These chocolate-date energy bars are refined-sugar-free, paleo, and perfect for meal prep, similar to my goat cheese-stuffed dates recipe. They are filling, nutritious, and much better for you than store-bought snack bars.
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Why you’ll love these energy bars
Quick and easy to make.
Healthy. Made without refined sugar and other questionable ingredients.
Cheaper than store-bought.
Key Ingredients
Dates: Medjool or another plump, soft date works best in this recipe.
Some Middle Eastern grocery stores carry date paste in a 13-ounce package, which can be used in this recipe as well. I have used the whole package in this recipe, and it has worked fine.
Almond butter: Almond butter acts like a “glue” and adds to the nutrient profile of these energy bars.
Honey: Use raw, local honey. A medicinal honey like Manuka would not work as it will leave an aftertaste.
Cacao: As far as adding chocolate to these energy bars, you can add either cocoa powder or cacao. They are both the same, but cacao is less processed. Make sure your cocoa powder is sugar-free.
How to make these date bars
Make the oat flour. Start by putting the rolled oats in the food processor and grinding them into flour. Empty into a bowl.
Grind the walnuts in the same processor. Grind the walnuts fine, but don’t grind them too fine, or they will start to become pasty. Empty out into the bowl with the oat flour.
Add the dates. Next, add the pitted dates to the food processor and pulse until chopped. Once the dates are chopped and a small ball forms, add the remaining processed ingredients, along with honey, almond butter, and cacao. Blend till fully incorporated.
Form into bars. Line a baking pan with parchment paper and lay out the mixture. Flatten it to form a 1-inch-thick, level square. Top with some chocolate chips or nuts if you like.
Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before cutting into rectangular bars. Enjoy!
Some helpful tips & substitutions
- Make sure to blend the ingredients separately so they are all uniform in texture.
- You can use other dates, but they may need to be softened. Because Medjools are juicier, they don’t need to be softened. To do this, soak your dates in hot water for 10 minutes, then drain them before processing.
- Freeze the bars before cutting into them. This will help with a cleaner cut.
- These bars can also be shaped into balls, so go for the shape that works for you!
Storage
Store these date bars in an airtight container in the fridge. They will last at least 2-3 weeks or more.
These bars are freezer-friendly too! Make sure to separate the bars with parchment paper before freezing them and store them in a zip-top bag or an airtight container. They can last much longer in the freezer.
More snack bars/bites to try
If you like these, you’ll love my ever-so-popular Chocolate Chip Granola Bites and Cardamom Date Balls!
Chocolate Date Energy Bars (No Bake)
Equipment
- 1 medium-sized bowl
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups rolled oats gluten-free
- 1 cup raw walnuts
- 12 Medjool dates seeds removed
- 1/4 cup almond butter
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1/2 cup cacao
Instructions
- Put the rolled oats into a food processor and process till finely ground. Empty the "oat flour" into a medium-sized bowl.
- Into the same processor add the walnuts and process till finely ground. Be careful not to blend too much as it will form into butter. Just enough for the texture to resemble course sand. Empty out into the bowl of oat flour. Next, add the dates and process till chopped up into pieces and a small ball is formed. Next, add the oat flour, ground walnuts, and the rest of the ingredients into the processor and blend till everything is combined.
- Layer a square pan with parchment paper and press the mixture down into it. Level it to 1 inch thickness and freeze for 20 minutes.
- Lift out and cut the bars into 10 or 12 equal pieces. Store in an airtight container in the freezer or refrigerator.
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