Get creative this Passover with some vegan, gluten-free and kosher-for-Passover fruit and nut bars! Dense and chewy, they’re similar to Lara bars. They’re packed with dates, which are full of natural sugar and potassium. The combination of nuts, dried fruit and coconut will be sure to keep your “hanger” at bay. If you’re like me, snacks like these come in handy as a mid-morning snack — breakfast only gets you so far.
While browsing for recipes, I noticed a simple formula: 1½-2 cups of dried fruit to every 1 cup of nuts. Most recipes call for medjool dates as a significant part of that dried fruit ratio, due to their plump and gooey sticking power. I discovered that prunes and sun-dried figs work just as well. You can add up to another half cup of optional ingredients, like spices, chia seeds, cocoa powder or shaved coconut for flavor and texture. And the best thing is, if the “dough” isn’t sticking, you can always add more dates.
Using these basic rules, I came up with three recipes that I think you’ll enjoy!
Note: This recipe calls for a food processor.
No-Bake Date Energy Bars, Three Ways
These easy no-bake bars are vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free… and absolutely delicious.
- Total Time: 5 minutes
Ingredients
For coconut-date bars:
- 1 cup medjool dates, pitted (12-14 dates)
- 1 cup dried prunes
- ½ cup raw cashews
- ½ cup raw almonds
- ½ cup shaved coconut
- ½–1 tsp sea salt (optional)
For apricot-cardamom bars:
- 1 cup medjool dates, pitted (12-14 dates)
- 1 cup dried apricots, packed
- 1 cup walnuts (you can also toast them!)
- 1 tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp ground cardamom, or more to taste
- ½ tsp ground ginger, or more to taste
For cocoa, cranberry and fig bars:
- 1 cup medjool dates, pitted (12-14 dates)
- ½ cup sun dried Turkish figs
- ½ cup dried cranberries, unsweetened
- 1 cup mix of raw walnuts, cashews, and almonds
- 2 heaping Tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 tsp sea salt
Instructions
- The recipe is the same for all bar recipes. Start by making sure the dates are pitted. Add all ingredients into the food processor and process until a large ball forms. This can take up to 2 minutes of processing. Add more dates, prunes or figs if the mixture is still not forming into a ball. With the processor off, push it around a bit with a wooden spoon to make sure all the fruits are blended together properly. Blend for another minute after it reaches ball state.
- Take a break from the dough and line a square pan or rectangular baking tray with parchment paper.
- Press the dough-like mixture into the lined tray. Chill overnight. Then, remove the dough from the tray and cut into squares or rectangles. Store in the fridge with parchment paper between each bar so that they don’t stick together.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
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