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!
These seem super delicious but a total of 35 dates? It’s simply too much, isn’t it? I mean, I buy all of my food organic and it would be financial suicide if I made these :D
Hello Angela! Thanks to this post I found one of my favorite desserts of all time. I love your recipe and everyone I feed it to demands the recipe for themselves! It’s a true gem. I am wondering if you know of a way I could make it oil-free? I’m trying to think of other subs, but I’m not sure what would help it to stay together. Maybe omitting some of the dates in the crust and using brown rice syrup for sweetness? Thanks! I would totally appreciate it. I LOVE this recipe and want to make it forever but need to cut back on oil.
I used applesauce & less of the oil & it worked very well.
These are absolutely amazing!
I have never had better date squares in my life.
The ingredients are so pure that I don’t even think twice
when I am eating them.
I’ll never try another recipe. Thank you so much.
I’m so happy to hear that Branka! Enjoy
I made these last night with a few changes. Walnuts instead of almonds (it’s all I had), dried figs for 1/2 of the dates and I used a muffin tin for single portions freezing them for a while to remove. These were the BEST I’ve ever had and date squares are my all time favourite dessert. I’m so excited about these…Thank you!!
Hi everyone! I made these tonight & I had to make slight modifications due to what was available in my kitchen. I used a raw mixed nuts (cashews, almonds, pistachio, hazelnuts & walnuts) mix, regular california dates, and then instead of all coconut oil I used half c.o and half applesauce. And for the final topping I did sprinkle a little brown sugar…it’s chilling now, I’ll update on how they taste…Hope my modifications are ok!
I just made these this morning and they are sinfully good! Yum!
I have made these quite a few times and they are a regular go-to for dessert for my family. For the crust and topping we have found that we like the taste of raw cashews instead of almonds or a combo of half of each. Also, we really like adding raisins into the crust instead of dates and it gives it an added depth of flavor. Thank you so much for such a fantastic recipe and wonderful site to get ideas from!
I made these yesterday and they are THROUGH THE ROOF! So damn good and indulging, I have to pace myself. Thanks for sharing this amazing yesterday. I can’t wait to make them again.
Question: how would you go about replacing the dates for, say, blueberries: would you just process the blueberries on their own, with a mix of some other dry fruit (e.g., cranberries) and not add water?! I’d like to try that… or even apples :) Ohh! I’m too excited I guess
I haven’t tried it myself, but let me know how it turns out if you do!
I would google for blueberry crumb bars…. then just use the ‘blueberry filling’ part of the recipe ;)
Just so you guys know these are amazing with other nuts substituted instead! The first time I made these, I actually only had pecans on hand. I ate them up SO fast, you wouldn’t believe. I just made them again now with sunflower seeds and they are super rich and delicious. I also think they’d be good with different “jams” in the middle – apricot sounds delightful to me :)
These are the bomb! I could live on these, however after I looked up a few facts on the dates I decided against it (kind of high in calories). They are the perfect treat. Thanks for sharing :)
Definitely making these this weekend :)
Since the almonds are going in a food processor…. can I just use almond meal/flour? We like to snack our whole almonds and I have almond meal/flour on hand :)
if so, how much would measurement convert to?
I can’t see why not! Its usually a 1:1 sub but im not positive in this recipe. As long as the dough sticks together nicely it should be fine
So, 1.5cups whole almonds = 1.5cups almond meal/flour? I thought it might process down to 1cup? Thank-you for the quick reply :) I’m really looking forward to making these!
Well, I made these the other day using mostly dried apricots for the filling (I didn’t feel like taking the pits out of so many dates…..lol) with a few dates added, and they were *incredibly* delicious! What a great go-to recipe!
Thanks for this recipe! A friend brought them to my house a couple weeks ago, and there were fights over the crumbs :) I made them today, but ran out of dates (that’s what I get for snacking on the recipe ingredients this week) so used half dried apricots and half dates for the paste. It’s a little less sweet, but I like the combination. Thanks again for sharing.
Your Vegan Date Bars are so yummy! The flavor, texture, are all wonderful! Thank you for all your Vegan recipes…you make me want to cook more and more. I truly enjoy your blog.
these are DELICIOUS and very, very easy to make … I shared them with a few people before disclosing the ingredients (if I told them they would not have tried them!) and each of them guessed sugar was in them – that’s how naturally sweet they are! … thanks for sharing a healthy snack I can make and keep in the freezer for the whole family to enjoy!
Let me tell you how good these are: I made them, ate *just one*, put them in the freezer, and when I got home later there were none left and the hubby is standing there with a guilty expression and crumbs all over his face ;)
They’re *that* good.
I had to check whether or not I had commented on these yet, because I’ve made them a few times. Just made them again today for a girls weekend that I am going to this weekend and was reminded how darn delicious (and easy!) these are. I’ve never actually tried a regular date square, but I can’t possibly imagine why you would need anything other than dates to sweeten them – they are pretty sweet already. I’m looking forward to giving them to my son as a snack…he is going to love them and it’s a snack I feel totally good about. Thanks for an awesome recipe!
I made the mistake of making the oats/almonds part in my VitaMix, not recommended, as I quickly realized I might have a butter (even on lower speed) so I transferred to my food processor as the recipe says! They came out good but next time planning to do processor from beginning! Thanks again Angela!! … Last but not least, I just wanted to give you a heads up that this recipe isn’t formatting to print for me, I normally print your recipes just fine. I just printed Vegan Enchiladas with Cilantro Avocado Cream Sauce as a test and that one worked fine. :)
I just made these tonight and I have to say that they are the BEST date squares I have ever had!!! The whole family LOVED them, including the non-vegans. I will definitely be making these again. Seriously, this is a fantastic recipe. Thank you so much Angela!
My family loves these! I had major requests today to “bake” them again! My husband gives them to the kids, and hides the rest! It’s a good thing we know where his hiding spots are!