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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.

Front shot of vegan date caramel bars topped with chocolate chips and shredded coconut
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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!

vegan oatmeal date caramel bars on a wooden board
I mean, it’s pretty hard to go wrong when you combine chewy oats, dark chocolate, and ooey gooey caramel into a snack bar, right? Kids love these and so do adults.
 
  I love to make these vegan date caramel bars in advance and bring them over to a friends’ house for dessert whenever I’m invited for a dinner. They also make an amazing brunch buffet or potluck item. Thankfully, they’re super portable (just bring them over in the pan) and hold up well at room temperature.
freshly baked vegan carmelita oatmeal caramel bars in a baking pan

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Date Caramel Snack Bars

5 from 7 votes
By: Vegan Richa
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 35 minutes
Total: 50 minutes
Servings: 9
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
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.
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Ingredients 
 

  • 1/3 cup smooth almond butter
  • 1/3 cup maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup non-dairy milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • 3/4 cup oats
  • 3/4 cup 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 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 non-dairy milk

For topping:

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.

Video

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

Calories: 307kcal, Carbohydrates: 38g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 16g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 2mg, Sodium: 141mg, Potassium: 269mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 20g, Vitamin A: 37IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 96mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Did you make this recipe? Rate and comment below!

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
ingredients needed for making vegan date caramel oatmeal bars

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.
To make this gluten-free, use a gluten-free blend or oat flour.

How to make Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Date Caramel Snack Bars

vegan date caramel oatmeal cookie bar ingredients being mixed in a small white bowl

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.

wet ingredients for vegan date caramel oatmeal bars being mixed
oats and flour being added to wet dough to make vegan oatmeal bars
 
Then add in the oats, flour, baking soda, salt, and chocolate chips and mix well.
 
chocolate chips being added to vegan oatmeal bar base
vegan carmelita oatmeal batter with chocolate chips in a mixing bowl
 
Line a 9 by 5 in loaf pan or a similar baking dish with parchment paper.
 
vegan date caramel oatmeal bar batter being added to a square baking pan
 
Press the oatmeal mixture into the baking pan. Even it out with a spatula. Put in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes.
 
oatmeal bar batter in a square brownie pan
 
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.
 
vegan date caramel being spread on oatmeal batter to make vegan date caramel oatmeal bars

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.
 
chocolate chips and shredded coconut being spread on top of oatmeal cookie base and date caramel to make caramel bars

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.

a square baking pan with vegan caramel oatmeal snack bars

How to store these Vegan Oatmeal Date Caramel Bars:

The bars will keep on the counter for a day and in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
 
vegan oatmeal date caramel snack bars topped with shredded coconut and chocolate chips on a cutting board
 
Why not make a big batch of date caramel and use of the rest making my date caramel granola or my coconut date snack bars.
 
vegan oatmeal date caramel snack bars on a wooden board

About Richa

Hi, I'm Richa! I create flavorful plant based recipes that are inspired by my Indian upbringing, including many gluten-free, soy-free, and oil-free options.

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15 Comments

  1. Prachy Gandhi says:

    Loved it …will definitely try….can we use uoney jnstead of maple syrup and finger millet flour instead of oats flour

    1. Vegan Richa Support says:

      yes!

  2. Karen says:

    5 stars
    Taste is delicious. Curious about the texture of the “cake” as it came out chewy not cake-like, wondering if that is correct. Thanks.

    1. Vegan Richa Support says:

      These snack bars are meat to be dense and slightly chewy, not like cake.

  3. Linnea says:

    5 stars
    These are sooooo good!

    1. Vegan Richa Support says:

      thank you!

  4. Alena says:

    5 stars
    This is absurdly good!

    1. Richa says:

      Yup it is!

  5. Jane says:

    5 stars
    Delicious! Will be making these again. Thanks Richa!

  6. Cultivator Price says:

    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.

    1. Vegan Richa Support says:

      thanks

  7. Emily says:

    5 stars
    These were so delicious!

    1. Richa says:

      Awesome

  8. Katherine Yernberg says:

    5 stars
    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!

    1. Richa says:

      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