No Bake Date Caramel Bars
No Bake Date Caramel Bars are addictingly delicious, made with three delicious layers: a base layer made from oats and dates, followed by a creamy date caramel layer, and a salted chocolate shell on top. Chocolate date bars are a healthy dessert recipe everyone will love!
Nut Free, Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Egg Free, Soy Free
Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by SunButter. Thank you for supporting the brands that make the Chelsey Amer Nutrition blog possible!
If you haven’t made date caramel yet… What are you waiting for?
While we’re entering a never-ending stream of holiday desserts, I figured why not throw in something with a little less added sugar and some nutrients added… but still tastes just as delicious!
These No Bake Date Caramel Bars will be on repeat (seriously… buy the big bag of dates at Costco!!).
I wasn’t sure what to call these bars that truly captures what they are. They could be…
- Chocolate Date Bars
- No Bake Date Bars
- Date Caramel Bars
Whatever you want to call them, you’re going to love this healthier dessert that tastes just as good as it makes you feel!
No Bake Date Caramel Bars are…
- Easy to make
- No bake
- Chewy and satisfying
- Low in added sugar
- Allergy-friendly
Is there anything better than no-bake desserts?
Ingredients to Make No Bake Date Caramel Bars
You need just 6 ingredients to make these chocolate caramel bars.
You’ll need…
- Oats
- Dates
- Coconut oil
- Cinnamon
- No Sugar Added SunButter
- Dark chocolate chips
You’ll mix and match these 6 ingredients to create 3 distinct layers.
The base layer is an oat-based layer, mixed with dates, coconut oil, cinnamon and salt. Don’t forget the salt because it balances out the sweetness. This layer is a heartier cookie-like layer.
The caramel layer is made of just two ingredients: dates and SunButter.
The top layer is a smooth chocolate shell made from dark chocolate and coconut oil. You can use any type of chocolate you’d like.
Ingredients FAQ
What type of DATES should I use?
I like to use deglet nour dates. Why? I buy them at Costco and find them to be the most cost efficient. BUT I just found the exact organic dates I buy even cheaper on Amazon!!
Are these the only type of dates you can use? NOPE! A lot of date caramel recipes made from 100% dates use medjool dates. Those are delicious too, I just find them more expensive.
What type of SunButter should I use?
I prefer No Added Sugar SunButter for this recipe for 2 reasons:
- There’s enough sweetness from the dates so you don’t need it in your seed butter too.
- It contains salt.
The Organic variety is salt-free, so I would suggest adding more salt to this recipe to balance out the sweetness better.
I’d steer clear from any variety with added sugar.
What type of chocolate should I use?
I chose dark chocolate for this recipe because it has a bit of a bitter note to it. This slight bitterness balances out the sweetness of the dates, so I think it’s perfect in this recipe.
I find milk chocolate to be too sweet in this recipe.
How to Make No Bake Date Caramel Bars
This recipe requires a couple of steps, but they’re all quite simple.
First, you must ensure your dates are of good quality to make a no bake recipe. Hard, dry dates won’t do the job. You want juicy dates.
So if your dates look dried out, soak them in some water for about 15-20 minutes before starting the recipe.
You’ll make the base layer first.
In a food processor, you’ll pulse together the oats, dates, coconut oil, cinnamon and salt. The mixture will come together when pinched. You may need to pause to scrape down the bowl of the food processor until it all comes together.
Press the mixture into a parchment paper-lined loaf pan. The secret to make it easy is to clip down the sides of your parchment paper.
Next, you’ll make the date caramel layer.
Honestly, just wipe down the bowl of the food processor and get going. The layers are sitting on top of each other, so it doesn’t have to be perfect!
You’ll pulse together the dates and SunButter until smooth and creamy. You 100% will have to pause to scrape down the sides of the bowl this time. The date caramel should be completely smooth with no lumps or bumps when done.
If needed to smooth out this layer, add warm water ½ tablespoon at a time.
When the date caramel looks smooth, press it on top of the base layer in the prepared loaf pan.
Last, you’ll melt chocolate to form the chocolate shell.
My go-to method to melt chocolate is to combine chocolate chips and coconut oil in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 30-second intervals until smooth. Be sure to mix in between.
The result is smooth, shiny, silky chocolate that will coat the top of these bars.
Always sprinkle with maldon flaky sea salt on top because you NEED the bite of salt to balance out the sweetness. Could you use regular salt? YES. But the flaky salt looks so much better and the $8 investment is worth it for many baking recipes! If you want my unasked for opinion, salt is one of the most underutilized ingredients in baking!
You’ll freeze the bars until the chocolate coating is set and solid.
Yes, you’ll have to wait 30 slow minutes before slicing these bars. I wouldn’t leave them too long otherwise they’ll be hard to cut.
How to Store these No Bake Chocolate Caramel Bars
Although I don’t want you to leave the initial brick of bars in the loaf pan in the freezer for too long because it’s hard to cut, I do prefer to store these bars in the freezer. Leave them out for a few minutes before eating and they’re soooo good!
Do you like frozen desserts? The dates don’t exactly freeze solid, but you still have that chewiness with a cold bite. *chef’s kiss* magic!
Kitchen Tools You’ll Need to Make No Bake Date Caramel Bars
Like most no-bake desserts this one does require some equipment, but you may (???) have it in your house.
You’ll need….
- Food processor
- Spatula
- Loaf pan
- Parchment paper
- Sharp knife for cutting
No Bake Date Caramel Bars
No Bake Date Caramel Bars are addictingly delicious, made with three delicious layers: a base layer made from oats and dates, followed by a creamy date caramel layer, and a salted chocolate shell on top. Chocolate date bars are a healthy dessert recipe everyone will love!
Nut Free, Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Egg Free, Soy Free
Ingredients
For the base layer:
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1 cup deglet nour dates
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
For the caramel layer:
- 1 cup deglet nour dates
- ½ cup No Sugar Added SunButter
For the chocolate layer:
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
- 1/2 teaspoon coconut oil
Instructions
- Line a loaf pan with parchment paper. Clip down the sides and set aside.
- In a food processor pulse together the oats, dates, coconut oil, cinnamon and salt until the mixture sticks together.
- Transfer the base layer to the prepared loaf pan. Press down.
- Add the dates and SunButter to the food processor. Pulse until smooth. You may need to pause to scrape down the sides of the container. If needed, add ½ tablespoon warm water. Layer the SunButter Caramel on top of the base layer.
- Add the chocolate chips and coconut oil to a microwave safe bowl. Microwave in 30-second intervals, mixing in between, until fully melted. Pour on top of the caramel layer.
- Freeze for about 30 minutes, or until the chocolate is fully set. Cut into bars or squares. Enjoy!
Don’t Forget to PIN IT…
Other NO BAKE RECIPES to try…
XO