Vegan Date Brownies (Gluten-Free + No Refined Sugar!)
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These date brownies are vegan, gluten-free, and naturally sweetened with medjool dates! Slightly cake-like, rich, and made in a food processor in minutes.
I’m a Certified Nutrition and Fitness coach, and one of the things I’m always looking for is ways to make the treats my family loves a little more supportive without sacrificing any of the fun. These brownies check every box. They have a slightly cake-like texture – but not in a dry, crumbly way at all. They hold together beautifully and you can just pick one up and go.
No eggs, no added sugar, no gluten! I love that I can feel good about serving these brownies to my kids. If you’re into healthier baking swaps, you might also love my peanut butter date cookies – another no added sugar treat my family loves!
Recipe Ingredients
You’ll need the following ingredients to make these Vegan Date Brownies:
Ingredient Notes
- Medjool Dates (Pitted): Medjool dates act as the natural sweetener in this recipe and also help create that slightly cake-like brownie texture. Soak them in hot water first to get them soft before blending.
- Coconut Oil: Measure out 1/2 cup firm coconut oil and then melt it. When it melts down it’ll be a little less than 1/2 cup.
- Cocoa Powder: Use an unsweetened cocoa powder here. If you have cacao powder on hand, that works too! Just make sure there’s no added sugar in it.
- 1:1 Gluten-Free Flour: A 1:1 gluten-free flour blend works great here. If you don’t need the recipe to be gluten-free, you can swap in regular all-purpose flour at the same measurement.
- Maple Syrup: This is optional! I prefer the recipe without maple syrup, but if you want them to be even sweeter you can add the maple syrup.
- Chocolate Chips: Also optional, but highly recommended! I love folding them into the batter and also scattering a few on top before baking. I use dark chocolate chips!
Additions
- Walnuts or Almonds: Chop some up and fold them into the batter or sprinkle on top for a little crunch!
- Flaky Sea Salt: A pinch of flaky sea salt on top before baking balances out the chocolate beautifully.
Substitutions
- Coconut Oil Swap: You can try swapping the coconut oil for another neutral oil, though I haven’t tested this personally.
- Almond Milk: Any plant-based milk works here. Use whatever you have on hand!
Tools For This Recipe
- Food processor
- 8×8 baking dish
How to Make Date Brownies: Step-by-Step
For the full recipe with the exact ingredients, scroll down to the printable recipe card below!
Step 1: Add the pitted dates to a bowl and cover them with hot water. Let them soak for 2-5 minutes until they’re soft, then drain the water completely. Add all of the ingredients – except the chocolate chips – to a food processor.
Step 2: Blend ingredients until smooth. Add the chocolate chips and pulse a few times to mix them in, or just stir them in by hand.
Step 3: Pour the brownie batter into an 8×8 baking dish lined with parchment paper and spread it out evenly. Top with extra chocolate chips if you’d like! Bake for 18-20 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Don’t skip soaking the dates: Soaking the dates in hot water is a must! It softens them up so they blend completely smooth into the batter. If they’re not soft enough, you’ll end up with chunks in your brownies.
- Drain the dates well: After soaking, drain off all the water before adding them to the food processor. You don’t want extra liquid throwing off the batter.
- Spread the batter evenly: The batter is much thicker than a traditional brownie batter, so use a spatula to spread it all the way to the edges of the baking dish before baking.
These hold together really well – no fork required! Unlike my peanut butter chickpea brownies, which are soft and gooey, these date brownies have a slightly more cake-like texture that holds up perfectly when you pick them up. Not cakey in a dry way, just the right amount of structure with that rich chocolate flavor throughout.
These vegan date brownies are a great recipe to add to your healthy dessert recipe rotation if you’re always on the hunt for healthier sweet treats that your family will love!
Storage
- Counter: Store in a sealed container at room temperature for 1-2 days. I personally prefer to keep mine in the fridge!
- Fridge: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. I like to warm mine up a bit before eating or I eat them broken up in a cold glass of milk!
- Freezer: You can freeze these! Let them cool completely first, then store in a freezer-safe container with a piece of parchment between the layers so they don’t stick together. Take out what you need and let them thaw on the counter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Medjool dates work best because they’re naturally sweeter and have a softer, creamier texture when blended. You can try other dates, but medjool will give you the best results for these chocolate brownies with dates.
Yes! Make sure the dates are pitted before soaking and blending. Most medjool dates you buy are already pitted, but always double-check.
Yep! This batter is much thicker than a typical boxed brownie mix or homemade brownies. Use a spatula to spread it out evenly in the pan and you’re good to go.
They land right in the middle, which makes them kind of perfect! They’re slightly more cake-like than a traditional fudgy brownie, but they’re not dry or crumbly at all. They hold together really well, no fork needed – unlike my chickpea blondies, which are a lot softer and gooier!
You can try using a high-speed blender, but a food processor tends to work better here since the batter is so thick. If using a blender, stop and scrape down the sides often to make sure everything blends evenly.
So kid-friendly! There are no raw eggs in the batter, so little ones can even taste test as you go. My kids absolutely love these brownies! They also don’t have any added sugar (unless you add chocolate chips).
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More Healthier Dessert Recipes You’ll Love!
Date Brownies
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup Medjool dates , pitted
- 1 1/2 cups 1:1 gluten free flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder, or cacao powder (unsweetened)
- 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted (once you melt the oil it will reduce to less than 1/2 cup)
- (Optional) 2 tablespoons 100% pure maple syrup
- (Optional) â…“ cup dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line an 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper and set aside.
- Soak dates in a bowl of hot water for 2-5 minutes, until the dates are soft. Then, drain the water.
- Add all of the ingredients, except for the chocolate chips (if using), to a food processor and blend until smooth. Add the chocolate chips (if using) and pulse them a few times to mix them in.
- Pour the brownie batter into the baking dish and spread evenly. The batter will be really thick, so you will need to use a spatula or the back of a spoon to press it down evenly in the baking dish. Top with chocolate chips if desired.
- Bake in the oven for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the brownies comes out mostly clean. Allow to cool for at least 5 minutes before cutting and then serve.
Made this for a vegan coworker’s birthday last week and SEVERAL people said “these are better than normal brownies!” (referring, of course, to non-vegan brownies) So delicious and easy to make!
How fun and sweet that you made these for a coworker’s birthday! I’m so tickled by their comment and am so happy people enjoyed them. Thank you for making them!