Estimated reading time: 8 minutes
These rich, fudgy brownies made with date paste instead of sugar don’t taste like a compromise—they taste like dessert.
Naturally sweetened with caramel-rich dates that melt into the batter, these dark, moist chocolate brownies are a healthier alternative that’s easier on blood sugar.
Enjoy them, knowing that the combo of date and chocolate nutrition gives you plenty of potassium for your bones and blood pressure as well as mood-boosting antioxidants!
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🍫What You'll Love About These Brownies
- Naturally sweetened with dates—no refined sugar
- Deep chocolate flavor and a rich, fudgy texture
- Made with wholesome ingredients like almond butter and whole wheat pastry flour
- Nutrient-rich with fiber, potassium, and antioxidants from dates and polyphenols from the cocoa powder
- Easy one-bowl recipe (with minimal cleanup)
Ingredients
- Dates (pitted for convenience): Medjool or Deglet Noor provide sweetness and caramel notes
- Boiling water: softens dates for smooth blending
- Butter or coconut oil: richness and moisture
- Eggs: structure and protein
- Almond butter: healthy fats and protein, plus subtle, nutty depth
- Vanilla extract: enhances chocolate flavor
- Whole wheat pastry flour: light texture yet adds whole grain benefits
- Cocoa powder: deep chocolate flavor and antioxidants
- Baking soda: for leavening
- Fine salt: enhances sweetness
- Chocolate chips (optional): a touch of decadence
How to Make Date Paste Brownies
1️⃣ Wash your hands, lathering with soap and rinsing with running water for 20 seconds, before starting.
2️⃣Preheat the oven to 350 F and line a square baking pan with parchment paper (or coat with non-stick baking spray).
2️⃣Preheat the oven to 350 F and line a square baking pan with parchment paper (or coat with non-stick baking spray).
3️⃣Soften dates with boiling water, letting them stand for 10 to 30 minutes.
4️⃣Blend into a smooth date paste using the food processor or a blender.
5️⃣Add wet ingredients and pulse or blend until smooth.
6️⃣Whisk the dry ingredients together in a bowl.
7️⃣Add to the wet ingredients in two additions. Pulse briefly after each addition to incorporate into the batter.
8️⃣By hand, mix the chocolate chips into the batter.
9️⃣Scrape the batter into the center of the prepared pan. Make sure the batter reaches the sides and corners. Smooth the top.
🔟Place brownie pan in the oven and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, reversing front to back halfway through the baking time.
Remove from the oven when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out fairly clean with maybe a crumb or two clinging to it. Keep in mind that longer baking will result in drier, less fudgy brownies.
Cool the brownies in the pan for about five minutes, and then, grab the parchment handles to lift them out of the pan in one piece. Let them cool completely on a wire rack before cutting.
See recipe card below for complete baking details and cutting instructions.
Cooking Tips and Storage
- Process or blend the date paste until smooth. Don’t worry if there are a few streaks of dates. As long as you do not leave large chunks, they will not be noticeable in the brownies.
- You can also start with store-bought date paste (affiliate link).
- Be careful not to overbake if you like fudgier brownies. For more cakelike brownies, bake an extra five minutes.
- The parchment liner can be a bit tricky to manage. Place a heavy jar or glass on top of the parchment. Remove it when transferring the batter into the pan. You may need to adjust the parchment and line it up even with the sides of the pan.
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- Brownies made with coconut oil are richer tasting and moister. Butter-based brownies are less fragile, but still have a delightful texture.
- Let brownies cool completely to set before slicing. Wipe your knife often.
- Store at room temperature for a day. Then, refrigerate for up to a week or freeze for as long as three months.
Variations
Instead of chocolate chips, add chopped walnuts, pecans, or your favorite nut or seed.
🌰Substitute almond extract for vanilla for a more sophisticated flavor.
☕Add a teaspoon of espresso powder to the dry ingredients to accentuate the bitter, dark chocolate vibe of the brownies.
