This is an easy recipe for fruity no bake energy bars. With a quick preparation and a few ingredients, they are the perfect snack to keep on hand.
Plus, they are so good for you!
Why we love these homemade energy bars?
- Easy & fast preparation – if you are looking for a quick no bake energy bars recipe, this one is a great one to start with
- Vegan & gluten-free
- Simple ingredients
- Good source of energy (great for hiking, doing sports)
- Freezer friendly – it’s a great way to have these no-bake energy bars on hand at all times!
Nothing better than a quick snack recipe you can make ahead for the week. Just grab and go and enjoy when you feel like it.
Another tasty snack is peanut butter banana rol-ups that literally take minutes to make and give you the much needed energy boost when you are down. So why not try those too?
How to make energy bars at home
Ingredients:
- Rolled oats
- Apricots
- Dates
- Coconut oil
- Shredded coconut
- Flaxseeds
Tools and kitchen gadgets you will need:
- Food processor
- Bowl
- Knife – for slicing the bars
- Brownie pan – an 8×8-inch (20×20-centimeter wide) is the best but a smaller one will also work
- Baking parchment
- Spoon, spatula, flat-bottomed jar, or anything to press down the mixture
- Plastic wrap and Ziploc bag – for storing them
- Bowl or a pan (to melt coconut oil if it is in a solid state)
Quick overview:
Process – oats until you get flour-like texture, dates and dried apricots until you get small pieces (not a mush). I do this separately. It literally takes seconds, but it will depend on how powerful your processor is.
Next, add the rest of the ingredients and pulse until well combined. Again, it only takes a few seconds.
Press the mixture in the brownie pan lined with baking parchment. You need to press down well so that there are no air bubbles and mixture is nicely packed.
Put in a freezer for 20-30 minutes or until set a bit so it is easier to cut. Cut and enjoy!
Frequently asked questions:
The best place to store these quick energy bars is in the freezer. Wrap each in a plastic foil and place in a Ziploc bag.
Note: The zip-lock bag is quite important. I use it for 2 reasons. First: the bars are easier to locate. Second: sometimes the freezer gives your frozen foods a particular odor which I try to eliminate by double-wrapping.
Yes, you can! They hold their shape better and I like the slight coolness on my tongue. You won’t find them too hard for your teeth as they contain only soft ingredients.
Just try and you’ll see. If you prefer the soft and chewy texture, leave them at room temperature for about 10-15 minutes and you are good to go.
When stored in the freezer followed my instructions, they should last up to a month.
There are about 180 calories per bar.
What do these snack bars contain?
Nuts: YES (The recipe does contain shredded coconut and coconut oil. Coconut is considered by the FDA a tree-nut, but coconut really is a fruit and allergies are rare. However, if you are allergic to nuts, consult your doctor first!)
Gluten: NO (oats are naturally gluten-free but always check the packaging to see if they are also certified)
Refined sugar added: NO
Salt added: NO
More healthy snacks for trips, hiking, camping or beach:
Check out our video for how to make no bake energy bars:
Fruity No Bake Energy Bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup rolled oats , see note 1 (90 grams)
- 1 cup dates , soft, packed, see note 2 (150 grams)
- 1 cup dried apricots , packed (190 grams)
- ⅓ cup coconut oil , melted (75 milliliters)
- 2 tablespoons desiccated coconut , see note 3 (6 grams)
- 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed , see note 4
Instructions
- In a food processor, process oats until flour like texture. Transfer into a bowl.
- Process together dates and apricots until you get tiny pieces.
- Option 1: Transfer dates and apricots to the bowl with oats and add the rest of the ingredients. Combine with your hands until all the ingredients are mixed well. This option works better if you have a very small food processor as you might not be able to fit all the ingredients in it.
- Option 2: Place the oats back in the processor altogether with the rest of the ingredients and pulse for a few times until well combined.
- Pour the mixture into an 8×8-inch (20×20-centimeter) brownie pan lined with baking parchments and spread around evenly. Use a flat-bottomed glass/jar to press it real tight.
- Place in the freezer until set (20-30 minutes).
- Take out, remove from the tin and cut in half and each half into 5 bars.
- Wrap each in plastic wrap or baking parchment and store in the freezer. They are ready to eat right after you take them out!
- Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- You can use either rolled oats or quick oats.
- You will need 1 cup of pitted dates. Even if you bought pitted ones, double-check if all of them are. Make sure to use soft dates. Medjool are the large and soft ones but also expensive. I usually use Deglet Noir. These are the smaller ones and drier. They can vary from brand to brand so if you can buy different ones so you can compare. You will need the soft (sticky/mushy) dates. If you only have the hard ones, soak them in water for a few hours.
- Desiccated coconut = unsweetened shredded coconut.
- Ground flaxseeds can be substituted with chia seeds.
- This recipe can be easily doubled.
Annie says
I’m a sweet breakfast person and these are right up my street!! I also love that they’re nut free, I’m allergic and find it so hard to find energy bars and granola recipes without nuts!
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Glad to hear that, Annie. Let me know what you think once you try them! :)
Lisa says
Your photos for these bars are just gorgeous! I make my own granola, but I’ve never tried bars like this before. They sound like something my family would gobble up! Love that they’re healthy too!
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
They taste amazing, Lisa! Your family won’t be disappointed :).
Lindsay says
I’m definitely a quick and sweet breakfast gal! I always have granola bars in the freezer, I’ll have to give this recipe a try!
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
You will love them, Lidsay!
Amy says
Yummy! I love the textures and flavors in these energy bars!
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Thanks so much, Amy!
Dan says
Great photos of a beautiful bar recipe. Looking forward to trying, and so are the kids!
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Thank you so much. I am sure you will love them!
Jagruti says
These gorgeous and delightful bars right up my ally, I can see myself munching these:) Thanks for sharing the recipe x
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
You are welcome!
Bernadette C. Cebedo says
Julia, You have deliciously great recipes only it takes so much time to get to the recipes especially if I only want to see the ingredients first & then instructions.
Thank you.
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Thanks for your comment, Bernadette.
I am sorry to hear you find it time consuming to scroll down to the recipes. All the latest posts are written with having readers in mind, so they contain a lot of tips, substitution information and more detailed description of the recipe. This is to make it easier for beginner cooks & bakers or for anyone who might find cooking/baking intimidating. Some of the old posts might lack some relevant information but we have been slowly updating these.
The text also allows us to place adds on our blog that form a significant part of our income. When our readers read our content, they help support us without them having to pay for anything (by spending time on the blog adds can display but also it shows that the you like the content). All our recipes are free for readers but not free for us. (they are usually tested at least 3 times before they go live).
I am not sure if you know, but many cooking magazines buy photos online and write recipes that looks similar to the photos they bought. That is one of the reasons many of them might not turn out the way you expect. Our photos are 100% authentic and shot by me. Like I’ve mentioned – by reading the text (even a part of it) you support us, but if you don’t want to, still it only takes a few seconds to scroll down to the recipe. I hope it makes sense and sorry for the long read :).