A fudgy brownie ball rolled in crunchy cinnamon toasted buckwheat into the perfect easy bite-sized snack. Vegan, gluten-free, naturally sweetened!
THIS POST IS SPONSORED BY NATURAL DELIGHTS®
Still workshopping that title, but we’ll stick with it for now. If your mind is having trouble breaking it all down, allow me…
A naturally sweetened chocolate brownie ball that falls somewhere in between fudgy brownie and cakey brownie rolled in crunchy buckwheat bits that have been toasted in a combination of cacao, cinnamon, and salt. They are a snack, they are a dessert, they are truly a textural experience to bite into.
Or the short version: no-bake brownie meets chocolate crunch bar but round not rectangle.
Whichever description is doing more for you, you know you gotta try them at this point, right? Not a question.
As seems to be the (unofficial) theme with everything I’ve posted so far this year, these are no-bake and super easy. The ingredient list is looking like:
- Medjool dates. I used my favorite Medjools from Natural Delights®, which, as you may have noticed, have gotten a 2019 packaging facelift!
- Cacao powder. Or cocoa powder works too.
- Coconut flour. This is what gives them the “baked” texture.
- Coconut cream. Scooped out of a can of full fat coconut milk. Or substitute with nut/seed butter, but they will be more squishy.
- Vanilla extract.
- Salt.
- Buckwheat. That we’re going to toast to deliciousness in coconut oil, cacao, cinnamon, and salt. Or if you are feeling too lazy for all that, just roll your brownie balls in chopped hazelnuts or hemp seeds or something low key like that – still delicious!
I chose to toast my buckwheat stovetop, but you can do it on a baking sheet in the oven too. Either way it takes less than ten minutes, and those crunchy little cinna-chocolate buckwheat sprinkles are good for more than just brownie balls so save any extras for topping your next smoothie bowl and thank me later.
For the brownie center, you are going to combine everything in a food processor, blitz, scoop, roll, and coat in buckwheat crunchies. Then eat one now because you are chocolate impatient. And refrigerate the rest because the taste and texture is much better chilled. Just trust me.
Now obviously these little balls are simply delicious. Reason number one to love them.
But (completely NOT related to new years/January) I’ve been branching out from my yoga only movement routine lately and getting back into more strength-based workouts. I don’t believe in #newyearnewme, but I do believe when I am feeling bored with one kind of movement it’s time to change it up. So I’ve been going to the gym again for the first time since…college I think, and really enjoying it!
I am a morning workout person and don’t like to eat a full meal before I workout, so little bite-sized energy packed balls like this are just the thing. Medjool dates are high in fruit-based carbs and potassium, so snacks sweetened with only Medjool dates like this are perfect pre or post workout.
Also if getting out of bed when it’s cold to go the gym is sometimes a struggle for you, what better motivation than a scrumptious little Buckwheat Brownie Crunch Ball waiting in the fridge?
WATCH HOW TO
Medjool Date Buckwheat Brownie Crunch Balls
- Prep Time: 00:20
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 12 balls 1x
- Category: snack
- Method: no bake
- Cuisine: american
Description
A fudgy brownie ball rolled in crunchy cinnamon toasted buckwheat into the perfect easy bite-sized snack. Vegan, gluten-free, naturally sweetened!
Ingredients
- 1 cup packed (200g or about 12) Natural Delights® Medjool Dates, pitted
- 1/3 cup (30g) cacao powder (or cocoa powder)
- 1/4 cup (30g) coconut flour
- 1/3 cup (60g) coconut cream*
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
Toasted Buckwheat Coating
- 1/3 cup (60g) raw buckwheat groats
- 2 tsps coconut oil
- 1 tbsp cacao powder (or cocoa powder)
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- In a non-stick pan, stir together the buckwheat, coconut oil, cacao powder, cinnamon, and salt until evenly coated.
- Toast on medium low heat stirring constantly for 6-8 minutes until it is starting to brown and looks dry. You will also start to smell the toasty scent when it’s done too.
- Remove from heat and transfer to a dish to cool.
- In a food processor, process the dates until broken down into a sticky paste with no large chunks remaining.
- Add the cacao powder, coconut flour, coconut cream, salt, and vanilla.
- Process to form a sticky dough.
- Scoop out one tablespoon at a time, roll into a ball, and roll to coat in the toasted buckwheat.
- Refrigerate for a couple of hours until firm (and they just taste better cold in my opinion).
- Enjoy straight from the fridge. Keep the leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to a week.
