Description
Delicious and nutritious No-Bake Date Bars made with medjool dates, almond butter, cashew pieces, and toasted sesame seeds, coated with rich dark chocolate and coconut oil. These bars are easy to prepare, require no baking, and make a perfect healthy snack or dessert.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 225 g medjool dates (pitted)
- 2 tablespoons runny almond butter
- 2 tablespoons lucuma powder or maca powder (or vegan protein powder)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 100 g cashew pieces (roughly chopped)
- 35 g toasted sesame seeds (plus extra for topping)
Chocolate Coating
- 120 g 70% dark chocolate
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
Instructions
- Make date paste: Add the pitted dates, almond butter, lucuma or maca powder, vanilla extract, and sea salt to a food processor. Blitz for a few minutes until the mixture forms a smooth, uniform paste that clumps into a ball.
- Mix nuts and seeds: Transfer the date paste into a large bowl. Using a spatula, mix through the roughly chopped cashew pieces and toasted sesame seeds evenly throughout the paste.
- Roll: Place the dough on a sheet of parchment paper and roughly shape it into a log. Place a second sheet of parchment paper on top and use a rolling pin to roll the log into a neat rectangle approximately 10 inches long by 4 inches wide.
- Shape: Trim any uneven edges from the rectangle and reincorporate the trimmings back into the dough to maintain a neat, uniform shape. Place the shaped log into the freezer for 10 minutes to firm up while prepping the chocolate coating.
- Melt: In a medium bowl, combine the dark chocolate and coconut oil. Set the bowl over a pan of simmering water (bain-marie/water bath) and melt gently, stirring often until smooth. Remove the bowl from the heat.
- Cut the bars: Remove the firmed date log from the freezer and slice it evenly into 10 bars. Arrange the bars on a baking sheet or tray lined with parchment paper.
- Coating: Dip each bar individually into the melted chocolate, using a fork and spoon to lift it out carefully. Place the chocolate-coated bars back onto the parchment-lined tray and freeze for 10 minutes to allow the coating to set.
- Garnish: Drizzle any remaining melted chocolate over the bars and sprinkle with extra toasted sesame seeds before the chocolate sets completely for a decorative finish.
Notes
- Ensure medjool dates are well-pitted before processing to avoid any stones.
- Runny almond butter helps bind the paste easily; if using thick almond butter, lightly warm it for easier mixing.
- You can substitute lucuma or maca powder with vegan protein powder for added nutrition.
- Store bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer for longer shelf life.
- Adjust the amount of dark chocolate coating according to preference for lighter or heavier coverage.
