No-Bake Brownie Snack Bars (Made with Dates & Nuts)
Naturally sweet, chewy, and packed with wholesome ingredients, these fudgy snack bars are made with blended dates, nuts, and cocoa for a simple treat that tastes like a brownie bite.
They are rich like a brownie but require no baking, no refined sugar, and no complicated steps. Perfect for lunchboxes, afternoon snacks, or keeping in the fridge when you want something chocolatey without reaching for candy. I keep these in my freezer and love to snack on them with a cup of coffee after lunch for a little pick me up. These are delicious straight out of the freezer.
Main Ingredients and Swaps
- Medjool dates – Soft, sticky dates create the base and natural sweetness. If your dates feel dry or hard, soak them in warm water for 5 to 10 minutes before blending.
- Walnuts – Provide structure and healthy fats.
- Pecans – Love the flavor this brings to these bars.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder – Brings deep chocolate flavor.
- Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips– Adding just a little bit goes a long way! I like that little bite of chocolate, but you can omit this if you are avoiding processed sugar.
- Vanilla extract – Enhances the chocolate flavor and rounds everything out.
- Sea salt – A small pinch balances the sweetness and makes the chocolate flavor pop.
How I Make Them
Add the nuts to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped but not turning into nut butter. You want a crumbly texture with small pieces remaining for structure.
First add the nuts to a food processor and pulse till you just start to have a crumbly texture. (don’t over process as this starts to release the oils from the nuts) Next add in the dates and continue processing. Once it starts looking more like a dough, add in the cocoa powder, vanilla, and salt. Process until it looks like a moldable thick dough.
Press the mixture firmly into a parchment lined loaf pan or small square dish. The size of your pan will determine the thickness of your bars. Fold the parchment paper over top the bars and press down. Use the back of a measuring cup or your hands to compact it well so the bars hold their shape.
Freeze for at least 1 hour to firm up. Slice into bars or squares and store in the freezer for best texture.
👇🏻 To watch me walk through the recipe step by step, check out my video below!
Fudgy Date Nut Snack Bars
Ingredients
Method
- Pulse nuts in a food processor until finely chopped. Be careful to not overprocess the nuts as it released the oils.
- Add dates and process until combined.
- Add cocoa powder, vanilla, and salt. Blend until a thick dough forms.
- Add in 1/3 cup semi sweet chocolate cips and pulse for 10-15 seconds to break them up into smaller pieces.
- Press firmly into a parchment lined pan. It helps to fold the parchment paper over the dough and press firmly with the bottom of a measuring cup or your hands.
- Freeze for 1 hour before slicing into bars.
- Store these in the freezer and enjoy whenever the craving hits!
Video
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