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.
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!
Have you made this recipe?
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Shilpa says
Why doesn’t the chocolate peanut butter version have any cocoa powder or chocolate in it? Thanks!
Jason Sanford says
Thank you so much for catching that. Katie just fixed it! It’s fine to leave it out too, if you want a non chocolate version.
Kenzie says
I made these and they came out too crumbly to roll into balls. Is there something I could add to make them stick together better?
Jason Sanford says
You just need to process longer, because then the nuts will release their natural oils and get all sticky 🙂
TolaCrew says
Wow! These were SO easy and SO delicious! Trying to get my kids to eat pecans so I used those and the truffles came out just perfect. This will become a regular in the rotation!
Danielle says
Hi, Katie! I absolutely am obsessed with these Fudge Babies. I make these as a late pregnancy dessert. I just found out that consuming dates in the last 4 weeks of pregnancy has incredible benefits! I thought you may enjoy this ?
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/21280989/
Joyce says
Hi KATIE,
Always enjoy perusing your recipe selection and have tried some too! With the fudge babies variations, do I add it to the whole batch of dough/batter or divide the dough and add the variations?
Jason Sanford says
For the variations, just ignore the original recipe completely and only use the amounts and ingredients listed in the variation you’re making 🙂
Erin says
Hi Katie! Are the fudge babies able to be frozen then thawed for later?
Jason Sanford says
Yup 🙂
Niki says
I am 9 years old. I made these with my mom and when we were making the fudge babies I couldn’t stop eating them before they were made into a ball.
Elysia says
Love this recipe!! Just realized that I need to make a gingerbread version for my dad. Any suggestions what amounts to use for powdered spices? Or would it be better to use some fresh ginger?
CCK Media Team says
She has a gingerbread version too 🙂
Just roll into balls instead of cookie cutters: https://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/vegan-raw-gingerbread-men/
SoYu says
OKOK I am late to the game. BUT WOW! I am glad this is still posted!
I made half recipe – cuz you know it’s new – now I am going to try the nut free ones! These were worth it!