No-Bake Chocolate Chia Energy Bars
These healthy yet decadent, no-bake chocolate chia energy bars make the perfect snack for busy days, outdoor adventures or anytime you want something delicious yet nourishing.
These yummy bars are easy to make in a food processor with just a handful of wholesome ingredients. You’ll love the soft, chewy texture with a little crunch from the chia seeds.
The flavour and rich and decadent with hints of dark chocolate, coconut, walnuts and sea salt. I like to keep a stash in the freezer for a nourishing and energizing snack anytime of day.
Features
- Dietary Features: Vegan and gluten-free.
- Snacking on-the-go. Wrap the bars individually in saran or wax paper and stash in the freezer so you can grab and take to-go anytime.
- Great for hiking, camping and busy days on the go.
- Made with natural, whole food ingredients.
- Easy to prepare in 10 minutes.
- Amazing rich chocolate flavour and soft, chewy texture.
- Rich in essential fatty acids.
- No baking required! Just blend, press, freeze and enjoy!
Ingredient Notes
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.
- Dates: It’s important to use soft, moist dates though any variety works. If your dates seem too dry, it’s suggested to soak them in hot water for 15 minutes before use.
- Cocoa Powder: Unsweetened dark cocoa powder is best but any variety works. You can also use raw cacao powder for some extra nutrients.
- Chia Seeds: Any variety (white, black, etc.) of whole chia seeds works.
- Coconut: Use fine or medium unsweetened shredded (desiccated) coconut.
- Walnuts: Use plain, raw walnuts with no added oil or salt. Almonds, cashews or pecans are a suitable substitute or you can mix and match various nuts to make 1 cup.
- Chocolate: Use chopped dark chocolate of choice or any dairy-free chocolate chips.
- Oats: Use rolled oats, quick oats or old fashioned oats. If you can’t do oats, it’s ok to leave them out or replace with some extra walnuts, coconut and chia seeds.
Step-by-Step with Photos
Quick Note: It’s important to use soft, moist dates in this recipe. If your dates are on the dry side or if you’re unsure if they’re soft enough, place the pitted dates in a bowl and cover with hot water. Soak them for 15 minutes then drain well before using them in the recipes.
Step 1: Add the walnuts to a food processor and process into a grainy consistency. It’s ok if some large pieces remain but they should be resemble a coarse flour.
Step 2: Add the dates and blend into a thick paste.
Step 3: Add the rest of the ingredients and blend into a thick, sticky dough.
You should be able to pinch the dough between your fingers. If it’s too crumbly (this can happen if the dates were too dry), you can add 1-2 tbsp warm water and process again.
Step 4: Line a 7 or 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper so it sticks out over at least two sides of the pan. Use your hands to firmly press the dough into the pan. Take a few minutes to press it down firmly and smooth out the top.
Place the bars in the freezer for an hour to firm then lift out of the pan and cut into bars. Enjoy!
FAQ
Yes, to make these nut-free, use sunflower seeds instead of walnuts.
Yes, these are gluten-free though make sure you use gluten-free certified oats if needed.
This can happen if you use dates that are very dry. If you’re unsure, I’d suggest soaking the pitted dates for 15 minutes in a bowl of hot water before use. After soaking, drain them well, pressing them against the side of the bowl to help remove excess water.
The don’t have to be dry before using in the recipe, just make sure any excess water is drained off. If you don’t soak the dates and the dough is crumbly, add 1-2 tbsp warm water, process again and that should do the trick.
I prefer the texture of the bars without soaking the dates so I usually skip this step. As long as your dates are soft and moist, you can use them without soaking them first. I like medjool dates or sayer dates best as they’re usually quite soft, gooey and fresh, which is perfect for making no-bake recipes like these balls.
Storing
- Fridge: Store in a sealed container up to 2 weeks.
- Freezing: Store as is or individually wrapped in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 3 months.
- If taking to-go, try to keep cool as they’ll get soft if it’s warm. They’re ok out of the fridge for a day or two, or longer if kept cool.
