Date Energy Bars
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These Date Energy Bars are made with just a few whole food ingredients, have no added sugar, and are baked until perfectly chewy and lightly golden.
These bars are perfect for kids’ lunchboxes, pre- or post-workout snacks, or a quick bite between school drop-off and Zoom meetings. My whole family loves these bars!
If you’re looking for a go-to healthy date bar recipe to keep on hand for busy days, this one checks all the boxes. It’s satisfying, energizing, and naturally sweetened — with no added sugar and no complicated ingredients. They’re the ideal grab-and-go snack for moms who want nourishment without the crash.
These homemade date energy bars are full of fiber, healthy fats, and slow-digesting carbs, making them great for sustained energy. You could pair a bar with Greek yogurt for more protein or enjoy it by itself as a mid-afternoon pick-me-up.
If you love these, you’ll also want to try my No-Bake Chocolate Chip Brownie Bars and Apricot Energy Balls! They are all great for meal prep!
Recipe Ingredients
You’ll need the following ingredients to make these Date Oat Energy Bars:
Ingredient Notes
- Medjool dates – I prefer to use Medjool dates for this recipe since they are soft and sticky (helping the bars stick together well), but you can use an alternative type of date if preferred.
- Rolled oats – If needed, make sure your oats are certified gluten-free.
Additions & Substitutions
- Nuts: Swap in cashews or walnuts for the pecans/almonds, if needed. This will change the flavor profile but it may be fun to experiment with!
- Chocolate Chips or Cacao Nibs: Add some dark chocolate chips or cacao nibs for a delicious flavor! You can blend them right in the food processor with the other ingredients.
Tools For This Recipe
How to Make Date Energy Bars: Step-by-Step
For the full recipe with the exact ingredients, scroll down to the printable recipe card below!
Step 1: Soak dates in hot water for 5 minutes. Reserve 3 tablespoons of the soaking water, then drain. Meanwhile, add oats, nuts, chia seeds, cinnamon, salt, vanilla, and optional cacao nibs/chocolate chips to a food processor and blend until mostly ground.
Step 2: Add soaked dates and reserved water. Blend until a sticky dough forms, scraping down sides as needed.
Step 3: Transfer date mixture to a baking dish lined with parchment paper. Press the mixture firmly into the baking dish. Use your hands or a spatula to flatten evenly.
Step 4: Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Let cool slightly before slicing into bars.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Soaking the dates is key for easy blending and a smooth texture.
- Press mixture down firmly and evenly into the baking dish to help the bars hold their shape.
- You can try skipping the baking altogether (though I have not personally tried this!) for a softer, no-bake version (refrigerate for about 1 hour to set).
Storage & Reheating
- Store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 7 days or on the counter for 3-4 days. These date power bars are perfect for meal prep, travel, or lunchbox snacks!
Frequently Asked Questions
I have not personally tried this method, but I would think it would work well! I would let them set in the fridge for about an hour and then slice them. If you try it this way, let me know how it goes!
A high-powered food processor is best. I’ve broken many a blender in my day by trying to blend things just like this, so I would not recommend a regular blender!
Yes, so long as you ensure you are using certified gluten-free oats!
Of course! Chocolate chips are a lovely and delicious addition. You can blend them right into the date mixture in the food processor.
Whether you need a simple snack, a healthy lunchbox treat, or a naturally sweet dessert option, these homemade date energy bars are a go-to in my kitchen. They’re easy to prep and are family-friendly!
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Date Energy Bars
Ingredients
- ½ cup raw pecans
- ½ cup raw almonds
- 1 ½ cups pitted medjool dates (about 15 dates), soaked in hot water for 5 minutes
- 3 tablespoons reserved date water
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup rolled oats
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds
- (Optional) 1 tablespoon cacao nibs, or dark chocolate chips
- Dash of cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line an 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper and set aside.
- Soak dates in hot water for 5 minutes. Reserve 3 tablespoons of the date water, then drain.
- Meanwhile, add oats, nuts, chia seeds, cinnamon, salt, vanilla, and optional cacao nibs/chocolate chips to a food processor and blend until mostly ground.
- Add soaked dates and reserved date water. Blend until a sticky dough forms, scraping down sides as needed.
- Transfer date mixture to the baking dish. Press the mixture firmly into the baking dish. Use your hands or a spatula to flatten evenly.
- Bake for 15 minutes until the date bars are slightly golden brown. Let cool slightly before slicing into bars.
Great to bring on a bike ride or hike.
Yes, great idea!
Tried these – came out really great….have a fun batch of pick me up squares for work snacks!
Hi Shruti! Yay! I’m so happy to hear you liked the Date Bars and that they can be a nice work snack for you. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review! 🙂
Lovely and sweet… a nice after-school snack for the grandchildren
Hi Sue! Aw, yay! I am so happy to hear that these date bars served as a nice after-school snack for your grandchildren! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review. 🙂
Love using the food processor to grind up the oats especially.
Omitted chia seeds, added chocolate chips, and used roasted not raw nuts.
What a great recipe. Tastes great w chocolate chips!
Hi Mike! Yay! I’m happy to hear that you enjoyed these bars! I love your ideas of adding chocolate chips and roasted nuts! I will definitely have to try it that way. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review! I appreciate it! 🙂
Love these. I typically use what I have in the kitchen. I have followed this recipe specifically and they are delicious. Other times, I had dried dates and dried plums, walnuts, hazelnuts, chocolate chips – and I like to drizzle melted peanut butter on top after it’s done in the oven! Yum.
I was thinking earlier about what the nutritional value of the bars are. So, I used ChatGPT to assemble (let me know if you get something different and I’ll edit my comment):
A 4-inch by 2-inch bar of this recipe (approximately 0.5 inch thick) would have the following nutritional facts:
• Calories: 360 kcal
• Total Fat: 19.4g
• Saturated Fat: 1.4g
• Cholesterol: 0mg
• Sodium: 139mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 49.9g
• Dietary Fiber: 6.9g
• Total Sugars: 27.7g
• Added Sugars: 0g
• Protein: 5.5g
Hi! I’m so happy to hear that you loved these date bars! That makes me so happy. 🙂 Love your other ideas of what to put in a bar like this! Thank you for pointing out that my recipe didn’t include the nutritional facts – I just updated it! You can view them at the bottom of the recipe card. They’re based on 1 serving (the recipe makes 10 bars) and are a little different than what ChatGPT gave you. Great idea to use ChatGPT to calculate it for you though! This recipe post is next on my list for recipe posts to update, so stay tuned! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a rating and review!!