No-Bake Brownies

What Are No-Bake Brownies?

No-Bake Brownies are a healthy, raw version of your classic brownie recipes.

They are made with plant-based ingredients that can be eaten raw.

While most no-bake brownies are made with dates, these no-bake vegan brownies are made without dates and therefore contain fewer carbs than the classic recipe.

How To Make No-Bake Brownies

When you hear brownies, you think of dessert. But while these no-bake brownies are delicious desserts, they are also nourishing snacks.

Indeed, only one square contains 6.5 grams of protein and 6 grams of fiber, which are both very fulfilling.

Ingredients

Let’s see the list of simple ingredients you need to make these fudgy no-bake brownies.

• Peanut Butter – Make sure you use fresh peanut butter with no lumps or added oil. You can use any nut butter, like almond butter.
• Maple Syrup – or any other liquid sweetener you love, like agave syrup, brown rice syrup, apple syrup, or sugar-free monk fruit syrup.
• Almond Milk – At room temperature for best results. Feel free to use any plant-based milk you love, like almond milk, coconut milk, rice milk, or oat milk.
• Flaxmeal – Ground flax seeds add the most delicious texture to the brownies. It also adds healthy fat and fiber to this snack.
• Unsweetened Cocoa Powder – These no-bake brownies use cocoa powder instead of pre-made chocolate chips. I use unsweetened to avoid added sugar.
• Coconut Flour – It is safe to eat raw coconut flour. It is a delicious way to create no-bake vegan desserts that taste like cooked ones. If you are concerned about eating raw flour, read my article about the raw flour that are safe to eat.

Making The Batter

This recipe is very quick and simple to make and it only takes a food processor.

Combine all the no-bake brownie ingredients in the bowl of your high-speed food processor.

Use the S-blade attachment to process the ingredients until it makes a thick paste: peanut butter, maple syrup, almond milk, cocoa powder, ground flax seeds, and coconut flour.

Process on medium speed initially until the ingredients come together nicely and start forming a thick and consistent batter.

It normally takes between 20 and 40 seconds to turn the ingredients into a dark and shiny paste that shouldn’t have lumps.

Adjusting The Batter

If the batter isn’t smooth and shiny, you might need to adjust its texture.

To make the batter more moist, you can add some more almond milk. Add the milk one tablespoon at a time and process the batter again until you reach the perfect consistency.

On the other hand, if your batter is too liquid, you can adjust it by adding more coconut flour. Add the flour one or two teaspoons at a time. This flour is highly absorbent so you have to work gradually.

Forming The Brownies

Since these brownies are not baked, the shape you give them is pretty much the shape they will keep.

Line a loaf or square pan with parchment paper. You don’t need to oil it.

Gather the brownie mixture from the food processor bowl with your hands that you have wet just before and place the batter in the pan.

Flatten the top of the brownies with a silicone spatula.

Place the no-bake brownies in the freezer to let the batter set. It takes at least 5 minutes, but 10 minutes is the ideal time.

Frosting The Brownies

For a perfect dessert, I like to add chocolate ganache on top of my brownies.

To make my chocolate peanut butter frosting, gather the following ingredients:

• Peanut Butter – Use natural peanut butter with no sugar, no oil, and no salt. Real peanut butter made just with peanuts.
• Maple Syrup – You can use classic maple syrup, but also sugar-free maple syrup, agave syrup, or coconut nectar.
• Cocoa Powder – I prefer to use unsweetened cocoa powder to avoid unnecessary sugar.

Combine all the frosting ingredients in a small mixing bowl and whisk them until you reach a smooth consistency.

Remove the brownies from the freezer and spread the frosting on top.

Setting The Brownies

Once the brownies are frosted, leave them in the fridge for 60 minutes.

This time allows the batter to set fully and will make it easier to separate the slices.

Slice your no-bake brownies into 8 slices and enjoy cold.

The brownies will soften at room temperature.

Recipe Variations

If you want to change the taste of your no-bake brownies, you can add the following to the batter:

• Walnuts: Incorporate chopped walnuts into the batter with a silicone spatula. Don’t process them or they wouldn’t taste as good.
• Pecan Nuts: Chop pecan nuts on a chopping board and add them on top of the batter before frosting.
• Vanilla Extract: For a touch of extra flavor, add a teaspoon of vanilla extract.

Storage Instructions

These no-bake brownies can be stored for up to two weeks in an airtight container in the fridge.

You can also freeze them in small zip-lock bags and keep them in the freezer for up to three months.

Thaw them in the fridge for a few hours, or eat them half frozen.

Allergy Swaps

This recipe is already vegan, egg-free, dairy-free but if you are allergic to some of the ingredients, you can make the substitutions below:

• Nut-Free: You can use any fresh, runny, natural nut butter such as almond butter or cashew butter. If you are allergic to all nuts, use sunflower seed butter. Opt for a nut-free milk such as rice milk or oat milk.
• Low-Carb: To make these brownies low-carb, use sugar-free maple syrup, unsweetened cocoa powder, and unsweetened almond milk.
• Flax-Free: You can replace the ground flaxseed with ground chia seeds.

Frequently Asked Questions

I’ve gathered below the answers to your most common questions about these brownies.