Vegan Chocolate Coconut Bars

Name: Vegan Chocolate Coconut Bars
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 16
Cuisine: Vegan
Ingredients: 1 cup packed, soft pitted dates (250 g); 2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut (165 g); 1 tbsp melted coconut oil (15 g); 3/4 cup dairy-free chocolate chips

posted: 09/22/19 — updated: 06/14/22 by Deryn Macey

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These delicious no-bake chocolate coconut bars are super easy to whip up with just 4 ingredients.

Stack of 5 chocolate covered coconut date bars on a piece of parchment paper.

If you’re looking for a decadent dessert that’s super easy to make, you’ll love these no-bake chocolate coconut bars! The base is made from dates, coconut and coconut oil and is topped off with a layer of chocolate.

You’ll need just a few minutes to prep them and they’ll be ready to eat after 30 minutes. Whether you’re making them for a holiday dessert tray or just stashing them in the freezer for an everyday sweet treat, these tasty bars are always a hit.

Table of Contents

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

Super easy to make with just 4 simple ingredients.
No baking required!
Vegan, gluten-free and tree nut-free (contains coconut).
Decadent enough to make for the holidays but easy and wholesome enough for everyday.

Ingredient Notes

Dates, coconut oil and shredded coconut in a food processor.

Shredded coconut. Unsweetened fine or medium shredded coconut is perfect.
Dates. Any kind of dates will do but I would recommend soft and fresh medjool, deglect noor, sayer or honey dates. If your dates are very dry, soak them in hot water for 15 minutes then drain before using.
Coconut oil. Coconut oil can’t be substituted in this recipe as it’s needed to help the bars firm up and solidify. If you’re looking for an oil-free recipe, I’d recommend checking out some of my other bar or energy bite recipes.
Chocolate. I used dairy-free chocolate chips but you can also use quality dark chocolate or homemade chocolate.

How to Make these Bars

1. Blend the dough.

The first step is to mix up the coconut and date dough. To do this, add the unsweetened shredded coconut, dates and coconut oil to a food processor and mix until it forms a crumbly dough.

Blended dough for coconut bars in a food processor.

2. Press the dough into a pan.

Now that you’ve got that delicious, coconut date dough, it’s time to press it into a pan to create the bars.

Before you do this, line an approximately 7-inch square baking pan with 2 overlapping strips of parchment paper. This will allow you to easily lift the bars out of the pan once they’re set.

Once you’ve firmly pressed the dough into the pan, set the whole pan in the freezer and move on to the next step.

Note: The dough will be a little bit oily when you press it into the pan. This is normal due to the fats from the coconut and coconut oil. It will firm up in the freezer and create an awesome chewy texture.

Raw coconut bars pressed into a baking pan lined with parchment paper.

3. Melt the chocolate.

The next step is to melt the chocolate. To do this, you can either:

Use a double boiler or make a double boiler using a glass bowl big enough to sit on top of a small pot. This is the method I use. You can see it set up below.
Use the microwave. Place the chocolate in a glass bowl, start with 15 seconds then check and stir every 15 seconds until melted. Be careful because it will be ruined if it burns. This is why I like the makeshift double boiler method.

Stir the chocolate until it’s completely melted. This should only take a few minutes.

Melted chocolate in a bowl with a spoon.

4. Spread the chocolate.

Once the chocolate is completely melted, remove the coconut bars from the freezer and use a spatula or spoon to evenly spread the chocolate over the bars.

Melted dairy-free chocolate spread over coconut bars in a baking pan lined with parchment paper.

5. Freeze, slice and enjoy!

Alright, they’re almost ready to enjoy! Once you’ve spread the chocolate over the bars, place the pan back in the freezer to set. Once the chocolate is completely firmed, pull the bars from the freezer.

Chocolate-covered coconut bars in a baking pan lined with parchment paper.

Lift the bars out of the pan using the edges of the parchment paper. Heat a knife under hot water and then score the bars (gently press lines where you plan to cut). This will prevent the chocolate from cracking.

Slice the bars into 8-10 large bars or 16 square and enjoy!

Overhead shot of sliced chocolate coconut bars sliced into 16 pieces.

Expert Tips

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.
To thin the melted chocolate and make it easier to spread, you can add 1 tbsp melted coconut oil or butter.
If you prefer, you can use this homemade chocolate to coat the bars instead of store-bought chocolate.

Overhead shot of a few chocolate coconut bars scattered on a textured surface.

FAQ

What kind of chocolate should I use?

To keep these bars vegan, choose dairy-free chocolate chips from Camino, Made Good or Enjoy Life.

You can also use chopped dark chocolate. Most quality dark chocolate is vegan just read the label to make sure it doesn’t contain any dairy. I like Alter Eco or Green and Blacks.

If you’re using solid chocolate instead of chocolate chips, chop it up until you have about 3/4 cups worth.

Are these bars gluten-free?

Yes, these bars are naturally gluten-free though be sure to read the packaging of the chocolate used if cross-contamination is a concern.

Front on shot of chocolate topped coconut date bars on parchment paper showing the texture of the bars.

Storing

Due to the chocolate, these are best stored in the fridge for freezer until just before serving.
Fridge: Store up to 2 weeks in an airtight container.
Freezer (Recommended): Store up to 4 months in an airtight container.

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