You know those days when you're sitting there swooning over a bowl of ice cream and thinking about how you're going to start eating healthier tomorrow? I feel like this happens to me on a weekly basis; I decide that I should go on a little health kick, make healthier breakfasts, eat less bread, etc. The problem is that as soon as I start to think logistics, I hit a brick wall - basically a chocolate wall in my world. If you haven't quite figured it out yet, I have a bit of a chocolate addiction. That means that the thought of going without dessert (read: chocolate) for even a day is pretty much unheard of for me. I always, ALWAYS figure out a way to have my chocolate. If you lived with me, you would only know all to well how true this is.
And what about all the other challenges to eating healthy besides the chocolate issue? There's those carbs, too; I love bread, and I love cookies, and both (sadly) contain carbs. You can see how quickly this story of my grand plans for eating healthy could turn into a sob story if I didn't have any self-control. That's why I have to have tricks up my sleeve, like these Healthy Dark Chocolate No-Bake Bars. They involve chocolate and they're pretty close to being no-guilt. I loooovve it!
These bars couldn't be simpler. This is basically the gist of what goes into them:
So I know, the whole "secret" to making bars out of dates and nuts isn't super new; these days you hear the words "healthy brownie" and you can bet that what you're gonna hear next involves the words "cocoa, nuts, dates, food processor"...the end. But don't check out; these bars are different! When you toast the nuts and oats, they develop so much more flavor that you can actually taste in the finished bars. The pecans, especially, taste ah-mazing toasted. It's the same trick I use in my Oatmeal Raisin Cookies and it's totally worth the extra couple minutes it takes. Then after you add those warm, toasty nuts and oats to the dates,you blend in that luscious dark chocolate (because sometimes you need the chocolate, not just the cocoa), and easy, healthy, no-bake bars become totally rich, delicious treats. You get a tiny note of saltiness in some of the bites that's so perfect, and vanilla in every bite that just completes the whole thing.
The first time I made these, I didn't mean for the chocolate to get all melty and make these bars what they are, but they did, and it was amazing, and I haven't looked back since. The combination of rich nutty flavors, dark chocolate, and lots of vanilla makes me seriously feel like these bars are dessert, except for the fact that I can eat them in the middle of the day with no guilt. It's like something from my dreams, you guys. If you're a chocolate addict/cookie lover like me, you need to try these! (And they're so easy to make, you basically have no excuse not to!)
P.S. Have you entered into the giveaway I have going on now? One of you will win a $50 store credit for Minted.com! They have some of the cutest business cards, invitations, stationary, party supplies, and other paper goods ever. If I could I would seriously be entering to win myself!
Recipe Card
Healthy Dark Chocolate No-Bake Bars
These no-bake bars are loaded with nutritious ingredients but taste sinfully rich, chocolate-y and delicious! They're so easy to make and perfect for an on-the-go snack.
- Yield: 16 bars 1x
Ingredients
- 6 ounces (1 ⅞ cups) old-fashioned rolled oats
- 4 ounces (1 cup) pecans
- 3 ½ ounces (1 cup) slivered almonds
- 5 ½ ounces (1 cup, halved and packed in) pitted medjool dates
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 8 ounces (1 ⅓ cup) dark chocolate baking chips (or chocolate bar, chopped; for dairy-free and sugar-free, I recommend Lily’s Sweets baking bar)
- 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and divide the oats, pecans, and almonds between the two sheets, spreading out in flat layers. Bake in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes to toast, switching and rotating sheets halfway through the baking time, until nuts and oats smell fragrant. Lift the parchment off of the baking sheets and use to transfer the nuts and oats to a food processor fitted with the steel blade attachment. Allow to cool 20 minutes.
- Add the dates to the food processor and sprinkle over the salt. Process the mixture until it resembles coarse sand. Add 6 ounces (1 cup) chocolate chips and process in partway. Add the remaining 2 ounces and continue to process until the mixture has turned evenly brown from the melting chocolate. You may need to stop and use a spatula to push the mixture around (basically helping the machine out) periodically. Add the vanilla extract and pulse in.
- Transfer the mixture to a parchment or foil-lined 8" square pan. Press in to fill the entire pan and use a wide spatula to flatten the top. Place in the refrigerator to cool until firm, about 30-60 minutes. Use the parchment or foil to lift the bars out of the pan, and then slice into bars with a serrated knife.
- Store bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before eating (my preference!)*
Notes
*You can also wrap each bar in plastic wrap so that it's all ready as a grab-and-go snack. Since these are even more awesome at room temperature, it works out perfectly; they'll come to room temp. by the time you're ready to snack!
These bars remind me of my Apple Cinnamon Energy Bars. They're perfect for the days when you aren't craving chocolate, and they're even healthier!
And if you love snacking on nutty foods, you should try making DIY Peanut Butter. It's so pure and tasty, but it doesn't have all the unhealthy ingredients found in store-bought Peanut Butter. :)
Thanks for stopping by! If you're into the kind of goodies I'm baking (or not baking) up here, you can follow along by e-mail or RSS to recieve updates of new posts. You can also browse for more recipes in the recipe index!
