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You are here: Home / Recipes / Date Nut Energy Bar Recipe

Date Nut Energy Bar Recipe

June 15, 2021

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Looking for a simple homemade bar recipe that will come together in a few minutes? These date nut bars are just that! All you need are a couple of ingredients and a few minutes with the food processor. Then pop them in the fridge to firm up, and voila – energy bars!

date nut energy bars

When I first set out to make this bar recipe, I was aiming for an end result that would be similar to a Larabar. Simple ingredients and great flavor. The ingredient list on the Larabars is super short. So it’s not hard to conjure up what ingredients one might use in a bar recipe like this. 🙂 I did some additional research to see what type of proportions other people had had success with. Then I went to work putting together my perfect combination!

Building Blocks for this Energy Bar Recipe

I love a recipe that is super versatile. One that gives you the building blocks for success, but then leaves the ultimate product up to your imagination. This date nut energy bar recipe is precisely like that! At it’s core, it is simply dates, at least one other dried fruit, and nuts – THREE ingredients!! From there you can play with the flavors. Adjust the type of fruits and nuts you use and the extras you add in. The sky is really the limit with the flavors you can make! The recipe I share below is still less than 10 ingredients, but adds some fun flavors and extra nutrition boosters. Take a look, play around with it, and find a combo that you love!

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  • dried fruit
  • nuts
close up of texture on finished bars

I’m also all about packing as much good nutrition into things I make as possible. So, similar to my Peanut Butter Oatmeal Protein Bars, I added some nutritious seeds to the mix in these date nut energy bars. I like hemp, chia, and flax, but you can use whatever combination you like or have on hand.

seed mix for bar recipe

If you are looking for another homemade snack option to keep around the house, give these bars a try! This date nut energy bar recipe is quick and easy to make, stores and travels well, and is an easy energy boost!

For another date-based snack check out my Cacao Date Bites. They are also super easy and only require two ingredients (plus a couple optional suggestions)!

Cacao Date Bites
These cacao date bites are the perfect sweet treat without the guilt!
Check out this recipe
bowl of date bites
pinterest image for date nut bars
finished energy bars

Date Nut Energy Bars

These date nut bars are great as an easy snack that gives a good energy boost!
5 from 2 votes
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Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Chill Time: 1 hour hour
Total Time: 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes
Course: Snack
Cuisine: American
Servings: 16 bars
Calories: 125 kcal

Equipment

  • Quarter sheet pan
  • Food processor

Ingredients
 

  • 1 cup raw nuts (mixed, I like to split between two varieties)
  • 1 cup medjool dates (about 10, or 200 g, pit removed and split in half)
  • 1 cup dried fruit of choice (My favorites include cherries, blueberries, apricots. Try a combination too!)
  • 2 tbsp hemp hearts
  • 2 tbsp flax seeds
  • 1 tbsp chia seeds
  • ⅓ tsp ground cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp kosher salt

Instructions

  • Add the nuts to the food processor and pulse until evenly minced.
    minced nuts
  • Add the seeds, cinnamon, and salt – pulse a couple times to blend.
    seeds
  • Add the dried fruit.
    dried fruit
  • Run on high speed until the mixture comes together in a ball. This may take a few minutes! Stop to scrape down sides if needed.
    fully mixed
  • Spread the mixture somewhat evenly out onto the pan. Cover with another sheet of parchment paper. Press to desired size with your hands, the back of a spoon, or by pressing a second pan of the same size on top of the mixture. (You may not want to fill the entire pan depending on how thick you would like the bars – just adjust the size to fit your preference.)
    bars pressed into pan
  • Chill for at least 1 hour before slicing into rectangles (or your shape of choice!).
  • Store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 10 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 bar | Calories: 125 kcal | Carbohydrates: 17 g | Protein: 3 g | Fat: 6 g | Fiber: 2 g | Sugar: 10 g
Tried this recipe?Let’s see it! Mention @cookcraftcultivate or tag #cookcraftcultivate!

Post Category: Breakfast, Easy, Recipes, Snacks Tagged With: bars, fruit, nuts

Previous Post: « Garden Timeline: When to Plant in Zone 9b
Next Post: Sourdough Banana Bran Muffins »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Shannon

    June 29, 2023 at 7:21 am

    I am supposed to only eat sprouted nuts. Could you sprout them before making this or do you think it would make it too mushy? 🙂 Thanks.

    Reply
  2. Jackie

    September 29, 2022 at 4:43 pm

    Can I add protein powder to this recipe for a higher protein level

    Reply
    • Kristi

      February 8, 2023 at 8:47 pm

      Definitely Jackie! I would recommend starting with 15-35g (1/2 – 1 scoop), added when you add the seeds and cinnamon. See how it affects the flavor/texture, and then go from there!

      Reply
  3. Carolyn Marker

    March 27, 2022 at 4:40 pm

    5 stars
    Great recipe! I found it while I was actually looking for a recipe for something like a Larabar! I used what I had on hand for the nuts, seeds and dried fruit, but got fresh dates for both. I also added some lemon and orange extracts, along with the zest of the fruits, which I thought would add some moisture to help them hold together. I was also hoping to keep the nuts a little chunkier, so I chopped them coarsely in the food processor, then removed them and added them after the rest of the ingredients were chopped and sticky. The bars are delicious and full of healthy ingredients! I’ll send you photos with the ingredients I used. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Kristi

      April 14, 2022 at 9:36 pm

      Hi Carolyn,
      This sounds delicious! I love the idea of keeping the nuts chunkier too! Thanks for sharing your modifications, I love getting new inspirations.
      -Kristi

      Reply
  4. Rosa

    March 21, 2022 at 5:56 pm

    Would substituting with normal dates work? 🙂

    Reply
    • Kristi

      April 14, 2022 at 9:41 pm

      Hi Rosa,
      I’ve never tried anything but medjool dates in this recipe, but I think normal dates should do the job just fine. You could substitute by weight – 1 cup of medjool dates is about 200g, so just weigh out the same amount of whatever dates you have available. The flavor and consistency may vary, since medjool dates are generally sweeter and have more flesh, but I think it would be worth a try 🙂
      -Kristi

      Reply

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Picture of KristiJourney with me in my homemade adventures - creating more from scratch and increasing my self-sufficiency, in my small suburban home setting.
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pinterest image for date nut bars
pinterest image for date nut bars