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.
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!
Date Caramel Mocha Bars
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
Inspired by Vegan Richa’s Salted Date Caramel Chocolate Pie.
I'm Shannon, the writer and photographer of Yup, it's Vegan! I'm a morning person based in Baltimore, USA. My mission is to create healthy plant-based recipes that anyone would enjoy, using seasonal produce with inspiration from global flavors.
Flo says
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?
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
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.
Hannah says
How many servings does this recipe make, assuming each person eats one bar?
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Hi Hannah, this makes approximately 8-10 servings. Hope you enjoy!
Sophie33 says
I made these tasty bars & loved every mouthful! They were just amazing!
Willow says
Has anyone calculated the nutrition facts?
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
I haven’t – sorry!
rika@vm says
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.
Laura @ the gluten-free treadmill says
My mouth is watering now – these sound so good! You are my kitchen inspiration!
Kari @ bite-sized thoughts says
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!!
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Hehe, that may or may not have been what actually happened! =]
Lenka says
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…
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
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 🙂
Jo from yummyvege says
Wow, These look amazing, I’m going to look in the cupboard right now to see if I have everything!
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Thank you, Jo! Hope you enjoy =]
Cheryl says
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 🙂
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Date caramel = nectar of the gods. Feel free to keep talking about that raw banana caramel cream pie…!!!!