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.
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
The full list of ingredient quantities and instructions are in the gray 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.
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.
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!
Customizing this recipe
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.
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
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.
More easy vegan chocolate desserts
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No Bake Brownies with Chocolate Avocado Frosting
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
- 1 (~150g) medium avocado, flesh only
- ⅓ cup (115g) maple syrup, or any other liquid sweetener to taste (note 2)
- ½ cup (50g) cocoa or raw cacao powder
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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
This recipe was originally published in June 2020 and updated in August 2022.
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Wow these are amazing! I used Pecans and cacao powder as the optional choices. I am not even into chocolate that much. I made other raw vegan brownies in the past and these are way better. I think pecans are also a better choice than walnuts which I used in the past.
I'm so thrilled that you loved these brownies! And I agree - I preferred the taste of pecans than walnuts for these brownies. Thanks so much for your lovely feedback!
These brownies are delicious, very rich and the texture was perfect!😋 I'm not a huge chocolate fan, but these were yummy & very easy to make.
Aw that's amazing to hear!!! So glad that you enjoyed these, and thanks so much for leaving a comment here!
I loved the recipe and congratulations on the incredible work.
Hi Juliana, aw I'm so glad!! And thanks so much for your support and kindness x
Delicious! My husband and I are on a raw vegan journey and these are the perfect treat to satisfy the sweet tooth! And we don't feel guilty eating them!
Aw, that's amazing to hear! Good luck with your raw vegan journey and thanks so much for your review 🙂
Hi… I like all your recipes.. Any replacement for avacodo.? In no bake brownie…
Hi, there isn't a 1:1 replacement for the avocado as it has a unique consistency and the other ingredients will need to be adjusted. However, you can also top the brownies with chocolate ganache (such as from my rapsberry bars recipe). You can also try to make a tofu chocolate mousse topping, based on the filling from my mousse tart. Hope that helps!
Hello,
What can i add instead of maple syrup? Can i just ignore it? Or should I substitute it? Honey? Or what?
Thank you
Hi Rana, you can use any other liquid sweetener. I only use vegan ingredients so I can't advise on using honey. Or you can use dates but you'll need to blend the frosting very well. I wouldn't omit the sweetener, otherwise the frosting will be very bitter from the cocoa powder. Hope that helps!
You can use coconut nectar. It’s raw vegan. Just sap from the coconut tree. I ordered it online.
Can you soak Medjool dates to make them less dry as well?
Yes definitely!
Looking delicious
WFPB Chocolate lovers...MUST TRY!! I have been looking for a healthy and simple dark chocolate dessert, well this is it! I loved the fact that I had all 5 ingredients (the less ingredients the better) and could whip it up in less than 20 minutes. I haven't stopped thinking about this dessert since I made it. Highly recommend!!
Aw, what a compliment! I'm so glad that you enjoyed these brownies Christina and thanks so much for your feedback! x
Hello 🙂
Do we need to soak the nuts before hand?
Hey, no you don't need to soak them! Pecans and walnuts are already quite soft so don't need any soaking.
Hello! Should I process the nuts a little bit before hand? More into a flour mixture?
Hi Chelle! It depends on your food processor! If your processor is a little old, it helps if you process the nuts beforehand, into a coarse mixture. If your processor has a lot of power, you can add all the ingredients at the same time. I hope that helps!
I'm doing a 7-10 day raw vegan diet as an experiment and wanted something sweet. I came came across this recipe and had to make them. They are soooo good. I've tagged Rainbow Nourishments on my Instagram. The avocado ganache is genius. Thank you so much x
This sound fantastic. I just got 3 pounds of organic pumpkin seeds, and am thinking to make the recipe with seeds instead of walnuts, just gotta soak the seeds for an hour to make them easier to blend. Thanks for the brilliant recipe
That sounds amazing! I love pumpkin seeds with chocolate flavoured things. Enjoy!
Made it yesterday and everybody loved it! It is soooo tasty! Thank you 🙂
Yay! Best news :). Thank you for your feedback!
This recipe turned out delicious! A welcomed addition awhile venturing with a raw diet!
Brownie turned out super fudgy!
So glad to hear! Thanks so much Diana!
The frosting turned out perfect however the base was super dry and I had to add coconut oil to make it stick together. Where have o gone wrong?
It sounds like your dates were too dry. Dried dates need to be soaked until they are very soft. Medjool dates range in stickiness (and moisture) depending on the brand and what country they are from. For example Middle Eastern dates tend to be quite moist and soft whereas dates from America are drier. I'd recommend adding another date until it sticks together.
Hi Beauty!
Can I use a combination of these nuts - or is it best to stick to the one type for this delicious brownie?
Thanks so much xx
Hey Hayley! Yes, you can definitely use a combination of those nuts - it's just about flavour and personal preference. Let me know how you go xo
I love raw desserts and loved making these! The frosting unbelievable, I can’t believe it was made from avocados. I will definitely be making these again!
Yay, that makes me super happy to hear Meredith! Thanks for your kind comment 🙂