This weekend we were packing to go away to our friend’s place and I almost forgot that I promised I’d bring something sweet for our potluck breakfast.
What’s a girl to do when she only has minutes to spare?
And what the heck do I bring for a potluck breakfast that would last for a 3 hour car trip and overnight?
And also please the non-vegan crowd?
Clearly, vegan overnight oats would have worked (for me!) but I’m not so sure everyone else would be down with my craziness. I wanted to avoid that awkward moment of silence as I try to explain to them why I packed a Tupperware full of mushy oats. No one wants an awkward potluck breakfast. Certainly not me.
So I stuck to my plan and I made something sweet that would be the perfect fit for a breakfast…
5 Ingredient No Bake Vegan Dates Squares!
In a moment of total clarity, I remembered Raw Vegan Date Squares that I spotted from Karen. They seemed like the perfect treat that I could whip up in minutes, no oven required. I was a bit worried that they wouldn’t turn out, but I was soooooo happy with the outcome!
I’m not sure if I will ever go back to ‘normal’ date squares after trying this simple version. I loved them, my friends loved them, and there wasn’t a crumb to be found after breakfast. I’d say they went off pretty well!
5 Ingredient No Bake Vegan Date Squares
Adapted from KB Blissologist.
Crust:
- 1.5 cups whole raw almonds
- 1.5 cups regular oats (for Gluten-free, use GF oats)
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 10 Medjool dates, pitted and roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
Date filling:
- 25 Medjool dates, pitted and roughly chopped (~2.5 cups)
- 1/2 cup water
Directions:
1. Line a square pan (I used 8in x 8 in) with two pieces of parchment paper going opposite ways. In a food processor, process the almond, salt, and oats until a fine crumble forms. Now add in the dates and process until crumbly again. Melt the coconut oil and add to the mixture and process until sticky. You can add a tiny bit more oil if the dough is too dry. I didn’t need to though! Remove from processor, set aside 3/4 cup of the mixture for later, and press the rest of the mixture very firmly and evenly into the pan.
2. Grab your pitted and roughly chopped dates and water and process in the food processor until a paste forms. You will have to stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl often. You can add a tiny bit more water if needed, but you want the paste quite thick. Scoop out the date mixture onto the crust and gently spread with the back of a wet spatula until even.
3. Sprinkle on the 3/4 cup of mixture you set aside and gently press down with fingers. Refrigerate in the fridge until firm for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight. Cut into squares and serve. Store in the fridge or freezer.
I am happy to report that these were enjoyed by all and there were no awkward moments during the potluck. Love that.
Have a great Monday!
Gosh these are so yummy! When I was making them I had trouble with wanting to eat it all before they were done lol. I added cashews in with the almonds and a little cinnamon too worked well. Dates have quite a bit of sugar but they are really nutritious and if you consume a couple of dates and eat a curry leaf or two with them it can help with anemia.
thanks for this awesome recipe!
OMG! I made these a few days ago and have already devoured them all. They are so addicting! Thank u for sharing this recipe, this is definitely my new favorite on the go snack. I took them hiking & they were perfect for it :)
Wow! I love all your recipes… You’re the reason my mother coocks vegan ;) (cookbook is amasing). I just had a couple of questions: in your recepies that asks for almonds/almond flour, can i sub regular flour or oat flour or from another nut? And you said you are going to do a second cook book… When is it due??
Thanks for your kind words!
Usually almond flour or meal can’t be subbed without completely revamping the recipe. So I can’t say for sure if it would work unless I tested a different combo in a specific recipe. Sorry about that! :)
My next book is due out early fall 2016 :) Thanks for your excitement!
Brother in law cannot have nuts. Any recommendations as a replacement for the almonds in the crust?
I had the same question as Miriam. My son is allergic to nuts. What about making these with sunflower and pumpkin seeds? Thoughts anyone?
In case anyone’s interested: 2,000 calories in the whole batch. How do I know? Because my husband and I finished these. In one day (in about 12 hours, actually). And I wanted to know how much we’d eaten lol.
What a fantastic recipe, made it twice already! Looked bake shop worthy :) Love the subtle coconut flavour that comes from the oil, and how great to only have 5 (all natural) ingredients. Ran the whole recipe in my Vitamix and it was easy (though I struggled a bit to get the chopped dates to crumble and blend with the oats and almonds as it made one big clump at the bottom of the Vitamix, but shaking things out a bit with a wooden spoon or running it in two batches fixed the issue). Assembling it was very easy thanks to the clear instructions, and vegans and non-vegan friends alike loved the end result.
HI Angela
I had been looking for ideas for a raw date bar. I made your recipe and absolutely love it. The balance of everything works perfectly and needs no tweaking! I’ll be making it weekly!
Thank you!
So glad this recipe hit the spot, Jane! :)
Thank you for these! They have become a staple in my house! Medjool dates aren’t available where I live, so I used dried pitted dates which I soak in hot water for a bit to soften them. I pat the ones for the topping dry with kitchen paper before adding to the processor. I use the water they soak in for the filing. Using dried dates requires more dates – I put about 14-15 in the topping and 30 odd in the filling.
Hi
For coconut oil assume the measurement is once it is melted? probably silly question!
Thanks
Kate
Just wondering if I could sub almond meal for any of the almonds. I bought a big bag and need to use it. I have made these following your directions, and they were amazing. I couldn’t believe there was no sugar. Thanks
Hi Toni, I can’t see why not! As long as the dough sticks together nicely it should be fine. :)
I made these and they were nummy, but I had extra crust (or a shortage of date mixture) so I smeared raspberry preserves on that end and those were delicious. The kids loved them. Thanks for the easy recipe with figs or raspberry jam. XO, Heather
So glad to hear the preserves worked out, Heather! (Sounds delicious!)
Turned out great! So delicious.
I’m glad they were a success! :)
These look lovely!! How long do you suppose these would last for?
Would it be ok to use roasted cashews instead of almonds? These look absolutely delicious but cashews are the only nuts I have right now.
Hi Casey, I haven’t tried using another nut yet, but I can’t see why cashews wouldn’t work! Roasted cashews will add a toasted, light sweetness which might be really nice. Please report back if you try it out!
These dates squares are the best. I make them often as they are easy and everyone loves them:) I had a bunch of dried apricots in my freezer, so thought I would throw some in with the dates. They turned out heavenly!!! Love your recipes Angela….thank you for all your dedication and hard work. We all appreciate you so much.
I WILL be making these tomorrow. I just rediscovered sun dried dates. I also bought some sun dried figs and might try a batch with those swapped in for dates. The mass and consistency is pretty close.
Turned out pretty well for my first try. The suggested ingredients were seeming a bit dry so I doubled the qty of dates and added some water. Added some freshly minced pecans and walnuts to give the mix more bulk.
I dashed some cinnamon on top right before eating and loved it.
Thank you so much, in Rhode Island you can get date bars in almost any bakery but they always have a crisco or something taste but better than nothing. But in Florida, forget it, I haven’t seen any. I love the simplicity of it. I didn’t have all the correct ingredients, roasted almonds instead of raw, and only about 20 dates but I tried it anyway. Soooooo good. Can’t wait to do it again with the correct ingredients.
Hey Susan, Oh I hear you about the bakery bought date squares. I bought one from a restaurant over the holidays and it didn’t taste nearly as good as these (too much white sugar which was over powering). I also think this recipe would work well with all different kinds of nuts…love the roasted almond idea. Happy new year!
Been making these for over 8 years, great. I add a bit of orange essance to them. Great for on the go on long road trips.