Chocolatey, nutty, chia seed, gluten-free yumminess is what these No-Bake Brownie Balls are all about! Simple to make and ready in under 20 minutes, they are both a tasty bite and good for you making them the perfect on the go snack.
Everyone needs healthy snacks that they can count on! Over the years I've made a lot of different types of homemade granola bar inspired snacks, but I have to say these no-bake brownie balls are one of my favorites! They have all the elements of a brownie without the baking and gluten.
The balls are full of chocolate flavor and gooey date goodness with all the added health benefits of walnuts, cacao powder and chia seeds. The texture is that of a granola bar and the taste is that of a delicious brownie.
Your kids, coworkers, family, and friends will love them! All you need is a few ingredients and about 20 minutes.
This recipe was inspired by a handful of other plant based bloggers that I respect and follow. With so many versions of granola bars and balls out there, I've taken all that I've learned over the years and created my own. Yet, I am so thankful for the inspiration and tricks I've learned along the way.
Ingredients Needed
You only need 10 ingredients to make this recipe! Nothing fancy or hard to find.
- Cacao or Cocoa Powder
- Walnuts
- Chia Seeds
- Medjool Dates
- Old Fashioned Oats
- Almond Butter
- Maple Syrup
- Vanilla Extract
- Coconut Oil
- Salt
The base of the no-bake brownie dough is a combination of medjool dates, old fashioned oats, almond butter, maple syrup, and coconut oil which produces the perfect gooey texture.
But what makes these balls so good is cacao powder and walnuts that create that delicious yummy trademark brownie flavor. And to enhance the chocolatey flavor, vanilla is used along with a dash of salt giving the balls a tad more depth. While the chia seeds are an added health benefit.
How to Make No-Bake Brownie Balls
This recipe is really easy and takes just under 20 minutes to make. But you will need a food processor.
Before you begin, you have the option of toasting the oats for 10 minutes in the oven at 350 degrees fahrenheit. This is a no-bake recipe, but some people prefer toasted oats. It is completely up to you. Raw oats will work perfectly.
Now, to make the brownie ball dough, you put the medjool dates in a food processor and pulse them until they turn into a gooey dough. Soft dates work best for making the dough, so if your dates are dry you will first need to soak them in hot water for about 10 minutes.
Once you have the date dough ready, put it in a big bowl along with all the other ingredients and combine everything together using your hands. You can try using a spoon, but the truth is that your hands are the best tool for this job.
Now, form the brownie dough into tablespoon size balls. Then place them in the fridge to firm up. And done! Devour and enjoy!
Leftovers & Variations
This recipe makes about 20 to 22 brownie balls. You can store leftovers in the fridge for up to 6 days in an airtight container or in the freeze for up to 3 months. I often make a double batch and keep them in the freezer ready to enjoy at any time.
For variations, you want to keep the ratio of ingredients the same. However, you can easily alter some of the ingredients. Any type of nut butter can be used in place of almond butter. Walnuts can be replaced with any nut. The chia seeds can be omitted if you like. A dash of cinnamon would give the balls some warmth and a dash of cayenne some spice. Be as creative as you wish.
You are gonna love these no-bake brownie balls because they are...
- Chocolatey bites full of brownie goodness
- No-bake and gluten-free
- Good for your health
- Take less than 20 minutes to make
- The perfect on the go snack
- Freeze really well
I hope you love this super easy no-bake brownie ball recipe! Everyone needs healthy snacks that they can count on!
If you try this recipe please let me know how it turns out by leaving a comment and rating. You can also hashtag #danceswithknives with a photo of your creation on Instagram where you can find me @dances_with_knives.
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No-Bake Brownie Balls with Walnuts and Chia Seeds
Ingredients
- 1 cup medjool dates, packed
- 2 cup old fashioned oats
- 3 tablespoon almond butter
- ¼ cup maple syrup or agave
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil
- 3 tablespoon cacao or cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoon chia seeds
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- This is an optional step. Spread the oats out onto a sheet pan and toast them at 350 degrees fahrenheit for about 10 minutes just until slightly brown. Toasting the oats is not necessary, but I like the flavor it adds. You can use raw oats.
- Pulse the dates in a food processor until they resemble a dough. The dates need to be good and gooey. If your dates are dry then soak them in very hot water for about 10-15 minutes before doing this step.
- Put the date dough, oats, chia seeds, cacao powder, vanilla extract, coconut oil, chopped walnuts, and salt into a large bowl.
- You may skip this step if your almond butter is nice and creamy. If it isn’t then combine your almond butter with the maple syrup and warm on low heat in a small saucepan or the microwave until nice and creamy. Just remember to do this at a low heat.
- Add the almond butter and maple syrup to the date mixture. Mix with your hands or a spoon. Your hand will work the best for this step.
- Once the mixture is good and combined, form into tablespoon size balls. You can make them as big or as small as you like, but what you see here is a tablespoon. A ½ ounce cookie scoop works the same as a tablespoon if you have one on hand.
- Place the balls in the fridge to firm up for a bit. You can also store them in the freezer.
- Eat as a snack or dessert!
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