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These Almond Butter Brownies are Vegan, Grain Free, Oil Free, and Sweetened only with Fruit! They’re fudgy and decadent, but also nutritious – made with only 8 ingredients!
Do you associate any memories with Brownies? For me, I remember making them with my Grandma when I visited her in the summer. We just followed the recipe off of the back of a Baker’s Chocolate Box, but somehow the brownies we made together always tasted better.
Well, I’m happy to say that these brownies (1) taste just as amazing (2) are VEGAN, and (3) are pretty dang good for ya, too.
Now let’s be clear: if you’re looking for a light and fluffy brownie, this is not your recipe. (Also, that’s a cake, not a brownie. But I digress.) On the other hand, if you’re looking for a dense, fudgy, and dark chocolatey brownie, you are in the right place, my friend.
It’s hard to believe that something this frickin’ delicious is made of only 8 healthy ingredients and takes less than 30 minutes. These Almond Butter Brownies are sure to satisfy any chocolate craving — be it from a vegan or not. I’m pretty sure that even the pickiest of children couldn’t refuse a fudgy square of this goodness!
Side Note: what Brownie piece is your favorite? Personally, I would always fight my mom for that center, gooey one. I hated crunchy crust (and still do), and kind of think that people who buy those all-crust brownie tins are very, very, strange. The good thing about these brownies is that while they do have a slightly more solid crust, they are still mostly fudgy.
Which means more brownies for me, please 😉
A Few Final Thoughts:
- If you must, you can replace Almond Butter with any other Nut or Seed (for my friends with allergies) Butter in this recipe. However, keep in mind that this will affect the final flavor.
- I used these Vegan Chocolate Chips for this recipe, but you can really use any chocolate that you’d like. If you want to keep this recipe free of Refined Sugars, I would recommend this brand sweetened with Coconut Sugar, or this one, which uses Stevia.
- If you have leftovers (or would like to prohibit yourself from eating the entire recipe in 2 days, like me), you can store these Almond Butter Brownies in the freezer for up to one month. Just re-heat and enjoy!
If you’re looking for more healthy(ish) desserts, you’ll also love these Cashew Butter Snickerdoodles and these Homemade Vegan Snickers!
Finally, if you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @FromMyBowl + #FromMyBowl! I love seeing your delicious recreations 🙂
Almond Butter Brownies (Vegan + Grain Free)
These Almond Butter Brownies are Vegan, Grain Free, Oil Free, and Sweetened only with Fruit! They’re fudgy and decadent, but also nutritious – made with only 8 ingredients!
- Prep Time: 10 Minutes
- Cook Time: 15 Minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 9-12 Brownies 1x
Ingredients
- 1 packed cup pitted Medjool Dates
- ¾ cup Cacao Powder
- 1 cup Almond Butter
- ⅓ cup Plant Milk
- 1 Flax Egg (1 tbsp Ground Flax + 3 tbsp Water)
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- ½ tbsp Baking Powder
- ½ tsp Salt
- ½ cup Chocolate Chips or Chunks, plus more to sprinkle on top
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- In a small bowl, combine the Ground Flax with Water to form a Flax Egg. Let sit for 5 Minutes to thicken.
- Add all ingredients, to the Food Processor, except for the Chocolate Chips. Blend for 60 seconds, or until the batter is thick and smooth.
- Next, pour the Chocolate Chips into the Food Processor and pulse until evenly distributed.
- Line or Grease a 9×9″ baking pan, and spread the Brownie Batter evenly into it using a spatula.
- Bake for 15-18 Minutes, then let cool completely. The Brownies may not look cooked when they first come out of the oven but will thicken as they cool.
- Once cool, slice and enjoy! Leftovers are best kept at room temperature for up to 3 days, or the fridge for up to one week. You can also freeze these and thaw as needed.
Notes
- If you must, you can replace Almond Butter with any other Nut or Seed Butter in this recipe. However, keep in mind that this will affect the final flavor.
- I used these Vegan Chocolate Chips for this recipe, but you can really use any chocolate that you’d like. If you want to keep this recipe free of Refined Sugars, I would recommend this brand sweetened with Coconut Sugar, or this one, which uses Stevia.
- Ground Flax may be replaced with ground Chia Seeds, but not whole.
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Caitlin you have done it again. I subbed in peanut butter because ya girl is on a budget, and the result was still absolutely delicious! Can’t wait to make these over and over and over. Much love from the Netherlands 🙂
Yummy! Peanut Butter is a great idea – you can never go wrong with PB and Chocolate!
This might be my favorite recipe from you, Caitlin! I have made these brownies several times now, for myself, for my vegan brother in law, and for my non vegan boyfriend. Everyone has loved them so far! I will be making them for mother’s day too. I like to do 3/4 cup almond butter and 1/4 natural peanut butter. When I am pressing them into the pan, I wet my hand and pat them down, then smooth out my finger marks with a spatula. Thanks for this recipe 🙂
★★★★★
That’s so amazing, Abigail! Yes, having a wet hand definitely helps – the spatula tip is also great too!
I made these for my D&D group one night, and they were a huge hit! I’m making them again tonight for a Women’s Studies potluck. So easy and inclusive of so many dietary preferences.
My partner and I are both vegan, your videos and blogs are often a go-to for me. I’ve made these a few times and love them! So easy and chocolatey! I normally don’t write reviews, but today I offhandedly mentioned to him that I might make brownies, and was met with an excited “Caitlin’s date fudgey brownies?!?! Yaaaassss!!!” I didn’t realize they were quite that beloved, so I decided to share.
