These healthy raw brownie bites are made with just dates, almonds, walnuts, cocoa powder, and unsweetened coconut, and they taste a lot like rich, fudgy brownies!
Around this time last year, I posted a recipe for these super simple peanut butter chocolate chip “energy bites.” Somehow, the recipe ended up getting shared a boatload of times (30k times on Facebook and 80k on Pinterest and counting!?). To this day, it’s still one of the most visited recipes on the blog each week.
Those peanut butter energy bites are also the top blog recipe that friends have told me they’ve made. One friend even told me recently that she figured out how to make them using only ingredients from our dining hall! And I still make my own batch of peanut butter energy bites every couple of weeks.
Recently, I got the urge to do some more recipe experimenting, and so energy bites 2.0 were born, raw brownie style. These dark chocolate coconut brownie bites were inspired by a new-to-me Larabar flavor, Chocolate Coconut Chew.
I used the exact ingredients that are in the Larabars (dates, walnuts, almonds, cocoa powder, & unsweetened coconut flakes), which kept the ingredient list short, sweet and super healthy.
The only downsides to this recipe are that it requires a food processor and the bites aren’t quite simple enough to make from dining hall ingredients unless you go to a super fancy school that serves dates and coconut flakes…but it’s worth going to the store because they’re HEALTHY BROWNIE BITES.
The recipe only takes about 10 minutes to make and is super easy. Just toss all of the ingredients in the food processor and run it until the everything’s finely chopped up and starts to come together. Then, form into balls (I like using a cookie scoop) and roll them in coconut. That’s it!
If you like brownies and coconut and healthy things, I bet you’ll love these raw brownie bites!
If you make these raw brownie bites, I’d love for you to leave a comment or take a picture and tag me @livbane on Instagram. Hope you enjoy!
Healthy Raw Brownie Bites
Ingredients
- 1 cup medjool dates, pitted
- 1/2 cup raw walnuts
- 1/2 cup raw almonds
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup unsweetened flaked coconut, plus extra for rolling if desired
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp water
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a food processor and combine on medium or high speed for 2-3 minutes. The mixture will be crumbly at first, and then it will slowly start to come together. Stop the mixer when it's sticky enough to roll into balls. Don't overprocess.
- Store coconut brownie bites in the refrigerator for up to two weeks or freezer for up to 3 months, for best taste.
Video
Nutrition
A Healthy Liv recipe
Recipe video by Haley of If You Give a Blonde a Kitchen
I am going grocery shopping today and will buy everything to make them. They sound delicious!
You’ll have to let me know what you think! 🙂
Wow…these look absolutely delicious! Brownies and coconut are the way to my heart, but I never thought of putting them together. Game changer! Pinning for later (since my school’s dining halls are *definitely* not fancy enough to have dates and coconut flakes haha)!
Haha! We wish, right? 😉 Hope you love them!!
Tried them and love them! Thanks for sharing!
OMG – I’ll trust you that these are healthy because they sure don’t taste that way – they’re soooo delicious! I actually avoid nuts and coconut because I don’t like the taste but wanted to try this receive for the promised dark chocolate flavour and loved that this recipe didn’t call for sugar or artificial sweeteners. I’ve just made them now and am amazed at the taste and I’m sure they’ll only taste better after being chilled in the fridge. Also, just eating one is very filling! Will be making again I’m sure.
So glad you’re enjoying these, Anita!! They seriously do remind me of brownie bites!
I’m sorry, but I didn’t see anything in that recipe that would give the chocolate any sweetness, and I can tell u that unsweetened cocoa tastes nasty. And I can’t imagine eating something bitter like that. Did I miss something?
Medjool dates are really sweet so they give the bites plenty of sweetness! The bites aren’t bitter at all, promise.
Just made em. Had to test one out of course. And it was delicious! And it’s healthy, awesome! I even added flax seed. Cant wait to try em after they’re refrigerated. ????????
So glad to hear you enjoyed these, Kevin!!
