These No Bake Vegan Chocolate Bars are my new favourite sweet treat. If you find yourself often reaching for something sweet after meals (like me), these sweet and creamy bars are a healthier alternative, made with wholesome ingredients such as nut butter and oats.
These vegan chocolate bars come together in around 20 minutes – and can be stored in the freezer (this actually makes the texture even better) – meaning they’re perfect for meal prep.
All you do is mix the base ingredients then flatten into a large slab. Melt the chocolate and pour over, let it set and then you can tuck in! I love meal prepping these for the week ahead to enjoy when I’m craving something sweet and chocolate-y (but also not too unhealthy).
These no bake vegan chocolate bars have the BEST texture after they’ve thawed (yes, I usually store them in the freezer). But, if you prefer a softer texture, you can store
How to Make These Vegan No Bake Chocolate Bars
- Nut butter (peanut, almond, or cashew): The nut butter acts as the main binding agent in this recipe. It provides a creamy texture and richness, as well as healthy fats and proteins. The runnier the nut butter, the easier it is to combine with the other ingredients.
- Maple syrup or liquid sweetener: This ingredient adds sweetness to the bars, balancing out the bitterness from the cocoa powder. Maple syrup also contributes a distinct flavor and helps with binding the ingredients together.
- Coconut oil: Coconut oil is added in its melted form, providing additional richness and creaminess to the mixture. It also helps with binding and gives the bars a slightly firmer texture when cooled.
- Vanilla extract: Vanilla is a classic flavoring ingredient that enhances the overall taste of the bars, complementing the chocolate and nutty flavors.
- Salt: A pinch of salt helps balance out the sweetness and brings out the flavors of the other ingredients.
- Oat flour: By grinding rolled oats into a flour, you introduce a nutty, wholesome flavor and a slightly crumbly texture to the bars. Oat flour also adds some fiber and helps absorb moisture, contributing to the overall structure.
- Cocoa powder: This is the primary ingredient that provides the chocolate flavor and color to the bars. Cocoa powder also adds a slightly bitter taste that balances out the sweetness.
- Dark chocolate for topping: The melted vegan dark chocolate is used as a topping, adding an extra layer of rich chocolate flavor and a glossy, smooth texture to the bars.
- Flaky salt (optional) for topping: A sprinkle of flaky salt on top of the chocolate topping creates a contrasting salty-sweet flavor profile, enhancing the overall taste experience.
No Bake Chocolate Bars
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup smooth nut butter (peanut, almond, cashew) (the runnier the better)
- 5 tbsp maple syrup or liquid sweetener of choice
- 2 tbsp coconut oil melted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
- 1/4 cup rolled oats ground to a flour in a blender to make 'oat flour'
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 2/3 cup dark chocolate (vegan) for topping
- Flaky salt (optional) for topping
Instructions
- Line a tray or large plate (that will fit in your freezer!) with baking paper
- Mix together the nut butter, maple syrup, vanilla, melted coconut oil and pinch salt until smooth
- If you haven't already, make the oat flour by adding rolled oats to a blender and pulsing/blending until a fine flour forms
- Add the oat flour and cocoa powder to the wet mixture, mix until thoroughly combined and a thick texture forms
- Place the mixture onto your lined tray and press down until flattened – around 3/4cm thick. Place into the freezer while you melt the chocolate
- Melt the chocolate in a double boiler (Bain Marie) or in the microwave. Remove the slab from the freezer and pour over the melted chocolate and spread out. Sprinkle over a tiny bit of flaky salt and place back in the freezer for the chocolate to set (around 20-30 minutes)
- Remove and slice into bars. You can store these in an airtight container either in the fridge or freezer, depending on the texture you prefer. I prefer to store in the freezer because I love the texture after they’ve thawed for a few minutes. Enjoy!Â
