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:
These are sooooo yummy!! nom nom nom xD
Just made these on recommendation from a work friend. They are out of this world! And, yes, addicting! Thank you!
Oh my god! I’ve been struggling to find healthy recipes that actually taste delicious and this recipe was PERFECT! I actually tried to stop myself from having more than one because I was convinced they were rich, unhealthy chocolate fudge truffles. But then I remembered they are HEALTHY (and have the best name)! They just taste so good I keep forgetting. Huge hit with the whole family (even the fussy ones). Thank you you clever little thing!
PS I substituted the walnuts for almond meal (due to allergies and lack of actual almonds in the house), and had to add a little water to make the consistency right.
Katie, aboout how many balls does the fudge baby recipe make? I want to calculate the nutrition facts…:)
I think that really depends on the size of the ball you made. I made a quater portion of the recipe and roll into fingertip-size little ball. I finally got about 25 candy-balls
minutes 1 through 380 – wish I had a chocolate snack in the house
minute 381 – Get on internet for black bean brownie recipe
minute 382 – get distracted by this recipe
minutes 383 through 385 – continue looking for black bean recipe
minute 386 – say to myself, “who am I kidding?” and array computer into kitchen
minutes 387 to 390 – gather ingredients and put into food processor
minute 392 – sample and S M I L E
minute 393 – Thank you note to Katie, kindred spirit via her blog.
Thank you Katie, for satisfying my desire without killing my waistline!
Cathy
These are the best fudge balls I’ve tasted!!!!
Hey Katie! Do you mind telling me how many servings/balls this makes and the amount of calories in each one???
Katie, thank you!! I work in a hospital laboratory and it’s currently Lab Week. Also known as National Medical Laboratory Professionals Week. Anyway, all week long, the lab is showered with goodies. Each day someone (usually the company of some of the machines we use) brings in something special. We’ve had a Mexican day, Pizza day, ice cream day, etc. Unfortunately for me, I decided to take on a special diet last week and I can’t have any of it! So what did I do? Make a huge batch of fudge babies! Which I then split into thirds and left some at cashew cookie, some hot cocoa, and some peppermint hot cocoa. They totally help me get through the day!! When I’m craving a brownie with ice cream and chocolate sauce, I have a fudge baby or two and I’m satisfied 🙂 In love. Thanks again, Katie! By the way, sorry for being long-winded.
I just made these in a small portion….that s really really awesome! Great natural sweetness with no extra sugar added! Definitely love them. My sister doubted the taste when I said I would try the recipe. Can’t wait to let her taste it
OMG just made these for the first time, they smell amazing! I had to put them straight in the freezer, otherwise I was in danger of eating the whole lot right out of the mixing bowl!