Please note that this post contains affiliate links of products that I love and use. This rewards me with a small commission if you choose to buy through the links and none of this will cost you anything – but it does help me pay the bills and deliver you quality content. – Love, Gloria.
A while ago I posted about date paste. It is wonderful to sweeten desserts with it or just add the paste to your smoothies, but there is so much more you can do with dates. One of my favourite ways to use this date paste is to create a base for deliciously soft and chewy no-bake breakfast bars. They are a fantastic breakfast on their own when you are in a rush since they are packed with fibre, healthy fats and protein.
Making them is almost as easy as eating them. Since they are no-bake bars, they require very little prep time or attention. All they need is a little bit of time to set and firm up. You can do that by either leaving them in the fridge overnight or go the express route and place them in the freezer.
But before you get to that you have to make them. If you have ready-made date paste, great! If not then it’s not much of a problem either. Since you will be using this one instantly and in these bars, it doesn’t matter if it is perfectly smooth since you will use it combined with nuts. I just blend some dates up with good old plain water and mix it with the coconut oil and peanut butter in a sauce pan. That way I make sure it blends perfectly before adding it to the dry ingredients.
You can mix the ingredients by hand or go the quick and easy route of using a hand mixer with dough hook attachments. That way it all is perfectly mixed within a few seconds without breaking the dried fruit. The mixture will be very sticky and this point but that will go away once the bars have set in the fridge. Place it all into a square baking tin that is lined with baking paper. Make sure to press the mass down as hard as you can. If it is too loose, there will be air trapped in the mixture, and that will make your bars crumble once you cut them. These no-bake breakfast bars will last easily for a week when stored in the fridge. Alternatively, you can keep them in the freezer, which is something I prefer.
Chewy No-Bake Breakfast Bars With Dates
Ingredients
- 300 g pitted dates*
- 125 ml water*
- 50 g coconut oil
- 125 g peanut butter
- 175 g rolled oats
- 50 g ground almonds
- 35 g shredded coconut
- 35 g roughly chopped almonds
- 20 g sunflower seeds
- 20 g pumpkin seeds
- 15 g golden raisins
- 15 g golden linseed
- 1 tsp vanilla essence or 2 scraped vanilla beans
- 1 tsp cardamom
- 1/8 tsp salt
- optional topping
- 12 whole almonds
- 12 blanched whole almonds
- 1 tbsp golden raisins
- 1 tbsp pumpkin seeds
Instructions
- Process the dates and water in a blender or food processor until smooth. Add the date paste with the coconut oil and peanut butter to a saucepan and heat gently to melt the oil and the peanut butter. Stir until evenly combined.
- Add the paste to the dry ingredients and add the vanilla, salt and cardamom. Mix everything by hand or use a hand mixer with dough hook attachments.
- Once it is evenly combined press the mixture into a square form of 20*20cm (8*8inch) that is lined with baking paper. Make sure to press the mass down as hard as you can. If it is too loose, there will be air trapped in the mixture, and that will make your bars crumble once you cut them. I lay a piece of baking paper on top of it because it makes it easier to even the surface out.
- If you choose to make them look a little bit fancier, then scatter the topping over the evened out mixture and press the nuts and seeds into the surface. Cover with baking paper and store in the fridge for a few hours, best overnight.
Notes
Nutrition
Ā 
These look so delicious and healthy! It also looks easy to make, which is my kind of recipe. Iām always looking for more homemade recipes, so Iāll be trying this one for sure!
Oh these sound absolutely delicious I am all for tucking into a breakfast bar in the morning and live the idea of making my own.
I am always fascinated by the no bake recipes. I kinda don’t trust them even though I should. Especially now that my oven is broken. These looks delicious! xx corinne
These look insanely addicting!!
Haha. They sure are. – Love, G. ???
they ARE addicting
Gloria, I need this in my life. I am terribly addicted to eating and I strive to find healthy alternatives. Thank you for sharing. I hope to try this recipe soon!
I hear you and I’m the same. I’m a glutton and finding this lifestyle saved me. – Love, G.
I’m always looking for something healthy to take along in the car when I’m in a hurry. These would be perfect for the car ride.
They are amazing for car rides! No crumbs or sticky fingers. =D – Love, G.
Iām with you, Helene! I spend too much time baking cakes with overly ornate flourishes and sharing vacuous commentary on Twitter. This is definitely the perfect snack and something I will Pin.
Wow these look amazing! I donāt eat breakfast often, but these would be perfect for on-the-go!
Dates makes such a tasty addition to a snack! Your breakfast bars look and sound absolutely amazing and packed full of healthy ingredients!
These look pretty tasty! I’d give them a try! I normally don’t have breakfast, but I know I need to eat it.
Wow! It looks good plus I love the fact that it is super easy to make! Definitely need to try this!
This recipe looks tasty. I wish to make my version.of it. Yummy!
I am the worlds laziest cook so to know that these breakfast bars are no bake is so awesome. I love that they look so rustic and homemade yum yum x
World’s laziest cook is quite a title! HAHAHA! These are super lazy and you can get some frustration out when pushing them into the pan on top of it. Just think of someone who annoyed you recently and smash it! =D – Love, G.
OMG! I can’t stand seeing these pictures. They’re so delicious and carefully decorated. I wish I had these cakes everyday for breakfast. If so, I have to learn to cook now. Awesome, thank for your post!
Aww bless. Thank you for the compliment. – Love, G.
mmmmā¦ Peanut butter definitely brings everything together. This does look like a great early morning bar to get your day going. And I do love my dates, although itās been a while since I have had any. Not sure why.
That’s a real health bar and better yet, its honemade. I had some fresh dates from Morocco recently, and they were divine.
These bars look delicious, I used to hesitate in using coconut oil in cooking, but after using it one time Iām in love!
My first question is always about gluten free. I love these recipes, but I am always concerned that I cannot make them!
Hello, Jim. These are gluten free if you use certified gluten free oats. Oats are gluten free by default but if you have a severe gluten intolerance you have to make sure they are certified. If they are not certified then they might be packed in a facility that handles wheat as well. There could be cross contamination but in essence, this recipe is gluten free. Hope this helps. – Love, G.
Hey! There are so much to learn and enjoy from your blog. I am not a vegan… yet hahaha but I’m a health enthusiast, I’ll be your new follower!
Hello Eliza, so happy to hear that. You just made my day! ? If you have any recipes you love that could use a vegan overhaul then let me know. I’ll gladly change them for you if you’re interested. – Lot’s of Love, G.
Hello Eliza, happy to hear that! You just made my week. ā” If you have any recipes you love that are not vegan then let me know. I’ll try to veganise them for you if you’re interested. – Love, Gloria.
Hey ! You say you like to keep them in the freezer , how do you unfreeze them ? Do you leave them on a countertop overnight or do you eat them straight out of the freezer ?
Hello Sarah. My apologies for the late reply, I was in the midst of moving from England to the Netherlands. You can defrost your breakfast bars by leaving them on the counter or by placing them in the fridge in the evening if you want them for breakfast. Eating them straight out of the freezer is something I have never done, but it does give me an excellent idea for a Christmassy ice cream! – Love, G.
I’m totally adding this recipe to my snack ideas. It looks amazing!
Tried , tested and demolished. Great tasty filling breakfast bars. Not a vegan but we loved them so much i will be making another batch.
Thanks for a great recipe
Definitely a 5 star!
This looks yummy and they are beautiful bars!! I love your blog!! So many great ideas!!
This is a great basic recipe that you can do anything with. I love cardamom however, I did not like the combination of cardamom and peanut butter here. I will substitute that out for nut butter and cinnamon. Thank you for a great recipe!