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.
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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.
Enjoyed the bars,easy to make & my husband liked them as well. Which is saying something. 😊
This recipe looks so delicious! I am supposed to be avoiding oats so I was wondering by how would this recipe do without them or are they needed?
You can use an additional 1/2 cup of walnuts or use ground almonds or buckwheat. Thanks!
These are great! I used cashews instead of walnuts. Since I use Diamond Crystal kosher salt I increased the amount to 1/2 tsp. I added 1 Tbsp adaptogen powder. I also added 2 Tbsp warm water to help it stick together. I rolled them into 1 oz balls and got exactly 28.
Thanks, Cassie! So glad you enjoyed!
Made these for my son, who is always pestering me to buy “healthy” snack bars from the supermarket, which are expensive and not as healthy as they make out. He loved them! I noted that some people found it too crumbly so I soaked the dates in water for a few hours and reserved some of the liquid, which I then added whilst the dates and walnuts were in the food processor. I ended up adding another 4 tbsp of liquid and it came out perfect.
These tasted too sweet for me. Is there a dried fruit that isn’t as sweet tasting?
I wouldn’t really recommend any other dried fruit in this recipe. The dates help bind everything together. you could maybe use soaked dried apricots, figs, cherries or raisins but they’d still be quite sweet and I haven’t tested it with any other dried fruit.
This recipe is so delicious!
I made quite a few substitutions but it still tasted amazing. I made this in a late night craving, so I was missing some of the necessary ingredients. Thankfully, I had similar ones. Some substitutions I made were instead of dates, I used 1 cup of sun dried jumbo raisins and 1 tbsp of sweet almond oil. I also used cashews instead of walnuts, and added a little almond milk to help with it forming a dough. And I used 1/2 cup of ghiradelli dark chocolate baking chips as I wanted to be quick. Did I say how delicious it was yet?
Haha, amazing. Glad they worked and you enjoyed them!!
Sounds good!! How long can you keep them out of the fridge?
They’ll be fine for a day or so, they’ll get a bit soft but otherwise be fine. Freeze them first and keep cool if possible and they’ll last longer!
Can I use almonds instead of walnuts? This recipe looks delish xx
Yes, that should be fine..thanks!
Can I leave out the coconut or replace it with something? I’m allergic to coconut.
I haven’t tested anything but you can try hemp seeds or increase the walnuts to 1.5 cups. Enjoy!
These are the best healthy power snacks. Have made them many times now. The biggest difference between these and others that I have made, is they are not too sweet. Perfect for an afternoon snack if my stomach starts growl. Love them!