No Bake Chocolate Chestnut Easter Brownies (Vegan Gluten-Free)
Chocolatey, fudgy and delicious, these No Bake Chocolate Chestnut Easter Brownies are naturally vegan, grain-free and made with wholesome ingredients. They are perfect for a festive healthier snack.
I love no-bake brownies, and I also love roasted chestnuts, so this was a natural combination to try. The chestnuts add so much richness of flavour and a squidgy texture, too, while also being packed with healthy fats and easy to find in the supermarkets, too. The rest of the ingredients are chocolatey, rich and make for the most delicious raw brownies they you will eat straight from the food processor. You can cut these into any shapes, too, so feel free to make these all year round.
Why will I love these brownies?
These are amazing:
- Chocolatey, fudgy and rich
- Made with whole roasted chestnuts for a really nutty flavour
- High in healthy fats with nuts, nut butter and dark chocolate
- Rich in feel-good foods like dark chocolate
- Naturally vegan, egg-free and dairy-free
- Contain no grains so are naturally gluten-free
- Packed with gut-healthy ingredients, too
- Require no baking
- Can be made into any shapes
- Enjoy these all year long
- Great for celebrating and for gatherings
- Little ones will love making them
- Healthier, lower in sugar and source of fibre
- Made with real whole-food ingredients
If you already love the sound of these brownies, them skip ahead to the recipe card below. Or, first let’s discuss the recipe in more detail.
What ingredients do I need?
You can see the ingredients with weights in the recipe card below and see my favourites and recommended products in the “shop the recipe” section.
For the brownie mix:
- Whole roasted chestnuts: these are from Merchant Gourmet and are so good for keeping in the cupboard as they last for ages and add such a delicious nutty flavour to the brownies.
- Almond flour: this adds nuttiness and absorbs some of the moisture, while keeping the brownies really fudgy. You can swap for oat flour, if you prefer.
- Cacao powder: this makes the brownies really chocolate and make sure it’s 100% cacao.
- Smooth almond butter: to add richness and nuttiness and make sure it’s smooth and runny. You can also use peanut or cashew butter.
- Maple syrup: to add sweetness. You can also use agave syrup.
- Coconut oil: to help set the brownies slightly firmer.
- Salt: for flavour.
And for the coating:
- Dark chocolate: or dairy-free milk chocolate.
- Dairy-free white chocolate: buy this in chocolate chips or a bar and chop it up to melt.
- Vegan mini eggs: crush these up to sprinkle on top of the brownies. I use the Mummy Meegz ones.
Are these gluten-free and nut-free?
These are naturally gluten-free as they contain no grains and these do contain lots of nuts, so I recommend trying a different recipe to make a nut-free raw brownie.
How do I make them?
These brownies are ready to go in a few steps:
- Add all of the brownie ingredients to a food processor: and blitz to a sticky mix.
- Shape into a ball and roll out: to about ½-cm thickness.
- Cut into shapes: using Easter shaped cutters.
- Place on a lined tray: and freeze for 1 hour until firm.
- Melt the chocolate: and place in a shallow bowl.
- Dip each brownie into the chocolate: and allow the excess the drip off.
- Decorate with crushed mini eggs and white chocolate: and allow to set.
How long will they last?
These brownies will keep for up to 1 week in the fridge in a sealed container or for 1 month in the freezer – either eat straight from the freezer or allow them to thaw for a bit.
What other recipes can I try?
For more no-bake recipes:
- Mini Egg Chocolate Caramel Bars
- Mini Egg Peanut Caramel Date Bark
- Giant Chocolate Crispy Cake
- Mini Egg Peanut Butter Flourless Brownies
- Carrot Cake Banana Bread
No Bake Chocolate Chestnut Easter Brownies (Vegan Gluten-Free)
Chocolatey, fudgy and delicious, these No Bake Chocolate Chestnut Easter Brownies are naturally vegan, grain-free and made with wholesome ingredients. They are perfect for a festive healthier snack.
Ingredients
For the Brownies:
- 180g Merchant Gourmet Whole Pre-Roasted Chestnuts
- 30g almond flour
- 30g cacao powder
- 100g smooth runny almond butter
- 2 tbsp (30ml) maple syrup
- 2 tbsp (30g) coconut oil, melted
- A pinch of salt
For the Chocolate Coating:
- 200g dark chocolate, chopped small
- 60g dairy-free white chocolate, chopped small
- 1 + tsp tbsp coconut oil
- Crushed vegan mini eggs or sprinkles, optional
Instructions
- Start with the brownies. Add all of the ingredients to a high-powered food processor and blend until a smooth, thick mixture forms that holds together when pressed between your fingers (it may feel greasy, this is OK).
- Bring the brownie batter to a ball and place on a piece of parchment paper on a work surface. Roll out the brownie natter to about ½-cm thickness.
- Use Easter-shaped cutters to cut out shapes and carefully place on a parchment lined tray. Re-roll any scraps of brownie to make as many shapes as possible.
- Place the trays into the freezer for 1 hour, to set until firm.
- For the chocolate coating, add the dark chocolate and 1 tbsp coconut oil to one heatproof bowl and the white chocolate and 1 tsp coconut oil to the second bowl.
- Warm each bowl of chocolate separately in the microwave or over a pan of simmering water, until melted.
- Remove each brownie shape from the tray and one by one, dip into the dark chocolate, allowing the excess chocolate to drip off. Place back on the parchment and repeat to coat all of the shapes.
- The chocolate will harden in this time, or place in the fridge for 10 minutes. Now place the white chocolate in a piping bag with a small end and pipe on patterns.
- Decorate with crushed mini eggs or sprinkles while the white chocolate is still wet.
- Place in the fridge for 10 minutes to set, if needed.
- Enjoy straight away and keep leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for 1-2 weeks or in the freezer for 1 month. Enjoy straight from the freezer or allow to thaw for 20 minutes.
Shop the recipe
Stay in touch
I look forward to hearing what you think of these No Bake Chocolate Chestnut Easter Brownies so please do let me know in the comments below and leave a star review above. If you do make these, I’d love to see so please tag me, I’m @nourishing.amy on Instagram and use the hashtag #nourishingamy. I’m also on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest – please say hello!
With brownie love x
p.s. this recipe was first made with Merchant Gourmet and their chestnuts, but this blog post is not sponsored and all opinions are my own.
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