I have a short and sweet recipe for you today. It checks all the boxes: Paleo, vegetarian, vegan, raw, gluten-free, dairy-free. But that really isn’t the point of this recipe. The point is that now you have an indulgent but healthy solution for that chocolate craving. As an added bonus, these decadent brownie bites require no baking. Zip, zero. The only thing they require is five minutes of your time.
That’s right, a whirl of the blades and you have a mixture ready to snack on. What goes into the food processor is mainly a combination of pecans, dates, and cocoa powder. Pecans are my personal favorite, but you can substitute almost any nut as the base for these bites: almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts (hello Nutella bites) or cashews. And if you’re not a fan of dates (I mean the FOOD silly) not to worry, you really can’t taste them under all of the chocolatey goodness. I prefer 3 tablespoons of cocoa powder before the bites get too bitter for my taste, but if you’re a chocoholic (actual syndrome) you can always add in more cocoa powder. Or roll the bites in cocoa powder afterwords. Or add chocolate chips. Or dip them in melted chocolate. Somebody stop me.
For you coconut lovers out there, the finished bites can also be rolled in coconut flakes for extra taste and texture. At my house we prefer them naked, or NKD as the kids say nowadays.
And the best feature (oh you mean besides the prep time and few ingredients?) is that the brownie bites are completely 100% guilt-free my friends. It’s a healthy snack. I love healthy snacks. The brownie bites provide you with a slow stream of energy, thanks to all of the protein and fiber, rather than a sugar high. They nourish. You could even have one after the gym. Even kids will eat them – proven fact. Perhaps you could assign kitchen helpers to roll the mixture into balls. Keep a batch around in the refrigerator for whenever the sweet tooth strikes. Basically, amazing.
- 1 ¾ cups pecans
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup pitted Medjool dates (about 12)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 tbsp cocoa powder
- Coconut flakes, optional, for rolling
- Place the pecans and salt in a food processor and pulse until the pecans are finely ground. Add the remaining ingredients and blend until the mixture starts to clump together and the dates are broken down. Drizzle in ½ to 1 tablespoon of water to make the dough stick together if necessary.
- Use a spatula to scrape the mixture out into a bowl. Use your hands to form small round balls. If desired, roll the balls in coconut flakes or additional cocoa powder. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- The brownie bites are best when eaten cold.
