HELLO, BROWNIES! No Bake Hazelnut Brownies are packed with healthy ingredients (hazelnuts & cashews, dates, and cocoa powder), yet they taste like a fudge-y brownie. They only require 7 ingredients and come together with the whiz of a food processor and 15 minutes to chill in the refrigerator. They are vegan, gluten free, and naturally sweetened with the dates!

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Friends, by the time this post goes live (3 days from now, to be exact) it will be my 30th birthday!! It’s here, it’s arrived!!! My big 3 – 0!! How do I feel about turning 30, you ask?

Wonderful, fantastic, never better! Really, that is not sarcasm (if you could hear my voice, you would know). I have so much to celebrate on my 30th birthday: loving husband and family, wonderful friends, a spunky cat, a beautiful house, good health, and a career I jump out of bed for in the mornings! Life is good! Besides Paul is 6 months older than I am; thanks for softening the blow of turning 30.

Okay, truth time: I truly feel everything I stated in the above paragraph. Life is too short to not celebrate every chance you get, right? But when I really think about it, I can’t believe that I am turning 30! Where has the time gone? It feels like yesterday that I was turning 18, or turning 21 and had my first alcoholic beverage. When you turn 18 or 21 or even 25, somehow you think you will be that age forever. You think you are on top of the world, that somehow turning 18, legally an adult, makes you wise, you know everything there is to know about life. Oh how wrong my 18 -year-old-self was! But we learn, right? Life teaches us that around every corner, with every birthday we will never know it all – there is always room to grow. To me that’s the beauty of life. Once you truly accept that as people we are always shifting, changing, experiencing new things, then aging doesn’t seem so scary. This, right here, is something that even a year ago I didn’t fully grasp. Keep an open mind and life will surprise you!

As Henry Ford said, “Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at 20 or 80. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young.” Henry, well said; you were a smart man!  Here’s to all that we’ve learned in our lives so far and to continuing to expand our knowledge, and our experiences in the years to come! Because age does not define us. We define us. And these days will be some of the greatest days of our lives. Now let’s celebrate!

Whoa, deep, Emily, deep. 

You’re right, that is some deep stuff. How about a brownie?! A No Bake Hazelnut Brownie, to be exact! Come on, you didn’t think that I would let my birthday pass without a little chocolate?!

Okay, last year I didn’t do chocolate, you’re right! It was my golden birthday, so I made a golden drink to sip on: Peach Mango Sangria. But this year, my true love needed to come forth: chocolate!

I have seen a few no bake brownie recipes around and knew a version would be perfect during the hot summer months when you don’t want to turn on the oven. We all know how I feel about that! I had some leftover hazelnuts lying around after I made my Homemade Nutella and knew they would make the perfect no bake brownie!

No Bake Hazelnut Brownies are super easy to make: Okay, I lied, you do have to turn on your oven, but only to roast the hazelnuts, because raw hazelnuts are weird – but no worries, it’s only for 10 minutes and they can be roasted ahead of time. The rest is up to the food processor! Dates are the glue that holds these brownies together and provide sweetness. Oh, how I heart you dates! Once everything is well incorporated and sticky all you do is press the mixture into a pan lined with parchment paper. Add a few chopped hazelnuts to the top- if you please, refrigerate for 15 minutes, cut into squares and devour!

Boom! Easiest birthday brownies I have ever made for myself!

Actually these brownies weren’t so easy to make. Right when I was getting ready to press the dough into the only 8×8 glass baking dish I had, I went to grab it and discovered it was broken! I had to drop what I was doing and run out to the store to buy a new one! Thank goodness I didn’t have to preheat my oven for this recipe, right?! Other than solving a problem such as broken baking dishes these No Bake Hazelnut Brownies are a cinch to make!

I know you will love these No Bake Hazelnut Brownies. They’re: fudge-y, rich, chocolaty, pretty much an energy bar – nuts, chocolate, and dates! And they’re perfect for birthdays and summertime parties!

