No-Bake Cocoa Nut Bars

Your new favorite indulgent-but-healthy treat: nut-oat-date crust and cocoa topping with flaked coconut and a little salt on top. It’s easy and crowd-pleasing!

These are perfect to make if you have a little bit of canned coconut milk left over from a different recipe. There is little bit of thick coconut milk in the topping and base to help them firm up.

I think cashews make the prettiest cookie-dough-colored base, but I used walnuts for the ones in this picture. Whatever nuts you like to use, it will be good!

These are no weight-loss treat (you’ll find some of those in my post 5 Desserts Sweetened Only with Fruit), but they are great for anyone who needs more calories: athletes, children who eat like birds, or those struggling to maintain weight. They’re also ideal for general life enjoyment and sharing with anyone who you want to convince that plant-based treats can be delicious.

Here are some other no-bake dessert recipes you need to try if you haven’t yet!

Snickers Nice Cream

Gingerbread Cookie Dough Bites

Chickpea Cookie Dough Balls

Carrot Cake Bites

My all-time favorite treat

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Cocoa Nut Bars

Incredibly indulgent and irresistible dessert bars made of a nut base and chocolate topping. They melt easily, so keep them in the freezer (or at least a fridge).

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 16 small bars

Author Faith Ralphs

Ingredients

Base

• 1 cup raw nuts (cashews, walnuts, and/or almonds)
• 3/4 cup rolled oats
• 1 cup dates, pits removed
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 TBSP coconut cream (thick part from can of coconut milk) or coconut oil

Topping

• 3/4 cup dairy-free semi sweet chocolate chips
• 1 TBSP coconut cream or coconut oil

Tippy Top

• shredded unsweetened coconut
• coarse salt

Instructions

• In a food processor, process the nuts until fine. Add the rest of the base ingredients and process until very smooth and it has clumped into a large ball. It will take a couple minutes.
• Press into the bottom of an 8-inch square pan. Line with parchment paper if you'd like easy removal. They do come out fairy easily without parchment paper, too. Press until evenly spaced out, then place the pan in the freezer while you make the topping.
• Melt the chocolate chips and coconut cream or coconut oil in a bowl for 1 minute. Stir until smooth. Pour over the base and spread evenly. Sprinkle with some shredded coconut and coarse salt.
• Let firm up in the freezer for at least 30 minutes. Cut into bars 4 rows both ways to make 16 squares. Keep in the freezer.

Notes

*For a non chocolate chip version, melt together 1/4 cup maple syrup, 1/4 cup coconut oil, 1/3 cup cocoa powder and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Melt and pour over. 

Adapted from Dishing Out Health.