This delicious recipe for No-Bake Brownies is dessert made to look healthy but also healthy food made to look like dessert! These dark chocolate date bars are a no-bake recipe, so they're perfect for making all year 'round and also any day of the week. The base itself is made from sweet sticky dates, dried fruits, nuts, seeds and cocoa powder all topped with a rich dark chocolate shell. There is no refined sugar added and I promise you won't miss it a bit!

These bars don't contain any flour or butter which means they are gluten-free and dairy-free, and vegan!

INGREDIENTS IN NO BAKE BROWNIES

Dates - I've used Terra Delyssa Organic Pitted Deglet Noor Dates. They are so soft and sticky and make these bars feel so moist and chewy. Dates are naturally high in sugar and carbohydrates so they lend such a nice texture to these bars without having to add any extra sugar.

Pistachios - I love the buttery flavour of pistachios in these bars. They also add a wonderful pop of colour. If you can, use roasted pistachios.

Walnuts - buttery walnuts have a soft texture so they're perfect to blend nicely in the processor.

Pumpkin seeds - pepitas have such a nice earthy and toasty flavour (almost like popcorn!) and also add nice colour to these bars. Use roasted pepitas if you can.

Cocoa powder - cocoa powder makes these bars almost taste like brownies! You can use either natural or Dutch process cocoa.

Olive oil - I've used Terry Delyssa Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil to help bring the mixture together and carry all of the lovely flavours.

Salt - salt is absolutely necessary to enhance all of the delicious flavours in these bars and to balance the sweetness.

Dark chocolate - topping these off with a dark chocolate shell flaked with sea salt takes these bars to the next level! A bit of olive oil in the chocolate helps to soften its texture just slightly so it is easier to bite through against the soft date base.

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

STEP 1). Soak the dates. Cover dates with boiling water and let soak for 5-10 minutes. Drain well.

STEP 2). Process dates. Add dates to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until chunky.

STEP 3). Add nuts, fruits and seeds. Scrape down the bowl and add walnuts, dried cranberries, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, coconut and cocoa powder. Process again until mixture is chunky and slightly clumping. Add olive oil, vanilla and salt and pulse a few times until the mixture holds together in clumps.

STEP 4). Set the bars. Scrape the mixture into an 8x4 inch loaf pan lined with parchment paper and press it firmly and evenly into the base.

STEP 5). Make the chocolate layer. Melt dark chocolate gently in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water or microwave in 30 second increments, stirring in between until chocolate is fully melted and smooth. Stir in olive oil. Pour over the bars, tilting pan so that the chocolate covers the bars evenly. Sprinkle chopped pistachios, dried cranberries and pumpkin seeds on top, then top with sea salt flakes. Refrigerate for 1 hour until the chocolate is set, then cut into 8 squares. Store covered in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

EXPERT TIPS FOR NO BAKE BROWNIES

Pulse the mixture rather than running the food processor constantly so that you can control the texture. You're looking for a slightly chunky mixture that will ball up in the bowl, but if it becomes over-processed it will be too smooth and pasty. It will still taste delicious but the texture won't be as nice.

Stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl frequently so that all ingredients get evenly chopped without over-processing.

Chill these bars thoroughly (for at least 2 hours) before slicing to ensure that you can get clean slices

RECIPE FAQ

What is the purpose of olive oil in the chocolate coating?

Olive oil is a liquid fat whereas cocoa butter (in chocolate) is a very hard solid fat. Adding a small amount of olive oil to the chocolate coating will slightly soften its texture so that it will not shatter when sliced after it's chilled.

Can I make substitutions for the nuts and seeds?

Absolutely! I love using walnuts for their buttery texture and they chop up easily in the food processor, but feel free to use pecans instead. You can use roasted almonds or hazelnuts in place of the pistachios too. Sunflower seeds are a nice alternative to pumpkin seeds and any dried fruit can be used in place of the cranberries.

How to store no bake brownies?

I recommend storing these bars in the fridge and letting them sit at room temperature for just 5-10 minutes to soften the chocolate coating. I wouldn't recommend freezing these bars.