No Bake Healthy Date Bars (Homemade Lara Bar Recipe) (2024)

By Anjali Shah on July 26, 2021 · Last Updated on August 20, 2021

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This super easy recipe for healthy date bars with chocolate takes just ten minutes of prep time and has no added sugar. It’s a homemade Lara Bar recipe with just 5 natural ingredients. It’s the perfect healthy snack or low sugar dessert!

If you’re like me, you probably love Larabars. They’re such a sweet and delicious snack, are usually a big hit with kids, and can double as a healthy dessert! The first time I tried them, I was wowed! They were a healthier take on so many other granola bars on the market.

But, you may not love spending about $2 per bar, and you might want to customize it a little more beyond the original recipe or varieties you see on the grocery store shelves. Plus, some Larabars have a lot of sugar – even though it’s from fruit – it can still add up!

That’s where this recipe comes in! This homemade date bar recipe is super easy to make, requires very few ingredients, and is lower in sugar than traditional, old fashioned date bars. They also store really well, taste like a chocolate cookie, and are perfect for satisfying cravings.

These healthy date cookie bars are a great recipe for those busy days when you need an easy afternoon snack, or want a healthy dessert!

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👩🏽‍🍳 Why This Recipe Works

• Vegan and Gluten-Free
• No bake date bar recipe!
• Healthier date bars than the traditional version (but tastes just as great!)
• Simple single layer recipe (no bottom crust, date filling, or top crust).
• Golden Brown Finish without being baked!
• Great snack bars!
• Flourless: No all purpose flour, whole wheat flour, or even oat flour needed!
• No refined sugar: No brown sugar, or powdered sugar like so many other recipes!

🥘 Ingredients

Dry Ingredients: Unsweetened cocoa powder, macadamia nuts, and a little bit of sea salt.

Wet Ingredients: Medjool dates (pitted dates will save you time), and cashew butter are used to hold the ingredients together. If you don’t have cashew butter, any nut butter would work. Soak the medjool dates in warm water for 10 minutes, and drain to help infuse them with more moisture. They also provide natural sweetness to this date square recipe!

🍽 Equipment

• Food Processor
• 8×8 Inch Square Pan or Square Baking Dish
• Parchment Paper. or Wax Paper

🔪 Instructions

Step 1: Place dates and rest of the ingredients in a large bowl. Stir to combine. Then transfer all of the ingredients into the bowl of a food processor to create the date mixture.

Step 2: Blend on high until the ingredients form a date filling with coarse crumbs.

Step 3: In a square baking pan (8×8 or 9×9-inch pan) lined with parchment paper, press the dough into the bottom of the prepared pan. This is a a simple one layer bar – so this is the only step you need! Chill in the fridge for 2 hours to set.

Step 4: Cut into 12 equal date squares and serve. After they have been chilled you can keep them stored at room temperature for 3-4 days in an airtight container or wrap with plastic wrap. If you want smaller portions, feel free to cut these no-bake granola bars into smaller pieces! You can easily turn this into 24 small squares vs. 12!

❓Recipe FAQs

📖 Variations

You can make these healthy homemade granola bars in a variety of different ways!! These gluten free date bars are so versatile and fun to customize!

• Cashew Cookie: Switch the macadamia nuts for cashews, use cashew or almond butter, and omit the cocoa powder.
• Dark Chocolate Brownie: Switch the macadamia nuts for almonds and add 1/2 cup walnuts and 1-2 tablespoons of 88% dark chocolate chunks (preferably from a dark chocolate bar vs. chocolate chips). To keep these as vegan date bars, make sure your chocolate is dairy free. You can also melt chocolate and drizzle it over the top of the bars!
• Apple Pie: Switch the macadamia nuts for pecans, add 1/4 cup walnuts, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, and 1/2 cup dried apples. Omit the cocoa powder.
• Peanut Cookie: Switch the macadamia nuts for peanuts, and use peanut butter instead of almond butter. Omit the cocoa powder.
• Cookie Dough: Switch the macadamia nuts for peanuts or cashews, omit the cocoa powder, and add 1/8 cup mini chocolate chips.
• Pecan Pie: Switch the macadamia nuts for pecans and add 1/4 cup almonds. Omit the cocoa powder.
• PB&J: Switch the macadamia nuts for peanuts, omit the cocoa powder and add 1/8 cup dried raisins or cherries.
• Banana Bread: Switch the macadamia nuts for almonds, omit the cocoa powder, add in 1/2 cup walnuts and 1/2 cup dried bananas.
• White Chocolate: This is a super simple variation – make the recipe as is, then drizzle dairy free white chocolate over the top of these date nut bars!

Notice a trend here? Basically you can switch the macadamia nuts for any nut of choice, add in dried fruits as needed, and omit the cocoa powder if you want something less chocolatey!

You can also add any combination of seeds to these no bake date bars: pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, ground chia seeds or sunflower seeds would all work well.

👪 How to Serve

I enjoy these with a cup of coffee in the morning, or a warm cup of tea in the afternoon for snack. Pack in your kids school lunch as a healthy treat, or take with you on the go for quick homemade snack!

💭 Expert Tips

• Feel free to switch the nuts and add in dried fruits according to your taste preferences: any nuts, seeds and dried fruit will work well in this recipe.
• Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week, using parchment paper to separate the bars. These energy bars will not hold up well if you freeze them.
• Add a tablespoon of lemon juice to help preserve them at room temperature a bit longer.
• Do not use chopped dates, since they are typically coated in sugar or cornstarch.
• Make sure to refrigerate for at least 2 hours before cutting them – but longer is even better.

🍪 More Healthy Snacks And Sweet Treats!

• Vegan Protein Balls
• Creamed Cottage Cheese
• Healthy and Delicious Banana Nut Bread
• Microwave Peanut Butter Fudge
• Decadent Chocolate Fudge Brownies with Walnuts
• Vegan Mug Cake
• Peanut Butter Date Balls

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