and pour the batter into a greased 8 x 8 baking pan.
Fourth: Bake the brownies for 33-36 minutes, or until the brownies turn golden brown around the outside and the crumbs are thick and glossy.
Can you make brownies healthy?
Yes! You can definitely make brownies healthy. There are multiple ways to do so -- including using alternative sugars, different flours, and more.
In this recipe, we'll be making the brownies healthier by sweetening them with dates and maple syrup in addition to chocolate chips. Also, we will be using black beans in the place of flour.
Are fudgy brownies raw?
No, fudgy brownies are not raw. They just don't have a leavener (i.e. baking soda or baking powder) in them, which makes them thicker and denser, as a leavening agent will make the brownies fluffy or cakier.
Are black bean brownies actually good?
Yes, of course, black bean brownies are good! I've given them to friends without telling them they have black beans in them and they love them and are surprised when I tell them the ingredients.
Thankfully, black beans give the brownies a super thick and fudgy texture and with the right other ingredients, you can't even taste the black beans.
More healthy baking recipes:
- Dairy-Free Pumpkin Pie
- Healthy Blueberry & Peach Crumble
- Healthy No-Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Bars
- Coconut Quinoa Chocolate Chip Cookies
More brownie recipes:
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Fudgy Date Brownies (Low-sugar, Gluten-free & Dairy-free!)
Enjoy the classic fudgy dessert without any of the butter or sugar with these Fudgy Date Brownies.
Just throw all the ingredients in a blender, run it until smooth, and then stir in chocolate chips before baking.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup raw/unrefined coconut oil
- 1 ¼ cup semisweet chocolate chips (see notes below to keep this recipe dairy-free), DIVIDED
- ½ cup creamy natural peanut butter
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 4 large eggs
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 1 can black beans, rinsed & drained
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup pitted and packed medjool dates
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease and line an 8 x8 baking dish with parchment paper. Grease the parchment paper as well.
- In a medium-large microwave size mixing bowl, combine the coconut butter, ½ cup chocolate chips, and peanut butter. Melt the butters and chocolate chips in the microwave, heating on 40% heat in 30-45 second intervals, stirring between intervals, or until the chocolate chips are melted and the mixture is glossy.
- Pour the maple syrup, eggs, vanilla and chocolate mixture into the blender. Add the black beans, cocoa powder, salt, and dates (in that order) into the blender.
- Run the blender on medium or high speed for 1-2 minutes, tamping the mixture down as it runs, or until the black beans and dates are completely blended into the mixture. The batter will be extremely thick.
- Scoop the batter out of the blender and into the mixing bowl you used to melt the chocolate (or a clean mixing bowl, if you prefer). Stir in the remaining ¾ cup chocolate chips.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and bake the brownies for 33-36 minutes, or until the brownies are a bit puffy, starting to brown around the edges, and the crumbs are still glossy but stick together when tested with a knife.
- Remove the date brownies from the oven and let cool on a wire baking rack for 1-2 hours, or until cooled enough to enjoy.
Notes
Use dairy-free or dark chocolate chips to keep this recipe dairy-free.
Add the ingredients into the blender in the order listed to keep it from jamming up as you blend.
The brownies will keep covered at room temperature for 3-5 days, but you can also refrigerate them covered.
You can freeze the brownies in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months as well.
Check your brownies on the lower end of the baking time range if you bake in a metal pan. Glass pans, like I used, will take a minute or two longer than metal, but you still will want to check them earlier in baking if your oven runs warm.
Nutrition Information
Yield
16Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 253Total Fat 12gSaturated Fat 6gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 5gCholesterol 35mgSodium 281mgCarbohydrates 33gFiber 6gSugar 21gProtein 7g
This nutrition breakdown is just an estimate of the nutritional value of this recipe and cannot be taken as facts. The owners of Mae's Menu are not nutritionists or dieticians and therefore cannot be held accountable for this nutrition estimate. Please contact your nutritionist or medical professional for a nutritional breakdown of this food. Furthermore, this food is not intended to prevent, diagnose, cure, or treat any disease.
Andi says
These are great!! The texture is perfect. We love treats at our house, so adding nutritional value is a huge bonus (especially since we are always in training). Thanks for the great recipe!
Morgan says
Unfortunately the eggs make this not vegan :/
Mae's Menu says
Yep, they are not vegan. Did something give you the impression they were? I don't see anything on the post saying they are, but just want to make sure that none of my verbiage on social platforms is misleading. 🙂 Thank you!