Vegan No Bake Almond Joy Bars [GF, Oil-Free]
These date sweetened vegan no bake almond joy bars are chewy and delicious, easy to make, made with real whole foods, gluten-free and oil-free!
Equipment
- You will need: a food processor
Ingredients
- 1 cup pitted medjool dates, packed see notes
- 1 & 1/2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut plus extra for topping
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds plus extra for topping
- 2 tbsp natural almond butter
- 1 & 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp pink Himalayan salt + a couple extra pinches
- 1/4 tsp almond extract
- 1/2 cup vegan dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- First, asses your medjool dates. It is imperative for the texture of these vegan date bars that the dates be plump, moist and sticky. If your dates feel dry and look wrinkled, soak them in hot water for about 10-15 mintues, drain the water and proceed with the recipe.
- Next, line a loaf pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- Add the medjool dates, unsweetened shredded coconut, natural almond butter, vanilla extract, salt and almond extract to a food processor . Process for about a minute or so until the mixture looks crumbly and moist.
- Then, add in your sliced almonds and process the mixture again until the almonds are in tiny pieces (if they are too big, it could affect how well the bars hold together). Your mixture should be moist and sticky with no large pieces of dates or almonds remaining.
- Transfer the mixture to the loaf pan in an even layer and press down firmly to ensure the bars stick together.
- Next, add your dark chocolate chips to a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for about 1 minute and 30 seconds, stopping every 30 seconds to stir very well.Add the melted chocolate to the loaf pan and spread in an even layer. Add more coconut and almonds on top.
- Freeze for about 10-12 minutes or until the chocolate has set, slice into bars and enjoy! You can eat these vegan no bake almond joy bars straight from the fridge, or let them sit at room temp for a few minutes to soften before eating.
Notes
- For the medjool dates: It is imperative for the texture of this recipe that the dates be plump, moist and sticky. If your dates feel dry and look wrinkled, soak them in hot water for about 10-15 mintues, drain the water and proceed with the recipe.