Healthy Date Bars | No Bake Energy Bars (gluten free)

Healthy date bars are energy bars made by combining dates, desiccated coconut and walnuts. Finally topped with chopped almond and pumpkin seeds. These bars are gluten-free and vegan.

Finally the term holidays has started for kids which means we get more time to spend with them. In this rainy and cold weather most important task for me is to come up with creative indoor activity ideas to reduce screen – on time for my naughty and bubbly daughter  Samyu(Samyuktha). I thought of getting her involved in cooking which is also her favourite pretend play. My true little chef Samyu being a trusty kitchen helper, she is excited to make these little bars. Well she is actually more excited for photo and video shoot as she want to show them to her friends and teacher. Co incidentally I am supposed to submit a recipe with any ingredient starting with D for A to Z challenge so I came up with no bake date nut bars. As this recipe doesn’t involve any cooking or baking this is absolutely a perfect recipe for little chef to make herself with little help from me.

A-Z Challenge concept

A to Z challenge, a challenge initiated by super active bloggers Jolly Makkar and Vidya Narayan on Facebook Group, wherein a group of bloggers come together and we choose key ingredients alphabetically to cook and post a dish every alternate month. This month alphabet is ‘D’, so my contribution for this month is healthy date bars.

What are energy bars

Energy bars are no bake healthy snack that requires just few minutes to make and are packed with protein, fiber and nutrients to keep kids fueled until their next meal. The most important fact is these bars tastes too delicious and irresistible even though they are sugar-free.

Kids friendly healthy date bars

Healthy and tasty homemade energy bars with just few ingredients is a win-win for both parents and kids. This recipe requires no cooking or no baking, no refined sugar. Dates are good source of potassium, As dates are so sweet they act as perfect natural sweetener and an alternative to added sugars in any dates recipe. All it requires is just few ingredients and few minutes to whip up this quick and easy to make dates bars. Best part for parents is that this is a perfect recipe to engage kids in making their own dish which really gets them eating the right things from young age. Fun part for kids is that they can choose their own add-ins. The sky is the limit if they really want to choose something that goes into them, with their favourite add-in they are more likely to eat them without any fuss, guaranteed.

Possible add-ins

You can play around adding other ingredients. You can swap out walnuts for almonds, cashews, pecans or you can add half walnuts and half other nuts of your choice.  Ground cinnamon, ground cardamom,  ground nutmeg are an awesome add-ins to infuse more flavours into your bars. Substitute almond or pumpkin seeds with flax seeds, chia seeds or melon seeds for crunchy topping or you can totally skip the topping as well. Some chocolate chips or cocoa powder makes a best add-in for kid appeal.

Here is the recipe of healthy date bars with process shots and video.

Ingredients:

1 cup = 240ml

1 tbsp = 15ml

For Bars:

Dates: 1 cup (21dates), pitted

Desiccated Coconut: 1 cup

Walnuts: 1 cup, chopped

Hot Water: 1 and 1/2 cup

For Topping:

Almonds + Pumpkin Seeds : 2 tbsp

Instructions:

Soak pitted dates in hot water for 1 hour or until it softens.

drain the water and keep dates aside in a bowl.

In a deep bowl, place dates and mash them with potato masher.

Now add desiccated coconut and coarsely ground walnut.

Stir in all the ingredients together until well combined.

Now line a tin/container with parchment paper or wax paper. Transfer the mixture, spread evenly and press it firmly with back of spoon or spatula.

Top it with chopped almonds and pumpkin seeds.

Wrap and chill for at least an hour or until it sets.

Unwrap and cut the bars.

Enjoy the delicious and healthy date bars.

Recipe Notes:

Nuts can be used raw or roasted, roasting adds toasty and nutty flavour to the bars.

Store these bars in an air tight container in fridge for a week or in freezer for up to 3 months. (Mine disappeared in a day).

Experiment with different nuts and seeds combo when you make your next batch.

Though you mix and match ingredients always make sure to keep dates in the recipe as it acts as a binding agent.

Easy process is to blend all the ingredients listed under “for bars” in a food processor. Place all the ingredients in a food processor, pulse few times for 30 seconds or just until they break into crumb size pieces. Scrape the sides of the container, continue the pulse for 1-2 minutes or until all the ingredients  have clump together into a ball. (Note: I didn’t use this process as I was pretty sure my little chef might end up with a paste like consistency which totally ruins the texture of bars. I had to choose an alternative option only due to such unavoidable situations).

It is not necessary to soak dates in hot water if you prefer to blend all ingredients in food processor. (Note: I had to soak them until they turn soft so that it’s easy for little chef to mash them).

If you like this easy no bake date bars recipe, you might also like other kids friendly recipes Oatmeal Cookie Bites,  Masala Corn,  Mango Lassi,  Dry Fruit Lassi.

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5 from 5 votes

Healthy Date Bars | No Bake Energy Bars (gluten free & vegan)

Healthy date bars are energy bars made by combining dates, desiccated coconut and walnuts. Finally topped with chopped almond and pumpkin seeds. These bars are gluten-free and vegan.

Prep Time10 mins

Soaking Time1 hr

Total Time10 mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Indian

Servings: 10 bars

Author: Samyuktha

Ingredients

Gluten free, Vegan

1 cup = 240ml ; 1 tbsp = 15ml

For Bars

• 1 cup Dates pitted
• 1 cup Walnuts
• 1 cup Desiccated Coconut
• 1 1/2 cup Hot Water

For Toppings

• 2 tbsp Almonds + Pumpkin Seeds chopped

Instructions

• Soak pitted dates in hot water for 1 hour or until it softens.
• Drain the water and keep dates aside in a bowl.
• In a deep bowl, place dates and mash them with potato masher.
• Now add desiccated coconut and coarsely ground walnut.
• Now stir in all the ingredients together until well combined.
• Now line a tin/container with parchment paper or wax paper. Transfer the mixture, spread evenly and press it firmly with back of spoon or spatula.
• Top it with chopped almonds and pumpkin seeds.
• Wrap and chill for at least an hour or until it sets.
• Unwrap and cut the bars and enjoy the delicious and healthy date bars.

Video

Notes

Nuts can be used raw or roasted, roasting adds toasty and nutty flavour to the bars.

Store these bars in an air tight container in fridge for a week or in freezer for up to 3 months. (Mine disappeared in a day).

Experiment with different nuts and seeds combo when you make your next batch.

Though you mix and match ingredients always make sure to keep dates in the recipe as it acts as a binding agent.

Use chopped almonds and pumpkin seeds as toppings.  You can clearly see topping here is not chopped nuts rather coarse powder. That's because of extra pulsing function of food processor as little chef likes it!!

Easy process is to blend all the ingredients listed under "for bars" in a food processor.

Place all the ingredients in a food processor, pulse few times for 30 seconds or just until they break into crumb size pieces. Scrape the sides of the container, continue the pulse for 1-2 minutes or until all the ingredients  have clump together into a ball. (Note: I didn't use this process as I was afraid my little chef might end up with a paste like consistency which totally ruins the texture of bars. I had to choose an alternative option only due to such unavoidable situations).

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