Bite into a chewy, no bake almond butter bar and you won’t be disappointed! Made with oats and sweetened with dates, this healthy dessert recipe makes the perfect treat or snack. It’s vegan, low-sugar, and takes just 20 minutes to prep plus refrigeration time.
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Happy Friday, Veg World! I’m taking a break from vegetables today to highlight some of my other favorite plant foods: oats and nuts. I combined both of these foods to make an almond butter bar recipe that’s just as delicious as it is nutritious.
Instead of adding a liquid sweetener like honey or maple syrup, I used whole dates to sweeten the base layer of the bars. Bonus: the dates also provide fiber, vitamins and minerals, and lots of flavor! In addition to the dates, the thin layer of dark chocolate that covers the bars adds some sweetness.
You can count the other ingredients one one hand: almond butter, oats, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt! That’s it. If you’re thinking the ingredients list is too short to possibly yield a flavorful result, I ensure you that it’s not.
Go on and give these almond butter oatmeal bars a try to see for yourself! They would make a great treat for Valentine’s Day. Or, serve them as a healthy dessert, an afternoon pick-me up, or an after-school snack.
How to Make Almond Butter Oatmeal Bars
The full recipe card is at the bottom of the post. Scroll down to see the complete ingredients list and instructions there. In the meantime, here’s a snapshot of the easy steps, followed by my expert tips.
- Combine all ingredients (except for the chocolate) in a food processor. Pulse until combined and the dates have been chopped into small pieces.
- Spread the batter into a square baking dish lined with parchment paper.
- Melt the chocolate and pour over the batter.
- Sprinkle the bars with sliced almonds and flaky sea salt before putting them in the fridge until hardened.
Expert Tips
- Dates: Use pitted Medjool dates to make this almond butter bar recipe. They are available at most grocery stores, including Trader Joe’s. If you cannot find pitted dates, you can remove the pits yourself before making the recipe. You also have to soak the dates for 10 minutes in hot water so they are soft enough to be chopped up in the food processor. I just used hot water from my sink. No need to use boiling water.
- Food processor: Here is the one that I use and recommend. If you don’t have a food processor, you can still make the recipe! Just cut up the dates into small pieces with a knife and mix the batter by hand.
- Chocolate: I recommend using at least 70% dark chocolate for this recipe. It’s so delicious! I used 2, 3-ounce bars for a total of 6 ounces of chocolate, which yields about 1 cup chopped. You can also sub semi-sweet chocolate chips or another type of chocolate if you don’t have dark chocolate.
- Storage: Keep these almond butter oatmeal bars in the fridge so the chocolate doesn’t melt. They will last for up to a week. I also highly recommend freezing them! They are really good straight out of the freezer.
More Healthy Desserts
If you love these oatmeal date almond butter bars, I have some other treats you may enjoy, especially the similar Healthy Date Cookies! Plus, check out the Cherry Almond Butter Energy Balls, Pumpkin Peanut Butter Balls, Vegan Avocado Chocolate Mousse, Vegan Sweet Potato Brownies, and the Carrot White Bean Blondies.
I’d love to hear how you like this recipe! Rate/review using the stars on the recipe card or in the comments, and follow the Veg World on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. Looking for something totally different? Browse the recipe library.
📖 Recipe
Oatmeal Date Almond Butter Bars
Equipment
- Food processor optional
Ingredients
For the bar batter
- 8 to 10 pitted Medjool dates
- 1 cup old fashioned oats - use certified gluten-free if needed
- 1 cup creamy almond butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch kosher salt - omit if using salted almond butter
For the chocolate topping
- 6 ounces dark chocolate - roughly chopped, about 1 cup
- 1 tablespoon creamy almond butter
- ¼ cup sliced almonds - optional
- Pinch flaky sea salt - optional
Instructions
- Soak the dates in a bowl with hot water for 10 minutes to soften. I just used hot water from the tap, not boiling water. Once softened, drain. In the meantime, gather the other ingredients. Line an 8×8 or other square baking dish with parchment paper.
- Combine the soaked dates, oats, almond butter, vanilla, and salt in a food processor. Pulse until the dates are chopped into small pieces and the batter is well-combined.
- Transfer the batter to the lined baking dish and spread it out into an even layer.
- Place the chopped dark chocolate into a microwave-safe bowl and add the 1 tablespoon almond butter. Microwave for 20 to 30 seconds, stir, and repeat until the chocolate is melted and smooth.
- Pour the melted chocolate over the almond butter batter and spread it out. Sprinkle with sliced almonds and flaky sea salt if desired.
- Place the bars in the fridge for about an hour until the chocolate has hardened. Slice into 16 squares and enjoy!
- Leave a rating or review by tapping the stars on this recipe card (above) or in the comments section (at the end of the post).
Notes
- I recommend using 70% or more dark chocolate but you can substitute 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips or another type of chocolate if you don’t want to use dark.
- If you don’t have a food processor, you can still make the recipe. Chop the dates into small pieces with a knife and mix the ingredients together by hand.
- Store bars in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Use parchment or wax paper to separate the layers of the bars so they don’t stick together.
- The bars also freeze extremely well. I like to eat them right out of the freezer!
Nutrition
Enjoy your sweet treat! – Lizzie
Jackie O
Absolutely love this recipe! Needed something to use up while dates my son didn’t like and this worked out perfect so we could cut back on prepackaged bars. I cut these into bar shapes wrapped individually in cling wrap and they froze amazing and didn’t defrost sticky. I used walnut butter this second time around and soaked the dates longer so they were a little moist so I added a little more oats and some shredded coconut and flaxseed for some razzle dazzle. This was a perfect use for extra chocolate chips leftover from holiday baking! Do you think I could use dehydrated blueberries in place of the dates? I was gifted a huge bag and don’t know what to do with them! Lol
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
Hi Jackie! I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe! It sounds like you made some great additions. I think you could try the blueberries. However, if they are dehydrated, they may not be as sticky as dates. The batter may be crumbly as a result. If that happens, you could try to add some melted coconut oil to see if it helps everything stick together. I’d love to hear if you try it. Thanks for your comment!