These no-bake vegan hemp seed chia seed energy bars feature wholesome ingredients like walnuts, dates and pumpkin seeds and make a great alternative to store-bought bars.

Stack of 4 energy bars with chocolate chips.

Recipe Features

  • Vegan and gluten-free recipe.
  • Easily customizable.
  • No-baking neeeded.
  • Freeze well.

Ingredient Notes

Labelled ingredients for making energy bars.
  • oats – rolled or quick oats both work
  • pepitas – also know as raw pumpkin seeds, can be substituted with sunflower seeds
  • walnuts – use plain, raw walnut with no added oil or salt, can be substituted with almonds or pecans
  • hemp seeds – look for hemp hearts, or shelled hemp seeds
  • chia seeds – black or white chia seeds are suitable
  • dates – any variety works as long as they’re soft and moist, if not you’ll need to soak them before use
  • chocolate chips – optional but everything is better with chocolate, don’t you think?
  • raisins – also optional, add up to 1/3 cup if desired

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.

Adjustments

  • If you don’t have chia seeds, increase amount of hemp seeds to 1/2 cup.
  • If you don’t have pepitas, increase walnuts to 3/4 cup.
  • Amounts of pepitas, walnuts, hemp seeds and chia seeds are somewhat flexible. You’ll need 1 1/4 cups total between the 4 but I’d recommend keeping the walnuts to at least 1/2 cup not exceeding 1/4 cup for the chia seeds.
  • Chocolate chips are optional but I really like them for an added treat!

Step-by-Step Instructions

Blended up oats, walnuts and pumpkin seeds in a food processor.

Step 1. Add the oats, pepitas and walnuts to a food processor and process into a grainy flour.

If there are a few larger chunks or full seeds remaining that’s ok but it should be mostly broken down.

Grainy blended flour in a food processor.

Step 2. Add the chia seeds, hemp seeds, cinnamon and nutmeg and process briefly to combine.

Blended nut and seed energy bar dough in a food procesoor.

Step 3. Add the dates and process into a thick, sticky dough. It should start to form one big ball as it blends and you should easily be able to press the dough together between your fingers.

Hand holding the side of a parchment paper-lined baking pan of energy bars.

Step 4. Line a 7-8 inch square baking pan with parchment paper.

Use your hands to firmly press the dough down into the pan, taking a few minutes to really work it in, especially in the corners.

Pop the entire pan into the freezer for an hour to firm. Once set, lift the entire bar out of the pan using the parchment paper, slice into bars and enjoy!

Once set, lift the entire bar out of the pan using the parchment paper, slice into bars and enjoy!

12 sliced energy bars on parchment paper on a cutting board.

Storing Instructions

  • Fridge: Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
  • Freezer (Recommended): Store in an airtight container for up to 3 months. They don’t freezer solid so can be enjoyed straight from the freezer.
  • Room Temperature: Okay at room temp for a day or two if taking to-go. They’ll just start to get soft and squishy, so keep cool if possible!

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 Hemp Chia Energy Bars

These healthy no-bake energy bars are loaded with healthy ingredients like hemp seeds, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, walnuts and oats. Try them for a quick breakfast, snack or dessert! These bars are gluten-free, vegan and have no added oil or sugar.
Prep Time10 minutes
Total Time10 minutes
Course: Snack
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegan
Servings: 12
Calories: 194kcal
Author: Ashley Melillo

Ingredients

  • 1 cup 100 g rolled oats or quick oats
  • ¼ cup 30 g pepitas
  • ¼ cup 35 g raw walnuts
  • ¼ cup 42 g hemp seeds
  • ¼ cup 44 g chia seeds
  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 ½ cups about 400 grams pitted packed, soft pitted medjool dates
  • 1/3 cup raisins or dairy-free chocolate chips optional

Instructions

  • Add the oats, pepitas and walnuts to a food processor and process into a gainy flour, if there are a few larger chunks or full seeds remaining that’s ok.
  • Add the chia seeds, hemp seeds, cinnamon and nutmeg and process for about 30 seconds.
  • Add the dates and process until it forms one big ball of thick and sticky dough.
  • If adding, chocolate chips, add those now and pulse a few times to mix throughout.
  • Line a 7-8 inch square baking pan with parchment paper. Transfer the mixture to the pan, and use your hands to press down into the pan. If the mixture is sticking to your hands, wet them slightly to repel the stickiness of the dates.
  • Transfer the pan to the freezer to set for 1 hour.
  • Once set, remove the large bar from the pan by lifting up the parchment paper. Slice into squares and store in the fridge or freezer.

Notes

It’s important to use soft and moist dates in this recipe. If your dates are dry or you’re unsure if they’re soft enough, soak them in hot water for 15 minutes then drain well before using in the recipe. If your raisins are quite dry, you can soak them with the dates as well.
If you don’t have chia seeds, increase amount of hemp seeds to 1/2 cup. If you don’t have pepitas, increase walnuts to 1/2 cup. Amounts of pepitas, walnuts, hemp seeds and chia seeds are somewhat flexible. You’ll need 1 cups total between the 4 but I don’t recommend exceeding 1/4 cup for the chia seeds.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or freezer for up to 3 months. Okay at room temp for a day or two if taking to-go. They’ll just start to get soft and squishy, so keep cool if possible!

Nutrition

Serving: 1bar | Calories: 194kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 7g | Fiber: 4g

Originally published on December 14, 2014.