Chocolate was meant to be savored and these fudgy chocolate brownies will be enjoyed to the last crumb! Perfectly sweet and satisfying, eating these squares of chocolaty goodness will become a highlight of your day without any sugar crashes to follow.
These easy chocolate fudge brownies with no added sugar are perfect for a Mother’s Day dessert, picnic treat or a ‘just because’ day when you want to enjoy some chocolaty goodness. The main kitchen tools you need are a food processor, a scraper and a 8×8 pan. That’s it!
We use our food processor all the time. Not only can it chop, grate or shred veggies in a matter of seconds (no more tears from Mr. Onion) but it can whip up a variety of sweet and savory recipes so all you have to do is throw in a few ingredients.
Some of our favorite recipes that use a food processor:
- Chocolate Chip Blondie Bars (low added sugar, GF, DF)
- Oatmeal Date Balls (no added sugar, GF, DF)
- Cheesy Loaded Mashed Cauliflower (GF)
- Broccoli Hummus Snack Bites (GF, DF option)
- Creamy Mashed Cauliflower (GF, DF option)
Brownies and Sugar…
So what makes these brownies ‘no added sugar?’ Soft and moist Medjool Dates are the sweetener. Simply take out the pit (and the cap if it is attached), place the dates in a microwave safe bowl and cover with a bit of water. Microwave for 60 seconds. Then drain off the water (don’t forget this step) and add the softened dates to the food processor. Maybe it sounds funny or even a bit weird, but they add the perfect sweetness and you will never know that the primary sweetener in these fudgy brownies is dates.
While dates do have sugar, they also have micronutrients and fiber that means that they offer a bit more nutrition than any type of granulated or liquid sugar. And, dates are in their whole food form. They haven’t been processed, bleached, or manipulated in ways that other forms of sweeteners are often handled.
When adding any type of sweetener to a dessert or dish, it’s important to add enough to make it sweet for your taste buds but avoid making it overly sweet. If you have ever eaten a dessert that was exceptionally sweet, it not only can cause a spike in your blood glucose and insulin but it also overpowers your taste buds. When we have these hyper-intense sweetened foods often enough, it may affect the appeal of less sweet foods.
For example, veggies may taste unpleasant and even bitter compared to these highly sweet foods. That is one important reason to make treats occasional foods and make them just sweet enough. These easy Chocolate Fudge Brownies with no added sugar will satisfy your sweet desires without over-stimulating your taste buds.
Brownies and Beans?
Black beans and a bit of ground up oats are the ‘flour base’ for these brownies. If you haven’t made a legume based dessert before, you are in for a big surprise. Made in a similar way, these Chocolate Chip Chickpea Blondie Bars are an all-time favorite treat in our house. And these easy chocolate fudge brownies with no added sugar are just as popular right now among my test-tasters!
There is no need to buy oat flour if you have a small food processor or coffee grinder. I have found that about 3 tablespoons of rolled oats makes about ¼ cup of oat flour. Simply grind for about 10-15 seconds or until a fine flour (you don’t want to see any coarse bits).
Some of the best news about this recipe other than the fudgy chocolaty goodness is that it only takes a few moments to blend up in a food processor. (This is the food processor we have and while it works great, it is exceptionally loud. I usually cover it with a blanket when I am using it. Definitely investigate noise level when you are looking for a food processor to buy.)
No box brownie mix required! Print out this recipe for Easy Chocolate Fudge Brownies with no added sugar and enjoy a yummy treat with no guilt and no complicated steps. Let’s say ‘yes’ to chocolate and enjoy every bite!
If you want to take the decadence up a notch, grab your favorite 85% chocolate bar (OR some dark chocolate chips) and stir ¼ cup of chopped chocolate to the batter before pouring the batter into the pan. DOUBLE chocolate brownies are quite delightful!
Easy Chocolate Fudge Brownies (No Added Sugar, GF, DF)
Ingredients
- 15 oz can black beans drained & rinsed
- 12 medjool dates pitted
- ⅓ cup coconut oil melted
- ¼ cup oat flour
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Placed dates in a microwave safe bowl, cover with about 1 cup of water and microwave for 60 seconds. Drain water from the dates and add to food processor along with all the other ingredients. Blend for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and blend another 60 seconds. Repeat if needed until batter reaches a smooth consistency.
- Line 8×8 baking dish with non-stick foil or parchment paper and spray with oil spray (I use a Misto). Pour batter into pan. Dip scraper into a bowl of water if needed to help push the batter into the corners without it sticking to the scraper. Bake brownies for 25-28 minutes or just until a toothpick comes out clean. Enjoy!
Notes
- These brownies can be made without the oat flour (grain free) but I prefer the texture as the recipe is written.
- This recipe is gluten free, but if you have Celiac make sure to use certified gluten free oats to ensure no cross-contamination.
Don’t eliminate foods you love! Feed your body and soul nourishing foods like these Easy Chocolate Fudge Brownies with no added sugar.