Nutrition Notes
The Date Paste Advantage
Using dates instead of sugar imparts natural sweetness and caramel notes while adding fiber to slow spikes in blood sugar. Dates are a lower glycemic index sweetener.
Date paste adds moisture to baked goods while delivering potassium, iron, and antioxidants like quercetin and beneficial phytoestrogens (isoflavones).
Are These Brownies Healthy?
Yes, but they are still a treat to be enjoyed in moderation. Although they do not contain added refined sugar, other than what is in the chocolate chips, they are not a low-carbohydrate food with plenty of naturally-occurring sugars.
They are crafted with nutrient-dense ingredients, like almond butter, whole-wheat pastry flour, cocoa powder, eggs, and of course, dates.
So, they have more fiber, protein, and perhaps healthy fats (swap in chopped walnuts for the chocolate chips to increase these), than the usual homemade or commercial brownies.
They are a balanced indulgence and a nourishing choice of dessert.
FAQ
Yes—just be sure that it’s smooth and unsweetened.
Yes, but the proportions in this recipe are already adjusted. When using in other recipes, you may need to reduce your liquids by one or two Tablespoons. For more information, read my post on How to Make Date Paste.
Not really. The flavor comes across as rich and chocolatey with subtle caramel notes.
Yes—substitute a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend.
You can experiment, but fat contributes to the fudgy texture. They may be extremely moist and fragile if you use vegetable oil.
The edges should be set and center slightly soft for fudgy brownies. A firmer center will yield more cakey brownies.
Related Recipes
Brownie Baked Oats (No Banana): Easy, moist baked oat bars with a maple-chocolate flavor.
No Sugar Added Granola (Fruit Sweetened): Using date paste in this crunchy, cluster-filled granola adds just the sweetness.
Chocolate Pumpkin Seed Butter: This delicious, chocolatey spread makes a nutritious stand-in for Nutella!
Date Paste Brownies (No Sugar Added)
Equipment
- Parchment paper or non-stick baking spray
- 1 Square baking dish
- 1 Food processor or blender
Ingredients
- 1 cup dates pitted
- ½ cup boiling water
- ½ cup butter softened, or coconut oil
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup almond butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ⅓ cup whole wheat pastry flour
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt fine, not Kosher
- ½ cup chocolate chips dark or semisweet, optional
Instructions Start Cooking
- Wash hands thoroughly for 20 seconds, lathering with soap and rinsing with water.
- Place dates in a small bowl and pour the boiling water over them. Using a spatula, press them down into the water. Let them soak and absorb water for 10 to 30 minutes.1 cup dates ½ cup boiling water
- Place the dates and any remaining water in a food processor, and using the S-blade, process into a paste with them. Or, use a regular blender.
- Add the butter (or coconut oil), eggs, almond butter, and vanilla and process until smooth.½ cup butter 2 eggs ¼ cup almond butter 1 teaspoon vanilla
- In another small bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Add half of this to the food processor and pulse a couple of times. Add the remaining half and pulse to combine.⅓ cup whole wheat pastry flour ⅓ cup cocoa powder ½ teaspoon baking soda ¼ teaspoon salt
- Gently, stir in the chocolate chips by hand if using. (Or, add any other mix-ins, like nuts.)½ cup chocolate chips
- Using a straight-edged spatula, transfer the batter into a square baking pan lined with parchment paper or coated with non-stick baking spray.
- Place in preheated 350℉ oven and bake for 30 to 40 minutes. Check for doneness at 30 minutes.Less time in the oven results in fudgier brownies, but the middle should be set. Longer baking will yield cakier brownies, but do not let the edges get too dark!
- At the end of the baking time, remove brownies from oven and let sit in the pan for about 5 minutes to firm up. Grasp the edges of the parchment paper or foil and remove the brownie cake to a wire rack. Let cool completely before transferring the cake to a cutting board and slicing it into small squares.
Nutrition
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