Vegan No-Bake Paleo Chocolate Almond Bars
Dense, fudgy squares made from dates and almond butter with a vegan chocolate top. No baking required. Naturally gluten-free and vegan, held together by food-processed dates and almonds for structure. Topped with melted chocolate and crushed almonds. Freezes well for quick snacking.
Ingredients
- 7 Medjool dates, pitted
- ½ cup unsalted natural creamy almond butter
- 2 tablespoon unsalted natural creamy almond butter
- 1 cup unsalted almonds
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract(optional)
- ¼ teaspoon salt(optional)
- ½ cup vegan chocolate chips, or chopped paleo vegan chocolate
- ¼ cup unsalted natural creamy almond butter
- 1 tablespoon unsalted natural creamy almond butter
- ¼ cup chopped almonds
Instructions
- 1
Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment or wax paper and set aside.
- 2
Add dates and almond butter to a food processor and blend until cohesive and sticky, about 2 minutes, scraping sides frequently.
- 3
Add almonds, vanilla, and salt. Blend until almonds are finely chopped and mixture holds firmly when pinched.
- 4
Pour mixture into prepared pan and press into an even, tightly-packed layer.
- 5
Combine chocolate chips and almond butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in 20-second increments until softened and melted, then stir smooth.
- 6
Pour chocolate mixture over almond base and smooth into an even layer with a rubber spatula. Create swirls if desired.
- 7
Sprinkle chopped almonds over chocolate and press gently.
- 8
Freeze for 20 to 30 minutes.
- 9
Remove from freezer and slice into 16 bars.
Tips
Scrape sides of food processor frequently and take breaks to avoid overheating the mixture.
Thoroughly blend almonds to ensure bars are not crumbly.
Use double boiler method as alternative to microwave for melting chocolate.
Good to Know
Keep in airtight container in freezer for up to 2 weeks.
Prepare base layer up to 2 days ahead; add chocolate topping and freeze when ready to serve.
Slice into 16 bars. Serve chilled directly from freezer.
Common Mistakes
Do not skip scraping processor sides to avoid unblended pockets of dates or almonds.
Do not under-blend almonds to avoid a crumbly texture that won't hold together.
Do not skip the freezing step to ensure bars set and slice cleanly.