Fudgy Date Brownies

Who doesn’t love brownies?! I have this problem that when I have a pan sitting around the house that I HAVE TO cut off a little piece every time I walk by… It’s a real problem. Well, the real problem is how much I love chocolate. To make this less of a problem I want to start making more “healthy” desserts.

What I really mean is using less refined sugar. There are many reasons to cut down on refined sugar from weight loss to having a clear complexion. My two main reasons are:

• Setting a good example for my children – If my husband and I create good habits now, then our children are more likely to follow suit. We already follow a pretty balanced diet, but we could always improve 🙂
• Decreasing anxiety – What we eat has an effect on everything in our bodies, including our minds. I have struggled with anxiety, basically my whole life, and after doing lots of research there are certain food items that can be a trigger. Sugar is a big one.

I have used dates before in baking and have seen many different recipes for date brownies so I wanted to try my hand at them 🙂

I tried many different variations and taste tested thoroughly in order to create the most decadent, fudgy, ultra chocolatey brownie using no refined sugar.

I have found the perfect balance! If you are wanting super fudgy and moist brownies then these are for you. The chocolate is the real star with the addition of instant coffee really bringing out the flavor. No feeling like you ate spoonfuls of sugar as they are not super sweet, which I enjoy because I am a dark chocolate fan. These can be made with coconut oil instead of butter (noted in the recipe), but depending on how your coconut oil is processed there can be a hint of coconut flavor. So just be aware of that.

Oh and here’s a bonus; toddlers love them too! Adele couldn’t get enough.

Just a few notes:

• These are completely refined sugar free unless you add the optional mini chocolate chips. Sometimes you just need that extra decadence though am I right?!
• This recipe calls for all-purpose flour and almond flour. If you do not have almond flour on hand do not fret! These can be made with AP flour, but they may not come out as dense. Still delicious though!
• My favorite vanilla to use is Mexican vanilla. The depth of flavor is fantastic! If you do not have this, don’t worry. Regular vanilla will make these super yummy as well.

Okay, now on to the fun part: Baking!

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease a cake pan. You can you an 8×8 or something slightly bigger if you want thinner brownies. 

Boil a ½ cup of water and dissolve cocoa powders and instant coffee completely.

Then, Submerge dates in the cocoa mixture and let sit for at least 5 minutes.

In a food processor, blend dates, and cocoa mixture until a paste has formed. Depending on the size of your dates you may need to add a bit more water to make your paste “spreadable”. If so, only add a teaspoon at a time.

Transfer paste to a large bowl and whisk in 1 egg and vanilla extract.

Then, whisk in melted butter or coconut oil.

With a spatula or wooden spoon, add in the flours and stir until just combined (do not over mix!) This is also when you would add in chocolate chips if you are using them.

The batter will be thick. It should almost pull away from the sides like dough.

Spread the batter into the greased cake pan. If using chocolate chips sprinkle some on top too!

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.