These Vegan Date Caramel Bars are the best grab-and-go snack for all lovers of oatmeal bars, chocolate, and caramel. Easy & delicious oatmeal chocolate chip bars made completely from scratch in no time, layered with creamy homemade date caramel.
These Vegan Oatmeal Date Caramel Bars are a wonderful thing. They are a bit like Carmelita Bars, but with some shredded coconut added on top which makes them even better!
If you have not tried date caramel before, be prepared to fall in love. Date Caramel is basically just softened dates, pureed with a little liquid like a splash of non-dairy milk, some maple syrup, and a bit of fat ( like almond butter). What comes out of the food processor is just so similar to cooked caramel that you can replicate all your favorite non-vegan chocolate bars with it. These Date Caramel Bars are basically Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookie Snack Bars with a caramel layer in the middle – just so good!
MORE HEALTHY VEGAN GRAB-AND-GO SNACKS:
Recipe Card
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Date Caramel Snack Bars
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup smooth almond butter
- 1/3 cup (78.86 ml) maple syrup
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) non-dairy milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 3/4 cup (60.75 g) oats
- 3/4 cup (93.75 g) flour I use all-purpose flour, use gf blend or oat flour for Glutenfree
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/3 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup (56.67 g) chocolate chips or chocolate chunks
For the date caramel:
- 10-11 soft dates soaked in hot water for 15 minutes
- 1 tablespoon almond butter
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1/2 cup (60 ml) non-dairy milk
For topping:
- 1/4 cup shredded coconut
- 1/4 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- In a bowl, add the almond butter, maple syrup, vanilla, and oil. Heat the non-dairy milk until it's hot and then add to the bowl. Mix until all of these wet ingredients are well combined.
- Then add in the oats, flour, baking soda, salt, and chocolate chips and mix well.
- Line a 8 by 8 inch pan or a similar baking dish with parchment paper and press this mixture into the baking pan. Even it out with a spatula. Put in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180C) for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make your date caramel. Drain the dates and blend with almond butter, salt, and maple syrup. Add 2-3 tablespoons of milk initially and add more if needed. Blend until it's a smooth mixture.
- Take the baking pan out of the oven and spread the date caramel all over. Even out with a spatula.
- Top it with the coconut and chocolate chips and put it back to bake for another 15-20 minutes or until the top is golden to preference.
- Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes before removing it from the pan and cool for another 10 minutes before slicing.
- The bars will keep in the counter for a day and in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
Notes
- To make this gluten-free, use a gluten-free blend or oat flour.
- to make this Oilfree just omit the oil from the base
Nutrition
Ingredients:
For the base
- smooth almond butter mixed with maple syrup, non-dairy milk, vanilla extract, and oil as wet ingredients
- rolled oats and flour (I use all-purpose flour but you can use gluten-free) as dry ingredients
- baking soda for a bit of a rise
- salt
- chocolate chips or chocolate chunks because we want chocolate in both layers
For the date caramel:
- soft dates (soaked in hot water for 15 minutes) – Medjool dates are easiest to blend and have a wonderful caramelly taste.
- almond butter or any other nut or seed butter that has a neutral taste
- salt – so important! Don’t skip it as it helps intensify the caramel flavor
- maple syrup for the perfect drippy texture
- non-dairy milk to make it all smooth and creamy. Any plant-based milk will do
Toppings
- shredded coconut – go for the good stuff – you are looking for small shreds that are super fresh and white.
- chocolate chips – vegan dark or semisweet chocolate
Tips
- Agave syrup or brown rice syrup can be used in lieu of maple syrup.
- You can use any other nut or seed butter for the date caramel but I recommend you take something neutral-tasting like sun butter or cashew butter. Peanut butter would be too strong in taste.
How to make Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Date Caramel Snack Bars
In a bowl, add the almond butter, maple syrup, vanilla, and oil. Heat the non-dairy milk until it’s hot and then add to the bowl. Mix until all of these wet ingredients are well combined.
Take the baking pan out of the oven and spread the date caramel all over. Even out with a spatula.
Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes before removing it from the pan and cool for another 10 minutes before slicing.
How to store these Vegan Oatmeal Date Caramel Bars:
Prachy Gandhi
Loved it …will definitely try….can we use uoney jnstead of maple syrup and finger millet flour instead of oats flour
Vegan Richa Support
yes!
Karen
Taste is delicious. Curious about the texture of the “cake” as it came out chewy not cake-like, wondering if that is correct. Thanks.
Vegan Richa Support
These snack bars are meat to be dense and slightly chewy, not like cake.
Linnea
These are sooooo good!
Vegan Richa Support
thank you!
Alena
This is absurdly good!
Richa
Yup it is!
Jane
Delicious! Will be making these again. Thanks Richa!
Cultivator Price
I would like to thanks for creating such an nice and informative log by you for users. I share it further again thanks for a beautiful post.
Vegan Richa Support
thanks
Emily
These were so delicious!
Richa
Awesome
Katherine Yernberg
Looks fantastic! The recipe instructions state a 9 x 5″ loaf pan but the pictures show an 8×8″. Are the two pans interchangeable? Any sub for the oil? Many thanks for all the great recipes. Love them all!
Richa
Omit the oil. I initially was going to make the loaf hence wrote the recipe. But decided with the larger pan. You ca use the loaf pan, it will make slightly thicker bars