Cocoa Date Energy Bars
These Cocoa Date Energy Bars are the perfect gym snack or guilt-free late-night snack! Naturally sweetened with dates, these energy bars require no baking, and are Paleo, vegan, and gluten-free!
I started work today! I was lucky enough to get an amazing internship at T-Mobile this summer, and I had my first day today. It was amazing and exciting and I’m beyond excited about the summer ahead. My official title is Social Media & Employer Brand Intern, which totally fits with what I love to do here on Bakerita!
To be honest, though, I’m exhausted from my hour and a half commute (😭😭😭) so I’m going to keep this short and sweet.
I made these Cocoa Date Energy Bars, which were adapted from The Foodie Teen’s Chocolate Hazelnut Energy Bars. Her blog is wonderful. Everything is Paleo and pretty much friendly to every diet because she’s allergic to seventy-two foods. Her ability to make such decadent and delicious treats is so impressive.
I adapted her recipe pretty heavily because I didn’t have a lot of the called-for ingredients on hand. So, my version has cocoa powder (extra chocolate!) and a different combination of nuts. This also means this recipe is super versatile! Switch out the nuts and other mix-ins for what you have on hand.
Once they were ready, I shared them with my sister. She absolutely loved them. They’re chewy and a little bit sweet and come together quickly and easily. They’re absolutely perfect to grab before the gym, or for a guilt-free late-night snack. Also, how awesome that they have no added sugar, are Paleo, vegan, dairy-free, egg-free, AND soy-free?! Oh, and you don’t have to bake them!
Hope you all like these Cocoa Date Energy Bars as much as I did! Enjoy :)
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Cocoa Date Energy Bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup pitted dates
- 1 cup almonds
- ½ cup walnuts
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil (melted)
- ½ cup coconut flour
- ½ cup desiccated coconut
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon (5g) cocoa powder
- 1 cup chopped dark chocolate*
- ¼ cup flaked almonds (toasted (optional))
Instructions
- Soak the dates in hot water for about 10 minutes.
- Drain dates, and add dates, almonds and walnuts to a high powdered blender (like the Vitamix) or a food processor. Process the almonds, walnuts and dates until very fine. Add all remaining ingredients except the dark chocolate and flaked almonds, then process for 2-3 minutes or until the mixture is uniform and well combined.
- Press the mixture into a 8×8 dish or pan lined with greaseproof paper (and overhang to remove the bars later on), then let them set in the fridge for about an hour.
- Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or the microwave (stirring every 30 seconds until melted), then spread the melted chocolate over the top of the bars. Sprinkle with flaked almonds (if using), then return to the fridge for another 2-3 hours or until the chocolate has set.
- Remove the bars using the parchment, then cut into 12 equal bars. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.
Notes
*Ensure chocolate meets your dietary restrictions
Recipe adapted from The Foodie Teen’s Chocolate Hazelnut Energy Bars
Enjoy this recipe? Check out some of my similar favorites below!
No-Bake Sprouted Nut & Seed Granola Bars
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Hour and a half commute! GIRL, that’s brutal! But I am SO glad that you like your job – so good!
I am pretty much obsessed with all the things in these bars so I am gonna eat the whole pan…cool? Great.
Pinned!
Thank you SO much for adapting my recipe – it’s such an honour! I’m so glad you like your job.. that would pretty much be the perfect job for me except for the fact that I’d be sitting around pinning recipes all day, whoops! Thanks again – these look wonderful!
Congrats on the awesome internship! I’m loving these energy bars, they are just the treat I need for an afternoon snack!
That is one long commute! But yay on the internship! And these bars sound awesome – I love having snacks like this in the house!
These energy bars look absolutely divine!
Yum yum yum
I would probably cry if I were allergic to half the things The Foodie Teen is! Cry. But these bars are nothing to cry about…except if they’re all gone! Congrats on your internship! It sounds like a blast. Well, except the commute!
Congrats on the job!!!! These look fab!
Congrats on the new job! I hope you love it :) These look like the perfect afternoon pick me up snack for work (or for when you’re just sitting around at home…)
Oh, these look like the perfect chocolaty snack! Your internship sounds fun, but an hour-and-a-half commute, oh my gosh. I totally can’t complain about my 45 minute commute anymore, haha. These bars would make an awesome snack if you got hungry going to or from work, though. :)
Awwwh congrats on the new job! It sounds really exciting! Hope you get to relax soon though :) Also, these bars look terrific, I love this flavor combo! xx
I love all the ingredients you added. Pinned and want! They look delish!
I was just on her blog – it’s so nice! These bars looks so yummy, and love the on-the-go idea of them!
Congrats on starting work by the way! That commute sounds crazy but glad you’re enjoying it already :).
So in total you were travelling three hours a day?? Wow that’s really a lot! I completely understand why you prepared these awesome looking energy bars!
These are wonderful! They were perfect for a simple afternoon treat! I live in an RV and travel full-time, so my kitchen is pretty tiny, and I am always looking for simple, yet delicious recipes… also I didn’t have coconut flour so I used almond flour, and they still turned out amazing! Thank you for this incredible recipe! I will definitely be making this again soon.
Thanks so much for your feedback, Angie! Also, you’re living my dream life traveling around in an RV – how fun :) I haven’t made these bars in a while, you’re reminding me to whip them up again soon!
Also, I put my bars in the freezer to speed up the process, and they were ready to serve in half the time.
Hi Rachel!
These scrumptious bars have become a staple in our home! We don’t buy bars at the store anymore because you’ve given us all the homemade bar recipes we would ever want to eat! I have a quick question as I am making a batch of these for a friend who is not crazy about coconut. The coconut flour would be just fine but I am wondering if I could use cashews in place of the 1/2 cup of desiccated coconut. Would that be OK or would it throw the texture off?
Many thanks for your amazing recipes and talent :-)
That makes me so incredibly happy to hear, Jasmine! Thank you so much for sharing that feedback with me. These should be fine with cashews instead of the coconut, I would just pulse them in a blender or food processor for a bit to break them into small bits before using. Enjoy!!!
Thank you so much, Rachel! I’m so happy you approved the substitution. Sorry for the belated gratitude. My email has been acting up and I found a notification for your reply in my spam folder :(
My sweet nephews are coming over on Memorial Day weekend and we are making two new recipes from you – the “Strawberry Chocolate Chunk Skillet Cookie” and the “Strawberry Shortcake Bars”. I cannot wait! Your blog is one of the happiest places to be on earth :-)
Oh no worries at all Jasmine! I hope that both of those recipes are a hit – some of my faves :) you are SO sweet to say that, makes me so happy and excited to develop new recipes!!