These delicious no-bake tahini-date bars feature a chewy base and a crisp chocolate shell!
These tahini-date bars were inspired by the holiday of Tu B'Shvat, which is sometimes referred to as the Birthday of the Trees. It's traditional to eat many different kinds of fruits on the holiday, including dates. These bars also incorporate tahini, a paste made from sesame seeds that is popular in Israel and the rest of the Middle East. I love the earthy flavor of tahini, which contrasts nicely with the sweetness of the dates and maple syrup in this recipe. Best of all, these tahini-date bars require no baking - just your food processor and some time to set in the freezer.
How to Make the Tahini-Date Bars
Gather your ingredients.
Line an 8x8" pan with parchment paper, allowing some paper to hang over the sides. This will help you remove the bars, once set. If your dates are not very soft, soak them in hot water for about 5 minutes. Drain and discard the water.
Add all ingredients except the chocolate chips and coarse sea salt to a food processor. Blend until thoroughly mixed and relatively smooth; you should not see many large oats or chunks of date in the mixture. Scrape the batter into the lined pan and press it down into the sides and corners; the top should be pretty even. Place the pan in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.
Melt the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until the chocolate is fully melted and smooth. Remove the pan from the freezer and pour the melted chocolate over the batter. Use a spatula to smooth out the chocolate. If using, sprinkle the coarse sea salt over the chocolate. Return the pan to the freezer for at least 30 minutes to set.
Lift the tahini-date bars out of the pan and remove the parchment paper. Place the bars on a cutting board and cut them into squares or rectangles as you prefer.
Substitutions
If you have a sesame allergy or just don't like tahini, you can substitute almond butter or another nut butter for the tahini.
Storing the Tahini-Date Bars
Store the bars in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You may also freeze them for up to 3 months.
Tahini-Date Bars
Ingredients
- 1½ cups pitted dates
- 2 cups rolled oats
- ¾ cup tahini
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup vegan chocolate chips
- 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt optional, for sprinkling
Instructions
- Line an 8x8 pan with parchment paper, allowing some paper to hang over the sides.
- If your dates are not very soft, soak them for about 5 minutes in hot water. Drain and discard the water.
- Add the dates, rolled oats, tahini, maple syrup, vanilla, and salt to your food processor. Blend or pulse until the ingredients are thoroughly mixed and have come together in a sticky batter. The batter should be relatively smooth and you should not see many whole oats or large chunks of date.
- Pour the batter into the lined pan, and press it down into the sides and corners so that it is distributed evenly and is relatively flat on top. Place the pan in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.
- Before you remove the pan from the freezer, melt the chocolate chips. Place them in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 20-30 second intervals, stirring in between each one, until the chocolate is fully melted and smooth.
- Remove the pan from the freezer and pour the melted chocolate over the batter. Use a rubber spatula to smooth out the chocolate. If using, sprinkle the coarse sea salt on top. Place the pan back in the freezer for at least 30 minutes to set.
- Remove the pan from the freezer and carefully lift the bars out using the parchment paper sling. Peel off the parchment paper and place the bars on a cutting board. Divide into squares or rectangles as you prefer.
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