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Home » Desserts » Date Caramel Mocha Bars

Date Caramel Mocha Bars

July 12, 2014 By Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan 17 Comments

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Close-up of Three Vegan Gooey Date Caramel Mocha Bars stacked with parchment paper and espresso topping

A day of delicious summer foods just feels complete with a slice of something chilled and chocolatey (that, or some watermelon with a sprinkle of salt)! Alternatively, do as I did and have a couple of these date caramel mocha bars as a post-workout recovery food.

In all seriousness… date caramel is a wonderful thing. For anyone who hasn’t encountered it before, it’s just softened dates, pureed with a splash of nondairy milk and a bit of fat (in this case, I used coconut butter). The rich, molasses-like notes of the dates are reminiscent of a cooked caramel, but without any of the sugar and without any cooking! Of course, I did use a makeshift double boiler here to melt the chocolate, but that’s quick and easy.

Three Sticky Vegan Date Caramel Mocha Bars with banana and coconut butter

The other thing I really like about these date caramel mocha bars is the crust. It’s made from oats, raw almonds, and a few more dates. So simple! It’s incredibly difficult not to eat more than one of these luscious bars. But there’s no reason to worry about that, since they’re completely oil-free as well as refined sugar-free. The only place with any sweetener used is the chocolate layer, which is sweetened with a touch of brown rice syrup and low-glycemic coconut sugar. You can also substitute maple syrup or agave for the brown rice syrup, and brown or white sugar for the coconut sugar, according to what’s in your own pantry. And of course, there are substitutions available for the coconut butter too. This is why freezer desserts are so great: it’s really hard to mess them up. 🙂

Between the chewiness of the almond-oat crust, the almost custard-like texture of the date caramel layer, and the toothsome chocolate on top… I think these are pretty close to perfect. =] see for yourself and make these super easy, *somewhat* healthy date caramel bars for your next treat!

three caramel date bars with espresso ganache on white parchment paper

Date Caramel Mocha Bars
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5 from 1 vote

Date Caramel Mocha Bars

A crunchy almond oat crust, gooey date caramel filling, and espresso-spiked chocolate ganache make for decadent no-bake date caramel mocha bars.
Course Dessert
Cuisine gluten-free, refined sugar-free, vegan
Keyword date caramel
Prep Time 20 minutes minutes
Total Time 3 hours hours
Servings 9 bars
Calories 224kcal
Author Yup, it's Vegan

Ingredients

For the almond-oat crust:

  • 6 tbsp quick oats (certified gluten-free if needed)
  • 6 tbsp raw almonds
  • 1/2 tbsp ground flaxseed
  • 1/4 cup pitted dates soaked in hot water for at least 2 hours
  • 2 tbsp plain, unsweetened non-dairy milk

For the date caramel layer:

  • 1 cup pitted dates soaked in hot water for at least 2 hours
  • 1/4 cup coconut butter (substitute coconut oil or nut butter)
  • 1 ripe banana
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
  • 1/3 tsp fine sea salt
  • nondairy milk as needed

For the espresso chocolate ganache layer:

  • 28 grams vegan dark chocolate (4 squares of chocolate for me - I used unsweetened but sweetened will work)
  • 2 tbsp coconut butter or coconut oil
  • 1 and 1/2 tbsp brown rice syrup (or 1 tbsp maple syrup or agave nectar)
  • 1 tbsp coconut sugar (or brown sugar)
  • 2 tsp instant coffee granules
  • 2 tbsp plain, unsweetened non-dairy milk

Instructions

  • Prepare an 8-by-8-inch (or similar sized) pan with parchment paper.

For the almond-oat crust:

  • Add everything except the milk to a blender or food processor and pulse until fine crumbs are formed.
  • Add the milk and pulse a couple more times until the mixture starts to stick to itself.
  • Press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared dish in an even layer and place in the freezer to set.

For the date caramel layer:

  • Combine the dates, coconut butter, ripe banana, vanilla, and sea salt in the blender or food processor until completely smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides and adding milk a tablespoon at a time as needed to blend.
  • Spread the date caramel mixture on top of the prepared almond-oat crust.