Notes
*Or scooped out of the top of a can of full fat coconut milk that has been chilled overnight. You can sub with nut/seed butter but they will be squishier. Or try coconut oil, but reduce the amount to 1/4 cup.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 ball
- Calories: 90
- Sugar: 11g
- Fat: 2g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Carbohydrates: 18g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 2g
Keywords: vegan, gluten free, snack, chocolate, dessert, no bake, healthy
Omg Sweety, these are brilliant. Also, they don’t seem too sticky too me so eeaaasy to make.
Sending love
Annelina
Hehe well the scoop helps with the sticky/messy hands, but they are a bit neater than some date balls for sure😋 Thanks for checking them out lovely!
Hello, these little guys looks so yummy!!!. Idefinately give it a go but here is one question, about buckwheat, though.
Do they digestibable enough in stomach as eating just pan-flying? casuse Í have seen another food tv chanel that buckwheat is soaked in water at least one hour and rinse them then pop in oven for about one hour or until they get crispy.
i would like to know your thought as i am not having tough stomach.
These didn’t bother my stomach at all (which is pretty sensitive tbh) since it a a fairly small amount, but you could definitely soak and then toast them if you prefer 🙂
Ok, you’ve graduated to coconut flour queen too now, haha! These look AMAZING Natalie! Sooo fudgy, so chocolatey and so damn delicious! I love, love that you coated them in buckwheat. I literally have 2 bags (unopened) in my pantry and was JUST looking at the bags last night and was like, dang, I need to use these and put one on my counter! I’ve only ever used them to grind up into flour for recipes, but not as a whole. I can imagine the crunchy perfection that happens with them. Not to mention, all the nutritional benefits. I love that they look so moist and decadent that the coconut flour is nowhere in sight, visually, lol. I honestly would have never guessed you snuck it in there! These are definitely the best treats, as they are so good for you and you get to eat chocolate, the best of both worlds, love them!
Ha NO BAKE coconut flour queen maybe, still don’t ask me to make anything that requires heat with it😳 This buckwheat is definitely from about mid 2018, so I can relate to not using buckwheat too too often lol. It’s not my favorite flour tbh, but I do love it in crunchy toasty form. It toasts deliciously too, especially with a little flavoring on it. I had to reshoot that clip so I’ve been snacking on the extra toasted batch straight and it’s so tasty. Might have to try it with milk actually…🤔 Anyways, happy friday!
Buckwheat Brownie Crunch Balls? This is genius, Natalie! I am sure I would eat the whole batch in one sitting, haha. 😀
★★★★★
The chewy center meets crunchy coating and it all being so fudge and chocolatey makes that a very real risk haha! Thanks Ela, and wishing you a wonderful weekend 🙂
Hi. These look amazing. Wanted to ask if I could replace the coconut cream with coconut yogurt instead ?
Yep, that would work too!
Date sweetened brownie bites rolled in crunchy toasted buckwheat?! Yes, please! Actually I already made these and had to pop on here to say that they’re dangerously gooooood! Rich, fudgy, salty, sweet perfection with that crunch factor that is very reminiscent of a Nestle crunch bar! And I love the addition of cinnamon. Instead of the coconut cream, I used 1/4 cup of SunButter and 2 TBSP solid coconut oil and it worked out really well! We’ll definitely be making these again! Excellent recipe, Natalie ❤️ Hope you’re having a wonderful weekend!
★★★★★
YOU DID?!?! Ahh I am so happy you loved them, and yes my mind immediately went to nestle crunch too (a personal fave, which is probably why these happened😊) Good to know the sunbutter + coconut oil worked too, thanks Mandy❤️❤️ Happy sunday!
These look seriously yummmmm….do you think i could make a big batch and freeze them?
Absolutely! I think these would freeze really well 🙂
Thank you so much…..definitely making these this weekend !!
Yay hope you love them 🙂
Can you substitute almond flour for coconut flour?
You can but they won’t have the same light texture, they will be more dense. And you’ll probably need about double the amount, but just add slowly until you have a rollable dough 🙂
Omg these are so. So. So. Good. I subbed the coconut cream for half almond+coconut butter, half tahini. They’re so damn fudgy….
Whoa what a yummy nut/seed butter combo–that sounds AMAZING🙌 I’m so happy you liked them, Lou!
Can I substitute oats flour for coconut flour?
They will be more dense and not as “cake” like, but yes you can. You may need more though since they are not as absorptive as coconut flour 🙂
Can I substitute oats flour for coconut flour?
Can I use coconut oil instead of coconut cream?
You could try coconut oil, but reduce the amount to 1/4 cup otherwise they may turn out oily tasting. Nut/seed butter would be better!
Can I use Noor dates instead? Do they have to be Medjool?
Sure! Those will work too, just have a slightly different flavor 🙂