No-Bake Date Almond Flour Brownie Bite Turkeys (dye-free!)

These No-Bake Date Almond Flour Brownie Bite Turkeys are the perfect sweet treat for Thanksgiving! The no-bake brownie bites are made with black cocoa powder and almond flour and naturally sweetened with dates! The white chocolate covered almond feathers are dairy-free and dye-free.

If you’re looking for a fun and delicious Thanksgiving themed culinary craft, these No-Bake Date Almond Flour Brownie Bite Turkeys are so cute! My kids adored them! And they are a healthy sweet treat made with whole food ingredients like dates, almond flour, black cocoa powder, vanilla, and salt! Plus dairy-free chocolate for dipping.

The turkey feathers are made with whole almonds coated in dairy-free white chocolate colored naturally with superfood powders to keep these cuties dye-free! My Homemade Chocolate Candy Googly Eyes are also free from artificial coloring. This fun recipe does take a little patience, but the end result is so worth it, aren’t they just so cute?! 🤭

Decorations

Let’s talk about the decorations first, because without them they wouldn’t be, well, turkeys!

White Chocolate Turkey Almond Feathers

You’ll want to make these first to allow them to set up while you make the brownie bites. To make the turkey feathers you will need whole almonds, dairy-free white chocolate chips, coconut oil, and natural, plant-based food coloring. You can make the feathers whatever color you’d like! I used plant-based superfood powders from Suncore Foods (not sponsored) to color the almonds. These plant-based food coloring packets (dye-free, vegan, gluten-free) would also work well, but they don’t include blue. Get creative and have fun with it 😉 .

If you’re interested in using the powders I used:
Purple. Purple sweet potato powder. You could also use a purple berry powder, purple carrot, or cabbage powder.
Blue. I used blue spirulina powder but you could also use blue butterfly pea flower powder.
Green. Matcha powder works well for the green. You could also use green spirulina powder.
Red. Beet powder is what I used and is probably going to get closest to red that you’ll find.
Orange. I used yam powder, you could also use carrot powder.

How To Make The Feathers

To make the almond feathers, melt ¼ cup of white chocolate chips with ½ teaspoon of coconut oil in a small bowl. Stir in color of choice and then using a fork, coat each almond completely in the white chocolate. Let the excess chocolate drip off and then place the almonds on a piece of parchment paper. You will repeat this process for each color you’re using.

Beaks

For the beaks I used Giggles Organic Chewy Candy Bites (not sponsored). They are basically a dye-free, gluten-free, vegan, non-GMO version of Skittles. I picked out the orange ones and carefully cut them in half. Feel free to try other things for the beak! Round chocolate candies would work well too. Let me know what you use in the comments below.

Googly Eyes

I had some leftover homemade googly eyes that I made for Halloween this year, which worked out perfectly for these No-Bake Date Almond Flour Brownie Bite Turkeys! They are made with dairy-free white chocolate chips and mini chocolate chips as the pupils. They are super easy to make. I like making my own because they are dye-free and you can make them whatever shape and size you want!

Brownie Bite Ingredients

Dates. You will need 16-17 large pitted medjool dates, approximately 2 cups.

Almond Flour. 1 cup of blanched almond flour is used in these no-bake brownie bites.

Black Cocoa Powder. I recently started using black cocoa powder for it’s richness and bolder chocolate flavor! It works perfectly in these brownie bites. You will need ¼ cup. You may use regular cocoa powder or cacao powder instead.

Vanilla. Be sure to use pure vanilla extract and not imitation vanilla (not gluten-free!).

Salt. Adding salt brings out the sweetness of the dates.

How To Make The Date Almond Flour Brownie Bites

The no-bake brownie bites are so easy to make. Pit the dates (unless you purchased pre-pitted dates) and add them to a glass measuring cup or bowl and cover with water. Microwave them for 3 minutes. Drain the dates and add them to a food processor. Add the almond flour, cocoa powder, vanilla, and salt. Pulse the mixture until you achieve a smooth cookie dough-like brownie batter. Roll 1 tablespoon of brownie batter into a smooth ball and place them on a parchment-lined plate. Repeat until all of the mixture is gone and then place them into the freezer for about 15-20 minutes. You will get 10-11 brownie bites.