For the espresso chocolate ganache layer:

  • Bring a small saucepan of water to a simmer and place a heat-safe bowl on top of it (or use your double boiler). Add all of the ganache ingredients to the bowl.
  • Use a spatula to continuously stir around the ingredients to combine them as the chocolate melts, and remove from the heat once a smooth and shiny mixture is formed.
  • If the mixture seizes up (starts to get an almost crumbly look to it instead of silky), add another splash of nondairy milk and a pinch of sugar, and keep stirring continuously until it turns smooth again.
  • Pour the ganache in an even layer over the date caramel layer and return to the freezer.
  • Let set for about 3 hours before slicing and serving. Store leftovers in the freezer.

Nutrition

Serving: 1bar | Calories: 224kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 99mg | Potassium: 223mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin C: 1.7mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 1.6mg

Inspired by Vegan Richa’s Salted Date Caramel Chocolate Pie.

Simple Vegan Date Caramel Mocha Bars with crunchy almond oat crust stacked three high

Filed Under: Desserts Tagged With: chocolate, gluten-free, high-raw, nuts and seeds, oil-free, plant-strong, refined sugar-free, soy-free

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Comments

  1. Flo says

    April 10, 2017 at 05:29

    Hi! This recipe is so mouthwatering! I have a question: instead of the coconut butter, is it possible to use cocoa butter, or is it better to sub it with coconut oil?

    Reply
    • Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says

      April 10, 2017 at 09:37

      Hi Flo, I think cocoa butter would be a delicious substitution here! Cocoa butter gets very firm in the refrigerator or freezer so when you’re ready to eat the bars you might just need another minute or two for them to warm up so that it’s sliceable.

      Reply
  2. Hannah says

    April 11, 2016 at 08:11

    5 stars
    How many servings does this recipe make, assuming each person eats one bar?

    Reply
    • Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says

      April 17, 2016 at 08:18

      Hi Hannah, this makes approximately 8-10 servings. Hope you enjoy!

      Reply
  3. Sophie33 says

    March 15, 2015 at 04:13

    I made these tasty bars & loved every mouthful! They were just amazing!

    Reply
  4. Willow says

    August 6, 2014 at 02:11

    Has anyone calculated the nutrition facts?

    Reply
    • Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says

      August 6, 2014 at 06:25

      I haven’t – sorry!

      Reply
  5. rika@vm says

    July 25, 2014 at 17:26

    OMG. It’s 11:30pm in Turin and I’m hungry for these date caramel mocha bars of yours! Date caramel is heavens! Right now I’m eating these sugar-free and vegan local lemon cookies I found at the health food market and I need some sugarrrrrrrr.

    Reply
  6. Laura @ the gluten-free treadmill says

    July 15, 2014 at 11:36

    My mouth is watering now – these sound so good! You are my kitchen inspiration!

    Reply
  7. Kari @ bite-sized thoughts says

    July 14, 2014 at 04:47

    Oooh yes. I love the look of each of these layers, and just know I’d end up with fewer bars than I should due to eating the mixture along the way!!

    Reply
    • Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says

      July 14, 2014 at 08:52

      Hehe, that may or may not have been what actually happened! =]

      Reply
  8. Lenka says

    July 13, 2014 at 10:42

    I love date caramel! I’ve done similar bars, but mocha layer sounds really convincing, I will give them a try soon …when I have some friends around to share, because I fear I might eat more than one or two if left alone with them and even though they might be so good that sharing isn´t easy, I’ve learned that it is the better option…

    Reply
    • Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says

      July 14, 2014 at 08:52

      Oh I know exactly what you mean! I ate all of these by myself except one 🙁 which is why I’m happy that they’re actually somewhat healthy! Next time I’ll definitely make them for guests, too 🙂

      Reply
  9. Jo from yummyvege says

    July 12, 2014 at 14:45

    Wow, These look amazing, I’m going to look in the cupboard right now to see if I have everything!

    Reply
    • Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says

      July 14, 2014 at 08:50

      Thank you, Jo! Hope you enjoy =]

      Reply
  10. Cheryl says

    July 12, 2014 at 09:46

    Mmmmmmmm. I repeat, mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. I was actually thinking yesterday about maybe making a raw banana caramel cream pie and now you’ve just confirmed that! These look awesome and date caramel is the BEST! Thanks for the inspiration too 🙂

    Reply
    • Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says

      July 14, 2014 at 08:49

      Date caramel = nectar of the gods. Feel free to keep talking about that raw banana caramel cream pie…!!!!

      Reply

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I'm Shannon, founder of Yup, it's Vegan! I'm a morning person based in Baltimore, USA. I create healthy plant-based recipes that everyone will love, using seasonal produce and global inspiration.
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