No-Bake Salted Almond Brownie Bites [Vegan + Gluten Free]

INGREDIENTS

Brownies

• 1 1/2 cups raw almonds
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1 cup tightly packed medjool dates, pitted (about 10 large medjool dates)
• 2 Tablespoons virgin coconut oil, melted
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1-3 Tablespoons milk of choice (I used unsweetened almond)

Ganache

• 3 Tablespoons virgin coconut oil, melted
• 3 Tablespoons maple syrup 1 Tablespoon water
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced almonds + flaky sea salt, for topping

Time: 15 minutes

Yields: 12

DIRECTIONS

1. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with parchment liners. Set aside.
2. Place almonds, oats, and cocoa powder into a food processor (or high powered blender). Pulse until broken up into a flour-like consistency. Dump this mixture into a bowl.
3. Place the pitted dates, coconut oil, vanilla, and salt into the empty food processor and blend until a thick, sticky paste is formed. Add the ground up almond mixture and pulse to combine. If needed, stop and scrape down the sides before blending again. Add in milk 1 Tablespoon at a time until the dough holds together when pinched between your fingers. It should be neither dry nor sticky, but somewhere in between. I usually find 2 Tablespoons of milk to be enough.
4. Scoop 3 Tablespoons of the dough into each muffin cup, then use your fingers to press each one down into a compacted layer. Place the pan into your fridge or freezer to chill while you make the ganache.
5. Stir together all ganache ingredients in a small bowl until no cocoa lumps remain. Then, scoop a heaping 1/2 Tablespoon of ganache on top of each brownie bite and spread out in a thin layer. Top each with a pinch of almonds and flaky salt, then place back in the fridge or freezer to set for 5-10 minutes, until ganache is firm. Serve immediately or store in a container in the fridge for up to 10 days. I prefer these cold, though they hold their shape well at room temperature and can be left out for up to 4 days, if needed.

NOTES

If you don’t own a muffin pan, or want to make the process slightly easier, these can be made in an 8-inch square pan and cut into 12 squares after chilling.
If desired, swap 1 Tablespoon of the coconut oil in the ganache for Luce Farm’s hemp-infused coconut oil to make a CBD-infused ganache.
If you dates are not soft and sticky, soak them in warm water for 15 minutes before using, as they add most of the moisture to this recipe!

MAKE IT NUT-FREE: though I haven’t tried it, I suspect equal parts of shredded coconut and sunflower seeds could be used in place of the almonds, if you’re allergic to nuts. Walnuts or cashews both work here as well, if you’re just unable to have almonds.

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