I thought of so many alternate titles for these little brownie balls, mostly to spare you from reading another ball-filled post. I even considered pressing them into a loaf pan and cutting them into squares like a real brownie, but let’s face it, I just love little round snack bites. You probably already know this, considering Peanut Butter Oat Balls are my most popular post here on Baked Greens. Balls are just so darn portable and snackable, and I somehow like the texture of most protein/energy bars better when they’re rolled into a ball. Yes, I know I’m bizarre. I also have a beloved cashew cookie dough ball recipe that is deeee-vine, but Trader Joe’s stopped carrying cashew meal and I’m currently too upset to make them for you. <–I’ll get over it soon, don’t worry.
Until I recover from the loss of ready-made cashew meal, brownie balls it is – but not just any brownie balls! Oh no! These are made with five simple, nutrient-dense ingredients that blend together to make a rich, dark, fudgy dough that tastes like a walnut brownie but is actually just pure, healthy bliss. Let me break it down for you:
Medjool Dates are literally nature’s candy. They look like giant raisins, but they are much more rich and sweet and have their own unique flavor. Their sticky-sweet texture is almost like a chewy caramel, and it is the glue that binds these balls together. Dates are known to promote digestive and heart health, decrease inflammation, and reduce blood pressure. They’re also high in fiber and have more potassium than bananas! Medjool dates are large and soft, but if you can only find one of the smaller, firmer varieties of dates in your grocery store, a 10-minute soak in warm water should soften them right up.
Raw Walnuts and/or Almonds create both a flour to hold the balls together and the crunchy bits that stud each and every ball. I usually go for just walnuts, but I made this batch with equal amounts of almonds and walnuts and loved them just as much as the all-walnut variety. Walnuts are an essential source of omega-3 fatty acids, which is a critical nutrient our bodies can’t produce on their own. Walnuts are also known for their high cancer fighting properties, and they support both heart and brain health. Talk about super nuts!
Cocoa Powder is high in antioxidants and healthy fats, and gives these balls their dark, rich, complex brownie flavor. You could swap an equal amount of Cacao powder to keep these balls fully raw, if you’d like. Either way you’re getting fiber, iron, zinc, magnesium, and protein from this beloved chocolate-making powder.
Salt and Vanilla Extract are the secret weapons in almost every great dessert. Salt helps bring out the flavors of the nuts, and is a perfect balance to the sweetness of the dates. Vanilla adds an extra special rich, sweet flavor without adding any more sugar to these brownie balls. Vanilla also gives these balls an unmistakable aroma that elevates them from a simple cocoa date ball to a fudge brownie ball.
That’s it! Everything goes into a food processor and you’re halfway to ball city. Just portion them out with a small ice cream scoop or a spoon, roll them into balls, and you’ve got your very own balls to snack on. I love these as a sweet bite after lunch, and they are perfect for packing in a gym bag or the car for a long trip. You could even cut them into squares for a more realistic brownie experience, but that’s up to you. As we all know, balls are more my style, and I don’t intend on changing that anytime soon. I’d love to hear what you think of these little brownie babies! Leave me a comment below or tag me on Instagram with #bakedgreens so I can keep up with all your brownie ball activities!
Fudge Walnut Brownie Balls
Ingredients
- 1 cup walnuts*
- 1 1/2 cups medjool dates pitted**
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- 1. Pour nuts into a blender or food processor, and pulse until nuts are mostly ground, with some larger nut pieces left for texture (can blend completely for less noticeable crunch). Pour ground nuts into a bowl and set aside.
- 2. Next, put pitted dates into your blender/food processor, and blend until a thick paste is formed.
- 3. Next, either scrape the date paste into the bowl with the nuts and add cocoa, vanilla, and salt, mixing by hand OR put everything into the blender with the date paste and combine in the blender. I find that my blender won't fully incorporate everything and I end up scraping it back out and mixing by hand anyway.
- 4. Using a small ice cream scoop or a spoon, scoop dough into mounds and roll between your palms to shape into balls. Eat immediately or store in the fridge for at least a week, maybe longer. Ours don't last long enough for me to tell you if they'd be good after that.
Notes
**If your dates aren't plump and soft, soak them in hot water for 10 minutes prior to using. I measured 11/2 cups to be12 large dates, measured before pitting them. Adapted from Minimalist Baker's Raw Brownies
All the balls, all the time.