No-Bake Chocolate Almond Bars
on Feb 25, 2021, Updated Feb 05, 2025
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These delicious, vegan chocolate almond bars are easy to whip up in under 30 minutes with just 6 simple ingredients.
About the Recipe
- You’ll need just 6 simple ingredients and 30 minutes until they’re ready to enjoy.
- Delicious sweet and salted chocolate almond flavour.
- Great for a healthier homemade dessert option.
- Vegan, gluten-free, can be sugar-free.
Ingredient Notes
- Oats: Rolled oats or quick oats work.
- Almonds: Use plain, raw almonds with no added oil or salt, can be substituted with walnuts or pecans.
- Nut Butter: I love peanut butter in these but any nut or seed butter works! Use almond butter for a double whammy of almond or try tahini for a sesame twist. Just make sure it’s fairly drippy and not too dry.
- Dates: Any variety works as long as they’re soft and moist (if not, you can soak them first), I like sayer or medjool best.
- Chocolate: Any chocolate chips or dark chocolate works, I like Enjoy Life dark chocolate chips or any good dark chocolate.
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.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Recipe Tip
It’s important to use soft, moist dates in this recipe. If your dates are overly dry, soak them in hot water for 15 minutes then drain well before using in the recipe. It’s okay if they’re a bit wet when you add them to the recipe, just make sure you drain off any excess water.
Step 1: Add the oats and almonds to a food processor and process into a grainy flour.
Step 2: Add the dates, peanut butter, cocoa powder and optional vanilla and salt. Blend into a thick sticky dough you can press between your fingers. If the dough seems too crumbly (can happen if your dates were too dry) add 1-2 tbsp warm water and process again.
Step 3: Line a 7 or 8 inch square baking pan with parchment paper so it sticks out over the sides of the pan. Use your hands to firmly press the dough into the pan until flat.
Step 4: Melt the chocolate using a double boiler or in the microwave in 15 to 20-second increments until completely smooth. Stir the nut butter into the chocolate. Spread the chocolate over the bars and place in freezer until chocolate hardens.
Step 5: Use the parchment paper to lift the bars out of the pan.Warm a knife under hot water then use it to score (run lines along where to plan to cut) the bars. This will help prevent any cracking when you slice the bars. Slice into 16 squares.
FAQs
Store the bars in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or freezer for up to 3 months.
Sure! Just use almond butter or another nut or seed butter for the nut butter.
Yes! To make them grain-free, replace the oats with an additional cup of raw almonds.
No. It just helps soften it a bit to prevent cracking and makes it more like a ganache than a hard chocolate coating. With or without are both good!
Yes, however, they contain oats which although are naturally gluten-free, be sure to use gluten-free certified oats if needed.
If you prefer, you can replace the oats with an additional cup of almonds.
Yes. To make these without added sugar (they’ll still contain sugar from the dates), use a sugar-free chocolate such as Lily’s stevia-sweetened chocolate chips.
For a lower-sugar option, use a high-cacao content dark chocolate instead of chocolate chips.
More No-Bake Bars
More Recipes to Try!
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No-Bake Chocolate Chia Energy Bars
Energy Balls
No-Bake Cashew Coconut Balls
Energy Bars
Chia Seed Granola Bars
No-Bake Chocolate Almond Bars
Ingredients
For the Bars:
- 1 cup rolled oats, 100 g
- 1 cup raw almonds, 150 g
- 1/2 cup almond or peanut butter, 120 g
- 1 cup packed, pitted dates (220 g)
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder, 25 g
- 1/2 tsp sea salt, optional
- 1 tsp vanilla, optional
For the Chocolate Topping:
- 2/3 cup dairy-free chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate, 120 g
- 2 tbsp almond or peanut butter, 30 g, see notes
Instructions
- If your dates are overly dry (or if you’re unsure if they’re soft enough), soak them (pitted) in hot water for 15 minutes then drain well before using in the recipe. It’s ok if they’re wet when you add them to the recipe but make sure any excess water as been drained off.
- Add 1 cup each of oats and raw almonds to a food processor and blend into a grainy flour consistency. A few larger pieces of almonds left behind are ok but it should be mostly broken down.
- Add 1 cup of packed dates, 1/2 cup nut butter of choice, 1/4 cup of cocoa powder and the optional salt and vanilla, if using. Blend the mixture into a thick, sticky dough you can press between your fingers. If it seems too crumbly. Add 1-2 tbsp warm water and process again.
- Line a 7 or 8 inch square baking pan with parchment paper so it sticks out over the edges of the pan. Use your hands to firmly press the chocolate dough into the pan until flat, working it into the corners and smoothing the surface as best you can.
- Melt 2/3 cup chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate using a double boiler or stirring every 15-20 seconds in the microwave. Stir until completely smooth and creamy and no clumps remain. Mix in the 2 tbsp of nut butter.
- Spread the melted chocolate over the bars in the pan. v
- Use the edges of the parchment paper to lift the bars out of the pan. Warm a knife under hot water then use it to score the bar into 16 squares (create lines where you plan to slice). Following the lines, slice into 16 squares.
I made this recipe today and Oh. My. Word!!! These are absolutely heavenly!! My daughter loves them, I love them and they’re just the right kind of sweetness to cut any craving for something sweet and yummy! This recipe is definitely a keeper for us! Thank you!! 😀 <3
These are AMAZING!!!
So glad to hear it, Bethany!!
Thanks for another delicious recipe! Super easy and mighty scrumptious!
I made these bars over the weekend. They are delicious and so easy to make! Do yourself a favor and try them! 😋
Agreed! So easy and yummy. Very happy to hear you enjoyed them!
These are so yummy and easy to make!
Thanks, Dorothy! Glad you enjoyed them.