Have a Healthy Brownie! (a Mere 77 Calories)
Monday January 25, 2010 in Makeover

77 calories

1
per serving

Other Homemade Snacks

No Bake Nut Butter Oatmeal Cookie, Buttermilk Banana Bread, Energy Bar Recipe

under 100 calories, after exercise, afternoon snack, lose weight, healthy, kid friendly, late night, party snack, recipes, sweet

Is it possible to create a healthy brownie? A regular brownie contains oodles of butter, sugar, eggs, and chocolate. They are a confection of MEGA calorific proportions and should be eaten as a treat.

But, if you have a food processor, you can whip something up in minutes that tastes delicious. The key is to use healthy replacements for the butter, eggs, and sugar. In this recipe, which I created in my test kitchen (ahem, my kitchen), I used dates and almonds.

You can find dates next to the raisins in most grocery stores (I bet you haven't even noticed them).

Having a food processor in the house is extremely helpful. It cuts time on many cooking projects, such as making dough (pastry and pizza), grating cheese, and chopping nuts.

I highly recommend the one featured below. I have had my Cuisinart for many years and it still works like new. Just be aware a food processor IS NOT for liquids. A blender is a much better choice for smoothies, soups, etc.

Roasted almonds are just one choice for this recipe. You could use raw nuts or any kind of nut that you like. I used roasted because roasting makes the almond taste stronger.

I rolled these balls in confectioner's sugar and cocoa. My tasters (friends) thought that the cocoa ones were too bitter. I actually liked them better, so give them both a try. You can add more honey if you find these lacking in sweetness.

These would be a great party snack too! You can make them ahead and just artfully arrange them on a plate. Or do what I did, and just put them on a plate :)

These brownie balls are gluten-free so you can serve them at snack time for the kids with wheat allergies. Kids will also love making these as they get to use their hands in making them.

To make these brownie balls vegan - use maple syrup or agave syrup.

No-Bake Brownie Balls

(15 balls)
15 pitted dates
2/3 cup cocoa powder (plus extra for dusting)
1 cup roasted almonds (no salt added)
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons water
confectioner's sugar (optional)

Add almonds to food processor and pulse until ground. Add dates, cocoa powder, honey, and water. Mix until it just forms a sticky mass. Wash hands and attempt to make a ball with the dough (it may need more water to get to the perfect consistency). Put a tablespoon of cocoa or confectioner's sugar on a plate. Roll balls in your hand and then roll in sugar or cocoa (or both). Eat! These can be store in the fridge for a week.

Cuisinart DLC-2009CHB Prep 9 9-Cup Food Processor, Brushed Stainless

~~$270.00~~ $133.00

Do you have a favorite "no-bake" snack? Please share below.

Want to read about more snacks?
How To Bake Your Own Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day
The Fastest, Healthiest Snack in the West
No-Bake, Nut Butter, Oatmeal Cookie

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4 Comments:

I'm new to your site and I love it. I will definitely be coming back :)
These brownies look delicious and I love that they are low in calories.

She-Fit on January 25, 2010

I like making brownies like these, but I process 1/2 cup walnuts, 1/2 cup dates, a pile of cinnamon, and 1/8 cup cacao powder. Sometimes I substitute 1/2 cup PB2 for the walnuts. These are SO much better than any other butter/white sugar brownie out there!

Sagan on January 25, 2010