Did you try this recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Scroll down to the comment section to leave a star rating and review.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
No-Bake Chocolate Chia Energy Bars
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 10 mins
- Yield: 14 bars
- Category: Snack, Dessert
- Method: Food Processor
- Cuisine: Vegan, Gluten-Free
Description
These double chocolate energy bars are a serious crowd-pleaser. They take just minutes to prepare in a food processor and after setting in the freeze, you’ll have delicious, homemade energy bars ready to enjoy.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups packed, soft pitted dates (350 g)
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder (35 g)
- 1/2 cup whole chia seeds (75 g)
- 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut (45 g)
- 1 cup raw walnut pieces (125 g)
- 1/2 cup chopped dark chocolate (70 g)
- 1/2 cup rolled oats (50 g)
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract, optional, enhances flavour
- 1/4 tsp sea salt, optional, enhances flavour
Instructions
- It’s important to use soft, moist dates in this recipe. If your dates are on the dry side, place them in a bowl and cover with hot water. Soak for 15 minutes then drain well before using in the recipe. If you’re unsure, it can’t hurt to soak the dates first.
- Add the walnuts to a food processor and blend until broken down into a grainy consistency. It’s ok if there are some larger chunks left behind but they should resemble a coarse flour.
- Add the dates and blend until the dates and walnuts form a thick, sticky paste.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until it forms a thick dough. You should easily be able to press the dough together between your fingers. If it seems too crumbly (this can happen if the dates were dry), add 1-2 tbsp of warm water and process again.
- Line a square 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 mixture into the pan, taking a few minutes to make sure it’s really pressed down, especially in the corners. You can wet your hands if it helps to smooth the top out.
- Place in the freezer for at least 1 hour to firm.
- Lift out of the pan using the edges of the parchment and cut into 14 bars.
- Store in an air-tight container in the fridge or freezer.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 234 calories
- Sugar: 17 g
- Fat: 12 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 7 g
- Protein: 4.5 g
Originally published April 4, 2014.
These look great and right up my alley! I can even leave out the Oats to make them Paleo 🙂
lovely and delicious. I have been looking for a promising recipe to experiment my new food processor I bought from a guide
Keep sharing useful recipies like this
THank you
These are absolutely delicious. Thank you for your recipe 🙂
Yay! So happy that you enjoyed them.
Wow, it looks so yummy on those beautiful pictures!!! Have to try making this great recipe. Thanks for sharing:)
Definitely real food there folks. Chia seeds are one of those much touted “super” foods that actually delivers and sign me up for anything with chocolate or cocoa.
Yum
I’m particularly lazy so not having to cook this is just brownie points all day long (pun most definitely intended).
Thanks for the tasty treat
You’re so welcome! I hope you enjoy them. Thanks for your comment.
I’m a sucker for chia seeds and chocolate, so this is definitely my kind of energy bar!
Me too! These bars are my favourite, they’re so yummy! And I love how easy they are. Let me know if you try them!
!
Mine turn out crumbly too but I like them like that as have been using them to crumble into soya yoghurt for a pudding! Delicious, thank you!
Sorry they were too crumbly but they do sound delicious crumbled in yogurt!!
These look great. I saw a comment but not a reply for a substitute for coconut flakes. If there is no suggested sub can it just be omiyted?
You could try replacing them with a bit more walnuts, cocoa and/or chia seeds, just to make up the 1/3 cup of dry ingredients. I can’t guarantee the exact same result though, I haven’t tried it! Thanks 🙂
I made these this afternoon and I could only wait a few hours to try a bar! Wow, they are delicious! I will definitely be making these again. In fact, I plan on making these instead of buying bars every week from the grocery store! Thank you so much for this recipe. It’s the first one of yours that I have tried, but I will certainly be checking out your other recipes after this!
I think the dates I used were not moist enough as the mixture seems very dry. Any suggestions to help save them so I don’t need to throw out the mixture? This seems to always happen with any similar recipes I’ve used and I’m thinking the dates might be the issue. I’ll need to find a more moist brand but for the time being I would appreciate a recommendation on how to salvage this batch!
I usually use Natural Delights Medjool Dates, if I don’t have those I use bulk, fresh medjool dates I buy from my local natural food store. It’s definetely important that you use fresh and moist dates to help hold the mixture together. If you’ve already mixed it up but it’s dry, you could try adding some almond or other nut butter, or maybe a bit of coconut oil. Some applesauce or mashed banana might also work. If you haven’t find fresh dates, in the future you can soak dates in hot water for 20 minutes and drain before using.