Fudgy no bake brownies made with only 5 ingredients! These healthier brownies have a rich chocolate avocado frosting and are vegan, sugar-free, gluten-free with no coconut or butter.

Close up of no-bake brownies on parchment paper showing fudgy texture and smooth frosting.

Why you’ll love these brownies

You can make these no bake brownies in just 10 minutes! The brownies and frosting comes together in a food processor and you don’t even have to clean your processor in between.

Alternatively, if you prefer baked bars, check out my vegan beetroot brownies, sweet potato brownies or chickpea blondies.

5 key ingredients you’ll need

Flatlay of 5 ingredients including raw pecans, cocoa powder, medjool dates, avocado and maple syrup.

The full list of ingredient quantities and instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Notes about the ingredients

Raw pecans or walnuts.Their earthiness complements the other ingredients and they’re also often found in conventional brownies so you still get that nostalgic brownie flavor! This brownie recipe works with any nut/seed so you can mix and match your favorites.

Medjool dates or dried dates. I used about 10 medjool dates for these brownies but the amount you’ll need will depend on the size and moistness of your dates. You can also make these brownies with dried dates if you soak them beforehand (more instructions are in the notes of the recipe card at the bottom of this page).

Cocoa powder or raw cacao powder. Raw cacao powder is slightly more bitter than unsweetened cocoa powder but both are still great!

Avocado to make the creamiest chocolate frosting to top these no-bake brownies.

Maple syrup to sweeten the frosting. If you’re strictly raw vegan, use extra dates for the frosting as maple syrup is not truly ‘raw’.

How to make no-bake brownies

First, add the raw pecans to your food processor and pulse until it forms coarse crumbs. If you’d like a few chunks of nuts in your brownies, pulse the nuts for just a few seconds!

Add your remaining brownie ingredients and pulse until the dates are fully broken down and your mixture comes together. This will take up to 5 minutes, depending on your food processor.

Then taste-test your raw brownie dough. Yes that’s right! The dough should be slightly tacky but shouldn’t stick to your fingers. If it’s too crumbly, add more wet ingredients (dates, milk or water). Or if it’s too sticky, add more dry ingredients (nuts) to reach your desired texture.

Finally, press the dough in your brownie pan.

Four image collage showing how to make the brownies in a food processor and pressing raw dough into the cake pan.

Making the avocado chocolate frosting

Once you’ve made the no-bake brownies, roughly clean out your food processor (don’t worry, it doesn’t need to be perfectly clean).

Add all your frosting ingredients to your food processor and blend. After around 1 minute, you should have a very smooth and creamy frosting! Make sure you scrape down the sides so there are no chunks of avocado.

The frosting is SO good that you can eat it by itself! Finally, use a spoon (or a piping bag) to top your brownies with the frosting.

Three image collage showing how to make the chocolate frosting and spreading it on the brownies.

Serving the brownies

The raw brownies and frosting will be extra fudgy if you cut into them immediately. However, I recommend refrigerating them for at least 1 hour as they’ll be firmer and easier to cut.

TIP: Make these brownies extra pretty by sprinkling some rose petals, extra nuts or freeze-dried fruit on top!

Symmetrical overhead image of brownies showing smooth frosting.

Customizing this recipe

I don’t have a food processor. Can I use a blender to make these brownies?

Yes. However, the raw brownie dough and frosting are quite thick so you will need to stop and scrape your blender a few times or blend the mixture in a few batches.

Can I add anything else to these brownies?

Of course! You can add:
– A scoop of nut butter (such as peanut butter or almond butter). This makes the brownies even fudgier.
– Sea salt
– Espresso powder
– Chopped walnuts and pecans (after processing the brownie filling)
– Chopped chocolate or chocolate chips
– Cacao nibs

Can I use the raw brownie recipe or avocado ‘frosting’ for other desserts?

