Description

These no-bake cookie dough bars are a deliciously healthy and convenient treat, perfectly vegan and gluten-free. Made with soft Medjool dates, rolled oats, tahini, and sweetened with pure maple syrup, they offer a chewy, satisfying texture with rich chocolate chips folded in. With a quick preparation and no baking required, these bars are great for snack time or a guilt-free dessert, finished off with a luscious drizzle of melted vegan chocolate and optional flaky sea salt for a gourmet touch.

Ingredients

Scale

Base Ingredients

1 packed cup of soft Medjool dates, pitted
2 3/4 cups rolled oats (~260-275g), certified gluten-free if needed
1/4 cup smooth tahini (56g), or almond butter or cashew butter
4 1/2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

Chocolate and Finishing Ingredients

1 cup (180g) vegan chocolate chips, divided
2 teaspoons refined coconut oil, melted (optional; omit to keep oil-free)
Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling (optional)

Instructions

Soften Dates: If your Medjool dates aren’t very soft, soak them in hot water for 5 minutes. After soaking, drain and pat them dry so they’re ready for blending.
Make Oat Flour: Place the rolled oats into a food processor bowl and blend until a fine oat flour forms. Alternatively, you can use store-bought oat flour at this step.
Form the Dough: Add the pitted dates, tahini, pure maple syrup, vanilla extract, and sea salt to the oat flour in the food processor. Blend everything until the mixture clumps together into a sticky dough ball. If the dough feels dry, add plant-based milk one teaspoon at a time just until the dough sticks when pressed.
Mix in Chocolate Chips: Transfer the dough to a large bowl and fold in half a cup of the vegan chocolate chips using a silicone spatula. If the dough feels too sticky to handle, place it in the fridge for 20 minutes to firm up slightly.
Shape and Chill Dough: Line an 8×4-inch or 9×5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving overhangs as handles. Evenly press the dough into the pan using your fingers or a flat-bottomed steel cup to smooth it out and reach the corners. Place the pan into the freezer for 30 minutes or longer to allow the dough to set.
Melt Chocolate: Before the dough is ready, melt the remaining chocolate chips with the coconut oil. You can do this by setting up a double boiler on the stovetop, whisking until just melted, or in 25-30 second intervals in the microwave until smooth.
Drizzle Chocolate and Set: Remove the chilled dough from the freezer using the parchment as handles. Drizzle the melted chocolate evenly over the top and optionally sprinkle flaky sea salt. If the chocolate doesn’t harden immediately, return it to the freezer for 5-10 minutes to set fully.
Slice and Store: Slice the set bars into 8 thick pieces or smaller squares as preferred. Store any leftovers in the freezer, where they will keep well for several weeks.

Notes

If dates are not soft enough, soaking them in hot water improves blendability and texture.
You can substitute tahini with almond or cashew butter for different nutty flavors.
Refined coconut oil is optional and helps the chocolate drizzle set smoothly; omit to keep the recipe oil-free.
Use certified gluten-free oats if you require a gluten-free diet.
If the dough is sticky due to a warm kitchen, chilling it makes handling easier and cleaner.
Storing bars in the freezer keeps them fresh and firm for weeks.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Category: Dessert
Method: No-Cook
Cuisine: American

Keywords: no-bake cookie dough bars, vegan dessert, gluten-free snack, healthy cookie bars, no-bake dessert, dairy-free cookie bars, chocolate chip bars