No-Bake Chocolate Fudge Bars

These decadent bars feature an amazing chocolate almond butter fudge filling layered between a brownie crust and chocolate ganache topping. These are for the chocolate lovers out there!

They’re easy to make with no baking needed, made with simple ingredients, vegan, gluten-free and can be made with less sugar if you use dark chocolate or sugar-free chocolate chips for the topping.

These are decadent enough for special occasions like Easter, Christmas, or any other holiday but perfect for stashing in your freezer for a daily sweet treat too. These Vegan No-Bake Oatmeal Chocolate Bars and Raw Vegan Brownies amazing for this too.

Ingredients

This list is not complete. Please see the recipe card at the end of the post for the complete ingredient list with measurements and detailed instructions.

• Cashews and Almonds – These two nuts make the base for the brownie crust. We’ve got some flexiblity here though so if you’re missing one of the other, you can use all almonds or all cashews. Walnuts and pecans also work!
• Dates – Any variety works as long as they’re soft and moist. I like medjool and sayer dates best. If you only have very dry dates, you can soak them in hot water for 15 minutes then drain well before use.
• Almond Butter – Use any natural almond butter that doesn’t contain added oil or sugar. Swap for peanut butter for peanut butter fudge bars or use cashew butter, tahini or sunflower seed butter for variations.
• Cocoa Powder – You’ll need this for the base layer and fudge filling. Any variety works. I like dark cocoa powder for the richest chocolate flavour. For extra nutrition, you can also use raw cacao powder.
• Maple Syrup – You’ll need just a bit to sweeten the fudge layer. It can be substituted with agave syrup or honey (not vegan) if needed.
• Coconut Oil – This is needed to firm the chocolate fudge layer. When chilled, coconut oil hardens making it perfect for no-bake desserts. It can’t be omitted or substituted in this recipe but I do have many oil-free desserts if you browse my vegan dessert recipes.
• Chocolate Chips or Dark Chocolate – I like Enjoy Life or Camino dairy-free chocolate chips. You can use mini, regular or dark chocolate chips. If you can’t find dairy-free chocolate chips and want the recipe to be vegan, you can use any good quality dark chocolate bar such as Green & Black’s or Alter Eco.
• Salt and Vanilla – Optional but always good flavour enhancers and you can’t beat chocolate and sea salt!

Step-by-Step Instructions

Before You Start: Line a 7 or 8 inch square baking pan with parchment paper so it sticks out over the sides of the pan. This will allow you to lift the bars out once set.

Step 1: Make the crust. Add the cashews, almonds, dates, cocoa powder, vanilla and salt to a food processor and blend into a crumbly but sticky dough.

It should almost be coming together in one big clump as you blend and you should be able to press the dough between your fingers.

If the dough seems too dry or crumbly, which can happen if your dates were too dry, add 1-2 tbsp warm water and process again. That should do the trick.

Step 2: Firmly press the dough into a the lined baking pan.

Step 3: Mix the almond butter, cocoa powder, maple syrup and coconut oil together in a bowl until smooth and combined. It will be quite thick.

Step 4: Spread the fudge over the crust layer in the pan until you have a smooth, mostly even layer.

Step 5: Melt the chocolate in the microwave in 15-20 second increments or using a double boiler until completely smooth then stir in the the almond butter.

Step 6: Spread the melted chocolate over the fudge layer in the pan. Place the entire pan in the freezer until the chocolate has hardened, about 20-30 minutes. The fridge is ok too, it will just take longer to set.

Step 7: Slice and enjoy! Once the bars are set, warm a sharp knife under hot water and score the bars by creating lines where you plan to cut. After scoring, slice and enjoy or store in the fridge or freezer.

Quick Tip: I’d suggest slicing them into 16 square if they’re for sharing for a special occasion. If you’re storing them for an everyday sweet treat, I like to cut them into 16 squares then cut them in half to make 32 mini bars. That way you can enjoy a small portion or grab two if you like!

Storing

• Whether in the fridge or freezer, keep cool until just before serving as they will become very soft and melted if left at room temperature for too long or it’s warm out.
• Fridge: Store in a sealed container for up to 2 weeks. They’re really good straight from the fridge!
• Freezer: Store in a freezer-safe sealed container or bag for up to 3 months. You can enjoy them straight from the freezer as they don’t freeze solid but I like to let them soften a bit at room temperature before enjoying.