What's your favorite healthy snack or treat?
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jorie
Are the dark chocolate no bake bars soft and chewy/moist... or a little dryer and harder like granola bars? Just wondering before I make them.
alexandra
When they're refrigerated, they're on the firm side. If you leave them at room temp for a bit, they're soft and moist. It really just depends on how you like them. :)
michelle
These BARS are the bomb... i have made them every weekend for the past month.... they truly due satisfy that "evening/post dinner" chocolate craving...
alexandra
Awesome! So glad you're loving them! And thanks for sharing the nutritional info for those who were wondering. :)
Crissy
Do you know how many calories are in these? They look amazing!
alexandra
I don't actually; that's not something I personally like to calculate with recipes, but you can always plug the information into a nutrition calculator online to figure that out!
michelle
Just calculated, 252 calories eacy
Patricia
I made these and they turned out great; I'm getting ready to make some more. I decided to use a good quality chocolate though instead of the chips, and got a Lindt Excellence 70% bar (they also make 85, 90 and 99%, btw). I also pressed the "dough" into a loaf pan and, after refrigerating, cut into one-inch squares. Thanks for sharing!
alexandra
So happy you seem to love the bars as much as I do! I'm really picky about my chocolate chips so I only buy Ghirardelli, but using a good chocolate bar is never a bad idea!
Aimee
Just made these bars and they are awesome! I'm eating my 1st one right now the sweet and salty combination is delicious. They are also very easy to make it only took a few minutes once I toasted the nuts and oatmeal. Great recipe!!!!
alexandra
Thanks so much! I love that salty-sweet combo too. :)
Heather
I have made a variation of this recipe and they were delish!! I am a chocoholic & love that these are so healthy. However, would you be able to give me nutritional value of these per serving. Just wanted to know mostly calories. I'm hooked on your website & get updates thru facebook and just can't wait to see the recipes that come thru.
alexandra
I don't compute nutritional values for my recipes but there are a variety of tools you can find online that let you put in the ingredients and do just that. Try Google. :)
Also, I'm so glad you like the blog! You can also get updates by e-mail or RSS if you're interested; it's more consistent since I'm not always great about staying on top of Facebook.
Dianna
I just made these and wow!! I did sub, using what I had. (Couldnt wait haha) I used hazelnuts and milk chocolate instead, and they are wonderful. I ended up throwing in the full package of everything: 16oz dates, 6oz hazelnuts, 12oz choc chips, 2 cups oats, and 1 TB vanilla. Roasted, cooled, blended, pressed and drizzled w white chocolate. (Made them look kid friendly for my 3 boys) couldn't be easier or yummier! Can't think you enough, in following you on Pinterest now!
alexandra
OMG, I think your version sounds even better than mine! As you could obviously tell the recipe is pretty tweakable. The hazelnuts, though, would be ah-mazing I'm sure! Did you skin them?
Mary Frances @ The Sweet {Tooth} Life
Found this via Pinterest and your best of 2013 post! They look incredible! I love how thick and dense they are. Making them as we speak!
alexandra
I'm so glad you made them and liked them; they're some of my favorites! So chocolate-y and sooo good. :D
Ashleigh
How many bars does this recipe make?
alexandra
12 :)
Stephanie
Have you tried adding a dollop of peanut butter? I love the combination of dark chocolate and peanut butter!
alexandra
Nope, but I've been meaning to make a chocolate-peanut butter variation of these bars for a while now! Let me know if you try it!
Stephanie
I've just made them. They're setting in the fridge as we speak. I think I may have overdone the peanut butter though- i added 3 tablespoons to a half batch- so added a bit of honey to balance out the savoury taste! Will report back tomorrow. Thanks a million for the recipe though- I think I'll have fun messing around with this one! :)
Stephanie
Yip, peanut butter definitely works. I'm addicted!!! Thank god there's nothing bad in them or I'd be in trouble! Thanks again for the recipe !
alexandra
Awesome!! I will definitely have to try it out. Thanks so much for letting me know! It's crazy how good a few ingredients smashed together can be, right?! :D
Katarina
Yummy, these look so delicious!
alexandra
Thanks Katarina! They really are!
Ashley
Sold! I need to make these - I love that they have chocolate in them. And I always like to have healthy snacks on hand for cravings (since I have a tendency to get cranky when I'm hungry lol)
alexandra
Haha - I get a little cranky when I'm really hungry too. I LOVE these though; they're one of my favorite healthy snacks ever because they taste so much like dessert!
Nora @ Buttercream Fanatic
These look amazing! As overdone as the dates + nuts + food processor formula may be, it works. And it works well. So I am all in favor of it because it produces recipes like this!
alexandra
So true! When it comes to bars, dates are the perfect sweetener. And thank you so much!
Colleen @ What's Baking in the Barbershop?!
Oh man, these look so good! And healthy! I'm on a kick right now of making healthy snacks like these bars. I'm definitely going to have to add these to my "must make" list. Thanks for the great recipe!
alexandra
I think you'll love them! The chocolate really makes them seem rich and delicious even though there are so many healthy ingredients packed in. Hope you get to try them out soon!