Chocolate Coating

To make the soft outer chocolate coating you will need dairy-free dark chocolate chips and coconut oil. Simply melt the chocolate chips and coconut oil either via microwave or stove top using the double broiler method. You will need to use a small glass deep enough to fully submerge each brownie ball in the melted chocolate.

For dipping, you’ll need wooden skewers to insert into the middle of each brownie bite. Let the excess chocolate drip off of the brownie and then place it on a piece of parchment paper. See tips below.

Allow the chocolate shell to dry completely before decorating.

Do I Have To Coat The Brownie Bites In Chocolate?

So, who doesn’t like more chocolate?! Haha BUT if you’d like to skip this step or you’re having issues getting the feather almonds to stick, you can skip dunking the brownies in melted chocolate. These bites are still so delicious without the chocolate shell and they would be easier to decorate too. I would still use melted chocolate, however, to adhere the eyes, beak, and maybe the feathers, but the feathers might just stick in the dough without the melted chocolate. I haven’t tried to make these without dipping them in chocolate so play around with it and let me know how it goes in the comments below.

How To Decorate

Since you’ve already made the almond feathers and googly eyes (as mentioned above), and the brownie bites are set, now it’s time to assemble your turkeys.

To adhere the googly eyes and beak, dot a small amount of melted chocolate on the backs and then adhere them to the brownie bites. It helps to hold onto the stick while you put those on.

After all of the eyes and beaks are set, remove the wooden skewers by holding each brownie bite on the bottom and gently twist the stick and then pull it out.

To adhere the feathers to the brownie bites, dip the pointy tips of the almonds in melted chocolate and gently press each almond slightly into the brownie bite and hold for 15-20 seconds. I suggest starting with the center feather to cover the hole from the stick and working outward.

Tips For Success

Tip 1. Make sure you stick the wooden skewers in the direct center of the brownie bites. This will ensure the bites don’t fall off into the melted chocolate while also making sure they look uniformly round. Using the hole made from the skewer is a great guide on the feathers being placed in the right spot.

Tip 2. After you place the chocolate coated brownie bite onto the parchment paper, it will create a little puddle of chocolate at the bottom. Allow the brownie to sit for about a minute and then gently pick it up and transfer it to another spot on the parchment paper. This will allow the bottom of the bite to not have so much excess chocolate keeping the bites round in shape.

Tip 3. Don’t use too much melted chocolate to adhere the googly eyes, beak, and feathers. It’ll just ooze over and won’t look as “clean”.

Tip 4. When you’re taking out the wooden skewers from the chocolate covered brownie bites, it helps to hold the brownie bites from the bottom and then gently twist the stick to loosen it from the chocolate and then pull it out. Try to avoid touching the sides of the bites so your fingerprints don’t get all over them.

Tip 5. Adhering the feathers is the most challenging part. When you’re sticking the almond feathers on the tops of the brownie bites, start with the middle feather and work off of that one to make sure the feathers are centered. This is also why it’s important to make sure you stick the wooden skewers in the direct centers of the brownie bites. Make sure you don’t touch the actual brownie bite too much to avoid fingerprints. After the middle feather is set, I like to hold onto that feather gently while I place the other feathers on to avoid touching the actual brownie bites.

Tip 6. When placing the feathers on, it helps to gently push the almond down into the brownie bites ever so slightly to make sure they stick. You don’t want to push too hard or the outer chocolate layer will crack. You’ll also want to hold the almond in place for 15-20 seconds before letting go.

What If The Almond Feathers Won’t Stay On

It is a little challenging to get the almonds to stick into the brownie bites. You may adhere them to the back of the brownie bite with melted chocolate instead if that is easier. Just make sure it’s high enough that the feathers stick up higher than the ball.

Let me know what you think about this fun and festive Thanksgiving dessert recipe down below in the comments section as well as giving it a five rating  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ so that others can discover these No-Bake Date Almond Flour Brownie Bite Turkeys! Be sure to tag me on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest if you make them!

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