Nutty Chocolate Bars
By OcadoLife
Published on 04 March 2022
These satisfying vegan Nutty Chocolate Bars created by pastry chef Adiyatu Sambu-Balde have it all: think nutty buttery filling, loads of crunch and a smooth dark chocolate casing. Perfectly portable, be sure to take on long walks for a delicious energy boost, and store extra bars in the freezer so there’s always something sweet to eat when you fancy it.Time and servings
40 minsTotal time
35 minsPrep time
5 minsCooking time
Ingredients
- 500 g of pitted dates
- 1 tbsp of sunflower oil, for the tin
- 700 g of unsalted mixed nuts
- 2 tbsp of agave syrup
- 500 g of dark chocolate
Method
Step 1
Put the dates in a heatproof bowl and cover with freshly boiled water. Leave to soak for 10-15 mins until soft, then drain.Step 2
Lightly grease the base of a 23cm square cake tin with oil, then line the base and sides with baking paper.Step 3
Roughly chop 450gof the nuts and toast in a dry frying pan for 3 mins, or until golden –be careful not to burn them!Step 4
Remove from the heat and set aside 30g of the toasted nuts for decoration, then tip the rest into a blender with the agave syrup. Blitz until smooth and buttery, scraping down the sides of the blender occasionally. Scoop into a bowl and set aside.Step 5
Tip the soaked dates into the blender and blitz until smooth, then add to the bowl with the nut mixture, plus the remaining whole nuts, and mix well.Step 6
In a heatproof bowl, microwave 100g of the chocolate for 1 min on high, then stir into the nut and date mixture. Spoon into the prepared tin and press down with the back of a spoon, making sure to push the mixture into the corners. Smooth the top, then coverand freeze for 4 hrs.Step 7
Transfer the firmed mixture to a board and cut into 30 bars. Place a large cooling rack on a work surface, with a sheet of baking paper underneath.Step 8
Melt the remaining chocolate in a heatproof bowl in the microwave on high for 1 min, then stir until smooth. Push a skewer into the top of a bar and submerge in the chocolate, leaving the top uncoated. Hold over the bowl for a minute, allowing the excess chocolate to drip off. Carefully place the bar, uncoated side-down, on the cooling rack and pull out the skewer. Repeat with the remaining bars and leave to set.Step 9
Turn the bars over and spoon a little chocolate over the uncoated side. Sprinkle with the reserved chopped nuts and leave to set again. The bars will keep well in an airtight container for up to 5 days, or frozen for 3 months. For a shortcut version, forgo the nut steps and mix 2 x 170g jars of nut butter with the blitzed dates, plus an extra 150g of melted chocolate. Decorate with 30g of chopped nuts, toasted if you like.