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These 5-minute Chocolate Energy Bars are the perfect pick-me-up. They’re quick and easy to make, raw, vegan, gluten-free, customizable, satisfying, nourishing, happiness-inducing and chocolatey!
For years, I have been seeing recipes for date balls or bars, and I’ve always thought how perfect they would be for Iftar, the small meal eaten to break the fast during Ramadan (the Islamic holy month of fasting).
Dates are eaten during Iftar as they are a nutrient-dense source of fiber and help regulate your blood sugar after the day of fasting. I often slit the dates open, remove the pits and replace them with a couple of almonds. Almonds are filling and add some necessary nutty crunch to offset the sweet and chewy dates.
These energy bars take the same concept and enhance it with…chocolate! Anything is better with chocolate, right?
Fasting or not, these chocolate energy bars are the perfect pick-me-up. They’re quick and easy to make, raw, vegan, gluten-free, customizable, satisfying, nourishing, happiness-inducing and chocolatey! 🙂
5-minute Chocolate Energy Bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw almonds
- 13-14 medium medjool dates pitted (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 heaped tbsp cacao or cocoa powder
- 1/8 tsp salt
Optional Add-Ins
- chia seeds
- chocolate chips
- white chocolate chips
- cacao nibs current favorite
- shredded coconut
- sesame seeds
- poppy seeds
- ground cinnamon
- instant coffee/espresso powder
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients in a food processor. Process until the almonds have broken down well and the ingredients begins to form into a ball, about 2 minutes. If you are using chocolate chips and would like them somewhat intact, add them toward the end of the chopping.
- To flatten into bars, either place the dough between wax paper or place it in a quart size ziplock bag and then use a rolling pin to flatten. If using a ziplock bag, use scissors to cut it open after flattening the dough.
- Cut into bars of desired size. Enjoy right away and store the rest in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
Enjoy!
Hi, what is the calorie count on these?
Added the nutrition facts!
Hello! What is estimated expiration date?
Hello! These will stay fresh in the fridge in a sealed container for 4-5 days!
This is amazing mash allah. So tasty, thank you!
Yayy! You’re welcome! Thanks for your review!
These sound great! So excited to try making them for iftar. I wonder if the recipe can be made into balls as well.
Yes, they certainly can!