Quick, easy, and healthy No-Bake Bars that taste like cookie dough but are packed with good-for-you ingredients. The fudgy chocolate topping is optional but recommended!
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This is a Healthy No-Bake Bars recipe for those of you who like packing all the good things into a conveniently quick and easy, grab-and-go type bar situation.
They are nutritious, made with healthy whole foods, naturally sweetened, gluten-free, and full of protein thanks to the ever-versatile chickpea addition. Your practical meets healthy, meets super yum, goals are well and truly going to be met here!
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you need to make No-Bake Bars:
And a few ingredient notes and substitution ideas:
- Chickpeas - One of my favourite ingredients! In these no-bake bars, the chickpeas provide a creamy, cookie dough-like texture, and lots of protein. I promise you can't taste them though!
- Oats - For fibre, substance, and heart-healthy staying power.
- Dates - Nature's ultimate candy! These provide sweetness and act like sticky glue to hold everything together.
- Cashew nuts - These add to the buttery, cookie dough flavour we've got happening, but if you're allergic, swap them out for hemp seeds or sunflower seeds.
- Coconut - This adds texture, flavour, and even more healthy fats. It's not essential though, so if you don't eat coconut you can omit it.
- Chocolate - Optional to mix with some plant milk to make the fudgy topping. The bars are still great without it!
Optional add-ins ahoy. I'm thinking chocolate chips, chopped nuts, seeds, toasted buckwheat groats, dried fruit like raisins, chopped apricots, and cranberries would all be great mix-ins, and on that fudgy chocolate topping, some good quality flaky sea salt would be A-Mazing!
How To Make Healthy No-Bake Bars
These No-Bake Bars come together so very easily with no oven required. Here's how it's done:
- Put everything (except the chocolate and milk) into a food processor and blend until it balls up.
- Press into a pan.
- For the chocolate layer melt the chocolate and milk together gently in a microwave or on the stovetop.
- Pour the chocolate mixture over the top and allow to set before cutting.
And just like that, we've got a super tasty, nutritious snack that packs a healthy, protein-filled punch, and stays soft and delicious in the fridge for weeks, whilst providing all the snack-ability you need!
Success Tip - For this recipe a food processor is essential. A blender, even a high-powered one, won't cut it. This mixture is way too stiff.
Storage Tips
Keep the bars either covered in their pan or remove and store them in an airtight container. They should be kept in the refrigerator and are good for up to a month. They also freeze really well for up to 3 months. Each bar defrosts within 30 minutes, and you can even eat them straight from the freezer if you like a nice chewy bar. The dates stop them freezing solid and it's my favourite way to enjoy them!
More Healthy Snacks
Recipe
Healthy No-Bake Bars
Author:WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Ingredients
- 1 cup (165 grams) chickpeas , drained and rinsed
- ½ cup (50 grams) rolled or quick oats , certified gluten-free if necessary
- 1 packed cup (135 grams) dates (dried or Medjool)
- ½ cup (65 grams) raw cashew nuts , or hemp, pumpkin, or sunflower seeds to keep nut-free
- ¼ cup (25 grams) unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
Optional chocolate topping
- ½ cup (85 grams) chocolate chips
- ¼ cup (60 ml) non-dairy milk of choice
INSTRUCTIONS
- Line a loaf pan with clingwrap or parchment paper. (If you want to use an 8 x 8-inch pan you will need to double the recipe).
- Add all of the ingredients (except those for the optional topping) to a food processor and process until it becomes one big smoothish ball.
- If you want to add any optional add-ins like a handful of nuts or chocolate chips, add them now and pulse a few times to combine.
- Remove from the food processor, being careful of the blade, and press into the prepared pan, flattening it down evenly all over.
- Add the chocolate chips and the milk to a small pan and over low heat, allow the chocolate to melt. Stir to help them combine. Once the chips are melted completely and the chocolate mixture is completely smooth, pour over the no-bake bars and shake gently to level.
- Refrigerate for at least an hour then cut into bars. You will be able to cut them into 7 large bars or 14 smaller ones if you cut each one of those in half again.
NOTES
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Alexandra C Colacito says
This is my second time making them. Can't believe there is no sugar, oil, flour, eggs or dairy -- and they are DELECTABLE. They taste like Mounds bars, but HEALTHY!! Incredible! I think next time I will soak my cashews before putting them in the food processor (I think I strained the motor making a double batch of these) and MAYBE I will make the topping JUST out of chocolate chips and skip the milk, so it's firmer. But seriously magical!!!
Stacy says
Oh so yummy!! And I love that the main ingredient is chickpeas. This is my second recipe I’ve made since finding you and I’m so glad I did. My first recipe was your potato soup. It’s a keeper too!
Thank you!
Stacy
Melanie McDonald says
So pleased you enjoyed them Stacy and thank you for leaving a review. It's much appreciated!
Alexandra C Colacito says
Has anyone tried making these with white beans instead of chick peas?