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Healthy Date Candy Bars (Vegan + Paleo) Recipe

Healthy Date Candy Bars (Vegan + Paleo) Recipe
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★★★★★

5 from 8 reviews

These Healthy Date Candy Bars are a deliciously sweet and crunchy treat that’s both vegan and paleo-friendly. Made with soft medjool dates, creamy peanut butter, and coated in rich dark chocolate, these bars offer a satisfying combination of flavors and textures without any refined sugars or gluten. They are perfect for a nutritious snack or a guilt-free dessert.

Ingredients

Scale

Filling

  • 8 large soft medjool dates
  • 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (all natural preferred)
  • 2 Tablespoons pure maple syrup (optional for added sweetness)
  • 1/4 cup crushed pretzels (gluten-free and paleo if needed)

Assembly

  • 20 whole pretzels (gluten-free and paleo if needed)

Chocolate Coating

  • 1 cup dark chocolate chips (vegan and paleo if needed)
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons coconut oil

Instructions

  1. Soften Dates: If your medjool dates aren’t very soft, soak them in water for 10 minutes to rehydrate. Drain the water completely before using to ensure your filling isn’t too wet.
  2. Make the Filling: Add the softened dates, creamy peanut butter, and maple syrup (if using) to a food processor. Blend until smooth and gooey. Gently fold in the crushed pretzels using a spoon or briefly pulse in the food processor, leaving small pretzel chunks scattered through the mixture.
  3. Shape Bars: Lay out the whole pretzels on a tray. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of the date filling on top of each pretzel and smooth it over the pretzel to form a small bar shape with your fingers or the back of a spoon.
  4. Freeze to Firm Up: Place the pretzel bars in the freezer for 10-15 minutes to firm up while you prepare the chocolate coating.
  5. Melt Chocolate: Combine the dark chocolate chips and coconut oil in a heat-safe bowl. Melt using a double boiler method or carefully in short bursts in the microwave, stirring frequently until smooth and fully melted.
  6. Coat Bars: Line a tray with parchment paper. Dunk each chilled bar into the melted chocolate to fully coat it. Transfer the chocolate-covered bar onto the parchment paper with the pretzel side down. Optionally, drizzle a little extra chocolate over the bars in a zigzag pattern for decoration.
  7. Final Freeze: Place the coated bars back in the freezer for about an hour to allow the chocolate to completely harden before enjoying.

Notes

  • Use soft medjool dates for best texture; soaking helps if they are dry.
  • Maple syrup is optional and can be omitted for less sweetness or if dates are very sweet.
  • Ensure pretzels are gluten-free and paleo if you are strictly following those diets.
  • If you don’t have a food processor, finely chop dates and mix well with peanut butter manually, but the texture will not be as smooth.
  • Store finished candy bars in the freezer or refrigerator to maintain firmness.
  • Dark chocolate chips should be dairy-free and vegan if following strictly vegan diet.

Nutrition

Keywords: healthy date candy bars, vegan snacks, paleo candy, gluten free dessert, no bake chocolate bars, medjool date recipes, peanut butter snacks

Find it online: https://freshrecipehub.com/healthy-date-candy-bars-vegan-paleo-recipe/