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!
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If I had a vitamix I would make smoothies with it!
I made these tonight and they turned out so good!! Wow im really impressed with these! I made the gingerbread men awhile ago, and those were good too but you cant eat too many of them before you get sick of the ginger. These are a whole ‘nother story!
I have been going through your website trying to try a new recipe each day. You have yet to dissapoint me! These are beyond amazing. I just made the third batch in two days! My kids fight over these. I always shoo them out of the kitchen when I make them because my son swears he hates nuts….little does he know 😉
How long can these stay out on countertop? Should these be frozen or refrigerated? This will be the first recipe I try. Thanks!
A few days unfridged, or a few weeks in the fridge… or months frozen!
My 4 year old says “We have fudge babies and fudge daddies, but where are the fudge mamas?” We love these!!
What did I do wrong???! I can’t get them to stay together. The mixture tastes wonderful, but it just falls apart when I try to roll it in a ball. Help please 🙂
Smush in plastic bag. Also, that’s why I recommend sunmaid dates… they are super-soft! 🙂
Kim, I use organic dates from my co-op, which are apparently drier than Sunmaid dates. So I add a little water while I’m grinding everything in the food processor until the mixture changes from crumbly to the consistency of a stiff dough.
I actually found that if I don’t blend them well enough they don’t stick, but if you use a good food processor and do it for at least 1 full minute (or more) they start sticking better. Sometimes I also add a T of peanut butter
OMG…I must say they are AMAZING….I am going to be able to have my dessert fix. I just started paleo and these fit. The next time I make these I am going to roll them in toasted coconut flakes. Very Yummy thank you for the post. I am also going to try the other recipes as well.
Finally made these! They are so incredibly delicious. I’ve been having to force myself NOT to eat the entire recipe all in one day. 🙂 Thank yoouuu, Katie!
Can you use pitted plums (prunes)? I have a package of the Mariani ones in my pantry now…
Haven’t tried it, but I think some of the commenters have and like it…
I just made these for the play off game tonight. I didn’t have vanilla (??? go figure) and so I used imitation rum extract and made yummy rum balls, one of my husbands favorite things!! They are SOOOOOOOOOOO good.