No-Bake Oatmeal Energy Bars
on Aug 11, 2020, Updated Jun 10, 2026
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These no-bake oatmeal energy bars are chewy, lightly sweet, and come together in one loaf pan with no oven and just 6 wholesome ingredients. Dates and peanut butter bind them, oats and almonds add chewiness, and hemp seeds help bring each bar to 8 grams of protein. They’re naturally sweetened, vegan, and gluten-free, and they hold up well in a lunchbox, a backpack, or straight from the freezer.
Why You’ll Love Oatmeal Energy Bars
- 8 grams of protein per bar from almonds, hemp seeds, and peanut butter.
- No oven required: blend, press into a pan, and chill, with only about 10 minutes of hands-on time.
- Just 6 wholesome ingredients: naturally sweetened with dates and a touch of maple syrup, with no refined sugar and no oil.
- An easy, homemade real-food alternative to store-bought energy bars.
- They travel and store well, so they’re great for hiking, runs, road trips, and lunchboxes.
- Freezer-friendly: they don’t freeze solid, so you can keep a batch on hand and grab one straight from the freezer.
- Vegan and gluten-free: easily made nut-free too, with seed butter and seeds in place of the peanut butter and almonds.
These make a great introduction to homemade bars. If you’re ready for more, try these No-Bake Granola Bars, Nut-Free Energy Bars or No-Bake Lemon Pie Bars.
Ingredients
Below is a quick overview of what you’ll need to make the recipe and any substitutions you can make. Use the recipe card with the full list of ingredients and measurements at the bottom of the post when you’re ready to make the recipe.
- Dates: Any variety works as long as they’re soft and moist, I like medjool or sayer dates. Be sure to use soft, moist dates. If your dates are overly dry, soak them in hot water for 15 minutes then drain well before using.
- Almonds: Use plain, raw almonds with no added oil or salt. Substitute pecans, walnuts or cashews.
- Oats: You can use rolled oats or quick oats.
- Hemp Seeds: May be labelled hemp seeds or hemp hearts in stores. These are fairly common in well-stocked grocery stores or can be found online.
- Peanut Butter: You can substitute any other nut or seed butter. Sub almond butter, tahini or sunflower seed butter for the peanut butter.
- Sweetener: Maple syrup works best but you could use agave syrup or honey (not vegan).
Variations
- Chocolate Chips: Pulse up to 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips in at the end so they stay whole, or press them into the top before chilling.
- Chocolate Oatmeal Energy Bars: Use the chocolate ganache from these cashew cookie dough bars or spread melted chocolate on top like these chocolate energy bars.
- Add Dried Fruit: Mix in 2 to 3 tbsp chopped dried cranberries, raisins, or extra chopped dates for pockets of sweetness. Apricots are an option too like in these apricot granola bars.
- Extra Seeds: Stir in 1 to 2 tbsp chia seeds, ground flax, or pumpkin seeds for more crunch, fibre, and omega-3s.
- Coconut Oatmeal Bars: Add 1/2 cup shredded coconut to the dough for a little extra chew and a subtle coconut flavour.
- Warm Spices: Add 1/2 tsp cinnamon, or a pinch of nutmeg or cardamom, for a cozier, spiced bar.
How to Make Oatmeal Energy Bars
Step 1. Add the almonds and dates to a food processor and mix into a crumbly dough.
Step 2. Add the oats, hemp seeds, peanut butter and maple syrup and process until you have a thick, sticky dough you can press together between your fingers.
If the dough seems too dry (this can happen if your dates were too dry), add 1-2 tbsp warm water and process again.
Step 3. Line a standard-sized loaf pan with parchment paper then use your hands to firmly press the dough into the pan until flat, working it down into all the corners and edges.
This recipe makes a small batch of just 6 bars but you can always double it an make it in an 8×8-inch square pan.
Place in the freezer for an hour, then lift out of the pan, cut into bars and enjoy! Technically you don’t have to wait for them to firm up. If you want you can pull them from the pan, cut and enjoy right away but I prefer to chill them so they’re a bit firmer.
FAQs
No, the dates are essential here. They bind everything together and give most of the natural sweetness, so the bars won’t hold their shape without them. If the issue is that your dates are dry, soak them in hot water for 15 minutes and drain well before blending rather than leaving them out.
Yes. The maple syrup is only 1 tablespoon, so you can leave it out entirely if you’d like, since the dates do most of the sweetening. The bars will be very slightly less sweet but will still hold together.
Dry dates are the usual cause. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of warm water and process again until the dough is sticky enough to squeeze into a ball. Soft, moist dates usually won’t need this at all.
Use sunflower seed butter or tahini in place of the peanut butter, and sunflower or pumpkin seeds in place of the almonds. That keeps the same texture and binding while making them school-safe.
Either works. Rolled oats give a slightly chewier, more textured bar, while quick oats blend in a little smoother.
No, freezing just firms them up. You can cut and eat them right after pressing, they’ll just be softer. I prefer to chill them in the freezer for about an hour first so they hold a clean shape, then store them in the fridge.
Yes. This is a small batch of 6 to 8 bars pressed into a loaf pan, so double everything and use an 8 by 8-inch square pan for a full batch.
They are. They travel well and don’t need refrigeration for the day, so they suit hikes, camping, travel and road trips. I’d freeze them first so they start firm and stay that way longer, and keep them somewhere cool since they soften in heat.
How to Store Oatmeal Energy Bars
- Fridge: Store in a sealed container for up to 2 weeks.
- Freezer (Recommended): Store in a sealed container or freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. Can be enjoyed straight from the freezer as they don’t freeze solid.
- Room Temperature: If taking the bars to-go, they’re fine out of the fridge but will start to get soft. For best results, freeze before hand and try to keep in a cool place if possible.
If you make this recipe, please consider leaving a comment and a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the comment section below. It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe, and I love to hear from you. Thanks for trying my recipes! – Deryn
No-Bake Oatmeal Energy Bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup packed, pitted soft dates, 225 g
- 1/2 cup almonds, 75 g
- 3/4 cup oats, 75 g
- 1/4 cup hemp seeds, 40 g
- 1/4 cup natural peanut butter (or other nut or seed butter), 70 g
- 1 tbsp maple syrup, 15 ml
- pinch of salt, optional
Instructions
- Place the almonds and dates in a food processor or high-powered blender and mix until it forms a crumbly dough.
- Add the oats, hemp seeds, peanut butter and maple syrup and process until it forms a thick dough you can squeeze into a small ball.
- Line a standard-sized loaf pan with parchment paper then firmly press the dough into the pan. Spend a few minutes pressing it in to the corners and flattening the surface. Place in the freezer for about 1 hour to firm.
- Use the parchment paper to lift the bars out of the pan then cut into 8 squares or 6 bars and store in the fridge in an air-tight container.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published February 20, 2013.
Made these for my weekly breakfasts. My husband couldn’t believe they were vegan. So simple, but tasty!
Can I substitute the maple syrup with stevia?
You can just leave it out if you like. Enjoy!
I am thinking of making these this week but I only have Jiff peanut butter and no dates. Should I be ok to forego the dates and use the processed pb? Thank you!!
Hi Maddie, processed peanut butter would probably be fine but unfortunately you can’t leave the dates out of this recipe. They’re needed to hold everything together!