Yes, the brownie batter can be rolled into balls to make bliss balls. I’ve also used the brownie batter as a no-bake crust for my Chocolate Mousse Tart and my no-bake raspberry bars!

Similarly, the avocado frosting can be enjoyed as a mousse for dessert. I used a similar avocado mousse in my vegan beetroot brownies and chocolate avocado mousse tart.

Brownies on parchment paper with two brownies on their side showing fudgy layers.

More easy vegan chocolate desserts

Stack of three sweet potato brownies.

Sweet Potato Brownies (vegan)
Chocolate beetroot cake on plate with two slices cut out. Cake is topped with rustic chocolate and beetroot frosting.

Chocolate Beetroot Cake (vegan)

Flourless Vegan Chocolate Cake (oil free)
Sweet potato chocolate cake on plate with two slices taken out.

Sweet Potato Chocolate Cake

Follow Rainbow Nourishments on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and Pinterest, and subscribe via email to receive all of our latest recipes!

Close up of no-bake brownies on parchment paper showing fudgy texture and smooth frosting.
5 from 21 reviews

No Bake Brownies with Chocolate Avocado Frosting

Yield: 16 brownies
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Resting Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Author: Anthea
Fudgy no bake brownies made with only 5 ingredients! These healthier brownies have a rich chocolate avocado mousse frosting and are vegan, sugar-free, gluten-free and have no coconut or butter.
Print Leave a Review Pin Recipe

Ingredients

No Bake Brownies

  • 3 cups (300g) pecans, walnuts or almonds (or a combination)
  • ~1 heaped cup (250g) pitted medjool dates, soaked in water for 10 minutes if dry (note 1)
  • ½ cup (50g) cocoa or raw cacao powder
  • Pinch of salt, 1 tsp espresso powder and/or vanilla extract (optional, to taste)

Chocolate Avocado frosting

Instructions 

  • Line an 8-inch (20 cm) square pan (or similar sized pan) with parchment paper.

Making the brownies:

  • Add the pecans to a food processor. Process until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. If you'd like your brownies to be chunkier, skip this step and process the pecans with the rest of the ingredients.
  • Add the dates and cocoa powder. Add any optional ingredients if desired. Process the mixture until it forms a soft dough.
  • The texture of your dough will depend on how moist your dates are. If it's too dry, add a dash of water or dairy-free milk and process again. If it's too sticky, add more nuts and process again.
  • Scoop out the mixture into your lined pan. Use a spoon to flatten the surface. At this stage, you don't have to clean your food processor.

Making the avocado chocolate frosting:

  • Add all the frosting ingredients to your food processor. Process until smooth and there are no lumps of avocado.
  • Spread the chocolate frosting on your brownies. Decorate if desired.
  • Optional: Chill the brownies in the fridge for at least 10 minutes.

To serve:

  • Use a sharp knife to cut the brownies into around 16 bars. The brownies can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for a couple of hours, in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for 3 months.

Video

Notes

  1. If you’re using dried dates (that are already pitted), use only 200g of dates and soak them in room temperature water for 2 hours or in boiling water for 10 minutes. Drain the dates very well before using them in the recipe.
  2. Instead of a liquid sweetener, you can use very soft dates and blend the mixture in a high-powered blender or use a stick blender. The dates may take an extra few minutes to completely break down into a smooth mixture.
  3. If your mixture is not sticking together, add 1-2 more dates or a splash of water or dairy-free milk. Dates range in texture and moisture depending on the brand and what country they are from!
Nutrition Information
Serving: 1 brownie with frosting, Calories: 175kcal, Carbohydrates: 11g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 16g, Sodium: 2mg, Potassium: 215mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 24IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 28mg, Iron: 1mg
Did you Make this Recipe?Rate it & leave your feedback in the comments section below, or tag @rainbownourishments on Instagram and hashtag #rainbownourishments!

This recipe was originally published in June 2020 and updated in August 2022.

This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.