Best of luck in your big life changes, can’t wait to see all the great things in store for you!
★★★★★
Wow, thank you so much Alex! I love reviews like these, they are why I keep doing what I’m doing 🙂
Hi Caitlin! First off, this recipe looks DELICIOUS! And I absolutely love desserts with almond butter so that’s a plus. I’m planning to make them tonight for a birthday party 🙂 I’m just wondering, do you think I could substitute cocoa powder (no sugar added) for cacao powder? Will it very noticeably affect the taste or texture? Cacao powder is quite hard for me to find, unfortunately. And it’s easier for me to buy cocoa powder in bulk, that way I can just buy exactly how much I need for this recipe! I also have carob powder on hand, but I think that would probably be too bitter and way too different from cacao powder.
Hi Jenna! Carob is actually sweeter than Cacao. In terms of bitterness it’s Cocoa > Cacao > Carob. I think you could do equal parts Cocoa and Carob (or a little more Cocoa) and they would be great!
So delicious and fudgy!
Just made these and they are the best tasting brownies I’ve had in a long time. SO fudgy and SO delicious. I needed to add 5 more tablespoons of almond milk in order for it to blend, but that was the only modification. I always know I can trust your recipes – thank you so much!!
I’m finding it really difficult to get hold of dates in my budget- do you think the brownies would work as well using prunes?
Yes! They will be slightly less sweet, but should still work the same. You may want to soak them for a bit in hot water to soften them up beforehand if they are a little tough
If you have an ALDI near you, you can get a tubful of dates for under $5, which is much cheaper than traditional grocery stores! They also keep for a while. Hopefully this helps!
These are the BEST! Not too sweet but sweet enough. Took mine 35 minutes to bake but came out perfect. Fudgy but not raw or gooey. A make again definitely recipe. Thanks!
I grew up eating all kinds of brownies–thin, thick, gooey, crispy, sweet, and/or uber-uber-uber rich! I don’t think I’ve ever had a brownie I’ve disliked. But I definitely find that all my favorite brownies include nut butter. Almond butter is so perfect because of its creaminess and mild flavor. I absolutely love that this recipe is only eight ingredients and is so easy to make! I am also dumbfounded that it’s flourless and gluten free. Brilliant!
I made this recipe today and it was fantastic! I made a few adaptations- peanut butter instead of almond butter, a little extra plant milk (like 2-4 tbsp extra) because my food processor couldn’t handle the thickness of the brownie batter, and 3 tbsp of brown sugar because we like things a little sweeter. This is a great and super simple clean-ish alternative to traditional boxed brownies! Thanks again Caitlin for another solid recipe
So fudgy! Ran out of flax so used an egg, which worked fine. The dates really made it gooey and fudgy. How did you even think to use those?! Used sunflower butter which made it a little salty. Will try with almond butter next time. Thanks, Caitlin!
Just made these and they turned out delicious! I didn’t have almond butter so I used peanut butter. Taste like a chocolate peanut butter brownie.
Yum, that sounds so tasty!
Hello. Will anything else work for the egg besides chia seeds and flax?
I have not tested the recipe with anything else, but you may be able to use another vegan egg replacer x
hey caitlin! beautiful recipe as always. What other sweeteners can I use in place of dates? Will coconut sugar work?
Hi Tiff! No, only dates will work for this recipe.
I used 6 hydrated figs instead it worked perfectly 🙂 maybe it is a bit drier than with the dates but I liked them this way.
Thanks for the recipe!
wow this would be the first time I have made brownies since we are vegan thanks so so much
Hope you enjoy!
These look SOOOOOO good! Thank you for always making such creative & inspirational content! I think this is the kind of stuff that will ultimately convince the most people to go vegan – just seeing how incredibly delicious and easy it is. 🙂
Aw, thank you Amy!
Looks delicious!!
I like your easy delicious cooking. I loved the potatoe pancakes and veggie burgers.
I may try these today since I have all the ingredients, the right size pan, and don’t have to prepare a dinner (eating leftovers).
YaY for simple!!!!!
Hello!
I started following you on YouTube a year or more ago. I enjoy your recipes and your ZEST for life. I’m not Vegan, but I am GF, very low sugar, almost no dairy. I am a Holistic Health and Wellness Coach and refer my clients to your site. I have a question about your brownie recipe. Will it work if I use an organic ‘real’ egg (I can use the chia seed option) and no dates (too much sugar for me)? Thank you. Much success and happiness to you.
Hi Renee, you definitely need the dates for this recipe – otherwise, there won’t be much volume to the batter. I don’t cook with eggs, so I’m not sure how they would work here.
Maybe you could cut back to 3/4 cup dates. There’s no sweetner in the cocoa, so it’s be super butter without any sweetness. You should be able to leave the chocolate chips out for less sugar.
Bitter*
Every time I make these brownies they taste better and better. Love this recipe taste great, easy to make and my husband loves them too.
★★★★★
These brownies are TO DIE FOR. I seriously cannot stop eating them, or making them. They taste BETTER than non-vegan brownies (coming from a non-vegan). I have already shared this recipe with so many people and they all love them! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe with the world:)
Is there a replacement for the dates that I can use? Because in my area they are pretty expensive since they need to be imported.
Hi – you can substitute with another sweet dried fruit (as others have asked in the comments), but I have not tested this myself
I have made this recipe 3 or 4 times at this point (both with and without the chocolate chips) and it has been delicious every time. Thank you for sharing it. It is my go to recipe for brownies.
★★★★★
So glad you’re liking the recipe! And great to hear you’ve made it more than once!