Everyone’s favorite Fudge Babies, one of my most popular recipes of all time, are back once again!
Oil Free
Flourless
Vegan
Just 5 Ingredients… and NO Baking Required!
These secretly vegan and healthy chocolate fudge balls, with just a few wholesome ingredients and no added sugar, are easy to make, completely delicious… and totally addictive!
Don’t say I didn’t warn you!!!!!
Readers also love this Banana Ice Cream
This has been one of my most popular recipes with readers over the years, and for good reason.
If you’ve never heard of Fudge Babies, they’re basically raw and paleo chocolate truffles made without any added sugars, oil, or processed ingredients, and they’re pretty much impossible to stop eating.
The recipe is one of the easiest healthy desserts you’ll ever try.
Fudge Babies will always have a special place in my heart because, long before the Chickpea Cookie Dough Dip or the Black Bean Brownies came onto the scene, this was actually the first one of my recipes to ever go viral!
Fudge Babies come in all sorts of different flavors, such as Thin Mint, German Chocolate, and Chocolate Peanut Butter.
You can roll them into balls, cut out shapes with cookie cutters, or even form them into bars to make your own homemade Larabars, for a healthy snack any time you’re craving chocolate.
You can also roll them in coconut flour if you want to make your own homemade Larabar Bites.
And because they don’t need to be refrigerated, they’re great for any of the following:
Packing in a lunchbox
Making a batch to give as a gift
Shipping to family or friends
Taking as a healthy on-the-go snack
So why highlight the Fudge Babies again now?
Well first of all, the recipe is way too good to be lost in the archives.
If you have just 5 minutes, I highly recommend making a batch.
They are ridiculously fun to make and even more fun to eat.
Especially with Valentine’s Day around the corner, chocolate Fudge Babies are the perfect recipe, because they are both heart healthy and sinfully decadent and chocolatey at the same time.
But even more importantly: On February 21st, at noon EST, I’ll be making these fudge babies live in the studio at the USA Today Headquarters!
**Edit: Above is the live footage from the USA Today Headquarters broadcast
I included a few flavor variations below, but the sky really is the limit.
Have fun coming up with your own Fudge Baby flavors by adding ingredients such as chia seeds, almond extract, shredded coconut, instant coffee, or anything else you think sounds good.
I’d love to see your variations, so please feel free to post a photo of your results in the comment section below, or tag me on Instagram @ChocolateCoveredKatie.
Fudge Babies – The Famous Recipe!
Ingredients
- 1 cup walnuts or nuts of choice – Or here’s a Nut-Free Version
- 1 1/3 cup pitted dates
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 3-4 tbsp cocoa or cacao powder
- optional just over 1/8 tsp salt
- optional mini chocolate chips
- optional add-ins such as chia seeds or shredded coconut
Instructions
- *If your dates are super hard, just soak them in boiling water for a half hour. Most regular grocery stores carry dates; just be sure to buy them pitted. I usually add the salt, but it’s your choice! Blend all ingredients in a food processor (or halve the recipe and use a single serve blender or mini chopper). When doing a full recipe, I’ve found that a food processor works much better than a blender because everything processes more evenly and the results are not a sticky mess. Roll into balls – I find it’s easiest to transfer the dough to a ziploc and smush it into one big ball, then break off pieces and roll into smaller balls. Feel free to dip in melted chocolate or roll in cocoa powder or shredded coconut or coconut flour. You can also form bars or even roll out the dough and cut shapes with cookie cutters! View Nutrition Facts Variations: Hot Chocolate Fudge Babies: 1/4 cup raw cashews or walnuts, loosely packed 2/3 cup pitted dates, 1 tbsp Dutch cocoa powder, pinch salt Coconut Cookie Fudge Babies: loosely packed 2/3 cup pitted dates, 1 1/2 tbsp coconut butter, pinch salt Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge Babies: 1/4 cup roasted peanuts (with salt), loosely packed 2/3 cup pitted dates, 1 tbsp cocoa, 1/8 tsp pure vanilla extract And here’s a Cookie Dough Version!
More Reader Favorite Recipes:
Do you ever use organic cocoa powder? Does it taste better?
I like Dagoba cocoa… but I also sometimes use Hersheys. I do think organic has a *slightly* better taste, but I also try to save money sometimes.
Oh. My. Goodness. I have the world’s biggest sweet tooth. I used to eat a daily cupcake before I started trying to resist refined sugars. I have to admit I made 2 batches of these babies last week. Can’t wait to make them for my family at Xmas. Thanks, Katie!!!!
Omgmigod! So freaken good! I could eat those 24-7! If I went grocery shopping 24-7! Haha. Thanks Katie;U r a great help! My family loves it when I bake these! For Thanksgiving I am going to show off and make ur recipes!!!! Thanks again! We luv u katie!