I hope you give these No bake Hazelnut Brownies a try, if you do don’t forget to leave a comment below and rate the recipe! Your comments make my day! Enjoy!

No Bake Hazelnut Brownies (V + GF)

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• Author: Emily Koch
• Yield: 9 large brownies 1x
• Category: Dessert
• Cuisine: Gluten Free, Vegan, Refined Sugar Free

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Description

No bake Hazelnut Brownies are packed with healthy ingredients: hazelnuts & cashews, dates, and cocoa powder, yet they taste like a fudge-y brownie. They only require 7 ingredients and come together with the whiz of a food processor and 15 minutes to chill in the refrigerator.

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 1/2 cups raw hazelnuts + 1/4 cup, divided (for topping)
• 1/2 cup raw cashews (can swap pecans, almonds, or walnuts)
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cacao or cocoa powder
• 2 1/2 cups pitted medjool dates
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place all of the hazelnuts on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast the hazelnuts for 10 mins, stirring every 5 minutes to prevent burning. Once they are golden brown and you can smell the hazelnuts, remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes. NOTE: this can be done several days in advance.
2. Once the hazelnuts have cooled slightly transfer them to a clean kitchen towel and use the kitchen towel to rub the skins off the hazelnuts. It’s okay if not all of them are removed, but most of the skins should come off easily.
3. While the hazelnuts are roasting soak your dates in hot water for 10 minutes (even if they are already sticky, this helps to create a moist batter).
4. To the bowl of a food processor add 1 1/2 cups hazelnuts (reserving 1/4 cup for topping), cashews, cinnamon, salt, and cocoa powder. Process until a fine meal forms, about 5 minutes. Watch closely; you don ‘t want it to turn into nut butter . Remove to a bowl and set aside.
5. Drain the dates and add them to the food processor. Process until a ball forms, or small bits remain, about 3 minutes.
6. Add half of the nut mixture back into the bowl of the food processor, along with the vanilla extract. Process until well incorporated. Add the remainder of the nut mixture into the food processor and mix until well combined. Squeeze a portion of the dough between your fingers. If it doesn’t hold it’s shape then add in 2 to 3 more dates.
7. Line an 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper.
8. Transfer the dough to the baking dish. Use a flat-bottomed object, such as a measuring cup, to press the dough tightly into the dish..
9. Roughly chop the 1/4 cup reserved hazelnuts. Press the hazelnuts into the top of the brownies firmly. You may need to pack the edges down with your fingers.
10. Chill the brownies in the fridge for 15 minutes.
11. Run a butter knife around the edges of the brownies that are touching the dish. Remove the brownies from the dish by lifting the parchment paper out. Use a sharp knife to cut the brownies into 9 large squares, or into smaller squares or rectangles, if you prefer. Serve immediately.
12. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or store in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. The brownies are good both served at room temperature and chilled. Store in the freezer for up 2 months.

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Notes

Prep time DOES include time required for brownies to chill in the fridge. The cook time includes the time required for the hazelnuts to roast, which can be done in advance.

Recipe inspred by Minimalist Baker‘s 5 minute Espresso Brownies and my Homemade Nutella.

Recipe heavily adapted from my Vegan Tarragon Merlot Truffles.

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Nutrition Facts are a rough calculation for 9 large brownies (as seen in the photos). However, most of the time I eat these brownies I have found I don’t finish the large brownies and end up cutting them into smaller rectangles. They also last longer that way! 🙂

More Tasty Chocolate Treats:

Vegan Tarragon Merlot Truffles

Dark Chocolate Brownies (GF)

Black & White Black Bean Brownies (GF)

Peanut Butter and Jelly Chocolate Mug Cake (GF)

Thin and Crispy Chocolate Cookies (GF)

Grain Free Chocolate Cupcakes

Chocolate Coffee Avocado Pudding (V +GF)