Hello, this looks like a great recipe and would love to make it but I am on the candida diet and unable to use dates. Is there a suitable medjoole date substitute?
Hi, Nancy! Unfortunately, since dates are a major component of the recipe, I’m not sure of a good substitute. Wish I had a better answer for you!
Just made these. What a great and simple recipe! Perfect way to satisfy my sweet tooth in a healthier way! Tastes just like brownies 🙂
Thank you.
So glad to hear you enjoyed these, Audrey! I have a batch stored in the freezer of my mini-fridge right now and can’t wait to snack on them throughout the week!
Can anyone tell how much dates by weight? I want to use vacuum packed dates I have.
Thanks 🙂
Hi Ruth! I’m not sure exactly, but from making this in the past, I believe I use about 10 or so dates (the big medjool dates), and each date weighs close to an ounce. Hope that helps!
Hi, thanks for the recipe! Can’t wait to try it. Wondering if I could substitute some of the dates for honey? My daughter isn’t too keen on dates and I’m afraid it will taste too “datey”.
I may experiment myself and let you know!!
thanks!
Hi Shela!
You can’t taste the dates at all, so I’d try the recipe as written first! She won’t know they’re there. Honey has a bit of a stronger flavor and definitely a wetter consistency than dates but could possibly work? Not sure!
These are the best!! I work as a dietitian and a client told me about this recipe. I tried it and LOVE them! Thanks for a super easy, delicious, & good-for-you recipe! I’ve since passed it along to a few clients and they all love it too 🙂
I’m so glad to hear that you and your clients have enjoyed these, Kristy! THey’re one of my favorite snacks/treats to whip up!
Some coconut oil will make them fudgier and easier to roll into balls. Vanilla sounds interesting to add, may have to try that.
These were AMAZING! and so very easy. Thank you!
For someone who has been avoiding sugar and processed foods …. these almost taste sinful and forbidden. LOL! They’re too good to be true.
I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed these, Rebecca! They’re one of my favorite healthy treats!!
OMG these are amazing!! I’m a chocoholic so was dubious but so looking for something reasonably healthy to replace my bad habit and these just blew me away. I added just the tiniest bit of male syrup as someone suggested and am IN LOVE!! I’m off to buy protein powder now to give me even more reason to eat more of these bad boys 🙂
Have made these balls a few times now and have had to share the recipe with my family and friends if you add a few drops of peppermint oil yougeta really nice healthy mint slice bites or orange oil you get healthy Jaffa bites, yummy!!!
Hi. My son is allergic to walnuts. Can I just double the almonds in place of walnuts?
Thank you
Hi Lelia! You certainly can! You can also use a combo of almonds and pecans instead.
Excellent recipe. I used cinnamon instead of vanilla and it was great!
So glad to hear you enjoyed these!
I can’t have any nuts so I was wondering if they can be made without them.
Hi! Unfortunately, nuts are a pretty big portion of the recipe, so I don’t think these could be made without nuts.
Do you need to soak the dates and/or nuts beforehand?
No need to soak the nuts, but I’d suggest soaking the dates beforehand if they’re on the drier side!
I plan to take them on my travel so I won’t be able to refrigerate them. Will they stay ok for about a week?
Hi Cynthia, They’ll stay fresh for a week but will be a bit softer! I would recommend storing them in a container (rather than a bag) on-the-go for a week so they don’t get squished 🙂
I just made these for the first time after saving a pin ages ago and they were delicious – thank you!
I’m so glad you enjoyed these, Stefanie!! I’m the same way with often making Pinterest recipes months (years?) after I’ve saved them 🙂
These are wonderful!
So glad you enjoyed these!
These look so good! I love all the nuts in this! It compliments the chocolate so well!
Thanks for sharing! I bet kids would love them too!
These are the BEST “brownies” I have ever made using dates. They are delicious. Love Love love love!
I’m so glad to hear that you enjoyed these, Tae!