Hi Katie! I just wanted to know about ur life….do u have any kids? How about a husband or boyfriend? Do u go to online collage? Tell me a little bit about u! 🙂 U don’t absoulutely HAVE to answer these questions. I am very courious. 😉 Thanks!
-Izabela***
Hi Izabela,
Currently I’m unattached. I just moved to a new place, and I’m living with a friend. No kids… except the puppies! 😉
These look SO, SO, SOOO good!! however, I’m not a huge fan of dates..at all. Is there any possible substitutions that would work good for this recipe?? 🙂
I know some people have had success with raisins. And I love the following recipe, which is similar: https://lett-trim.today/2011/11/14/oatmeal-raisin-cookie-larabars%3C/a%3E%3Cbr /> Or chocolate-pb: https://lett-trim.today/2011/10/02/chocolate-peanut-butter-no-bake-cookies%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Hey Katie, I ran out of dates, can i substitute with figs?
I tried it with figs, and it tasted weird. But I do know some people have had success with raisins or even prunes! (And some people do like the figs.)
is there a way to make these nutless?
Try this version: https://lett-trim.today/2011/04/11/girl-scout-samoas-in-larabar-form/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
A quick note….cocoa powder is not raw. You need to use raw cacao powder if you would like to call these raw.
Hi Mia,
I don’try not to list particular brands for ingredients in my recipes because I know people have different brands on hand, and people also have different needs. But if someone wants these to be raw, then they can use raw cocoa powder as you said. I label all my recipes as “vegan” too, but that doesn’t mean it’s stopping someone who doesn’t share my ethical beliefs from using non-vegan chocolate chips or milk.
Some good brands of raw cocoa powder include Navitas Naturals and Truly Raw. Sorry for the confusion! And thanks for the comment… I’m not a raw foodist, so if you ever see me labeling something as “raw” that isn’t, definitely let me know my mistake so I can fix it :).
After staring at the screen for half an hour, I just had to try these!
They are so good. I gave some to my mom, and she said “they…taste like brownies”
That’s a good thing!
Thanks so much for the recipe. A family friend brought over some brownies, and I didn’t get to eat them (butter), so now I don’t feel so bad =)
Katie,
I have been dying to try these and finally made them today! They are fabulous. Thank you so much for your creatvity!! YUM
Will you ever tire of hearing how amazing these are!?!
Because they are. So. Amazing. I am an addict. I am a chocolate-covered Katie addict. Cookie Dough dip, fudge babies… can you move to Westchester County, NY so we can be healthy-eating friends?!?
It is so great to find healthy recipes that are actually healthy. And actually delicious. I am so tired of “healthy” recipes that include things like margarine and artificial sweeteners.
Please don’t ever stop creating new recipes!
Aww lol how did you know it’s my dream to live in New York? (Well, New York in the summer… and Hawaii in the winter!)
🙂
Hahaha, well, I grew up in Hawaii, so I guess I have both of your dream homes covered!
I can understand the desire to split your time… Right now it is FIFTEEN degrees here!!!!
I made these tonight for my girlfriend and I and they were absolutely amazing! She said they were better than brownies and totally calmed her sweet tooth! Thanks so much for the wonderful recipe!
Thanks for the inspiration! I made mine with apricots, hazelnuts, cocoa, and stevia 🙂
I made these today and I can’t stay out of them!! So delicious!! Thanks for the recipe, it’s a keeper!
Katie… You are a geneous! 🙂 I just made these fudge babies & oh my god… Are they ever good! & I cannot believe they are actually healthy. No added sugar, or preservatives. Your even getting fruit & protein in a chocolaty indulgence! Now that’s amazing if you ask me 😉 next time I bake a dessert to take to a party with me I’ll take this and I bet no one will know their healthy! Thanks so much for the recipe… 🙂 You are so good at what you do! xo
Oh my word, these are delicious!!!! I made them with cashews and rolled it all flat with a rolling pin between wax paper. Looks like fudge and tastes even better. I can’t believe something that yummy has all the great nutrients from the nuts and dates! I made it in the vitamix, but it was having a bit of a rough time. I think I need to invest in a good food processor. You like the magic bullet? Does it work well for these recipes?
It does work well for smaller versions (such as my Raw Macaroons or Cashew Cookie Fudge Babies). For these, I’d probably make a smaller batch so the bullet could handle it. (Also, I use SunMaid dates, which are much softer than regular medjools.)
For this recipe, I really like my Cuisinart.
I’ll have to look at the Cuisinart…I have never had the need to crush so many nuts, dates,…chocolate chips!!! Haha Until then I might just have to work with smaller batches in my vitamix. Thanks again!