Raw Tahini Date Bars (Vegan)
Okay, fine, so these raw tahini date bars are not the prettiest. This is not the best looking dessert out there.
But these bars are some of the best tasting things I've concocted in a while.
And they're completely raw.
And contain only four ingredients.
And take minutes to make.
And are vegan, gluten free, sugar free, dairy free, and packed with nutrients.
So what is in these tahini date bars?
Well, tahini, to start with. And dates, of course. And some cocoa powder. And vanilla extract. And that is all.
Oh, and some flaky salt, if you're a fan of flaky salt on your sweet foodstuffs. I'll fully support you if you choose to sprinkle your bars with some salt. Fully. Because I'm a die hard fan of flaky salt on sweet foodstuffs.
The inspiration for these bars were the date-nut truffles I posted over a year ago on the blog. Those truffles are very similar to these bars. They contain four ingredients too. Three of those four ingredients are the same as the ones used in these tahini bars: dates, cocoa powder, and vanilla extract.
But in place of the tahini, those truffles had nuts. And instead of spreading the mixture into a pan and then slicing the dough into bars like I did here, I rolled the mixture into balls and coated the balls in different garnishes. Hence their being called "truffles."
This way, the bar way, is so much quicker. But feel free to make these bars into truffles instead if you prefer.
If you're wondering what a bar that's gluten free, sugar free, dairy free, vegan, raw, and contains only dates, tahini, cocoa, and vanilla extract tastes like, let me tell you: it tastes unbelievable. As unbelievable as that sounds.
These tahini date bars are stick-to-your-teeth chewy. I store my bars in the freezer and eat them straight from there. Yes, the best way to eat these bars is frozen. The frozen bars yield that insanely chewy texture. Just trust me on the one.
If you're worried about the bars being overwhelmingly tahini-y tasting, don't be. The cocoa powder does a great job of masking the very distinct sesame paste flavor. But it doesn't hide it completely. Just a little bit. Just the perfect amount.
The dates give these bars all the sweetness they need. And the flaky salt gives them the best salty-sweet contrast you could hope for.
These wholesome tahini date bars are basically the best snack ever.
They last forever, because you store them in the freezer and remove them one by one (or three by three) whenever you need an energy boost or have a craving for something sweet.
They take minutes (like two) to make, and it's all done in one step in your food processor.
There's no wait time. As soon as the dough is made, the bars are ready for consumption. Because they're raw, remember?
And they're good for you. Like really. They're seriously nutritious.
Is your food processor out yet?
raw tahini date bars (vegan)
Yield: About 21 small bars
1 packed cup dates (Medjool are best)
4-5 tablespoons tahini paste
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- flaky salt and cocoa powder for sprinkling
Line an 8x8 square dish with parchment paper.
In a food processor, process the dates until they turn to mush.
Add in the tahini, cocoa, and vanilla extract and pulse until a sticky, dough-like mixture forms. Don't over-mix, or oils from the tahini will come out and make mixture difficult to work with.
Taste mixture to test sweetness. If mixture is too sweet, add more tahini. If too strong from the tahini, add more dates.
Press mixture evenly into prepared baking dish*. Sprinkle cocoa powder and flaky salt on top if desired. Chill in fridge or freezer until slightly hardened, then slice into bars or squares.
Store bars in freezer and eat straight from freezer (yes, eat them frozen).
*Alternatively, roll the mixture into balls and coat in garnishes of choice instead of spreading it into the square pan.
