Vegan Chocolate Coconut Bars (2024)

If you’re looking for a decadent dessert that’s super easy to make, you’ll love these no-bake chocolate coconut bars! The base is made from dates, coconut and coconut oil and is topped off with a layer of chocolate.

You’ll need just a few minutes to prep them and they’ll be ready to eat after 30 minutes. Whether you’re making them for a holiday dessert tray or just stashing them in the freezer for an everyday sweet treat, these tasty bars are always a hit.

How to Make these Bars

1. Blend the dough.

The first step is to mix up the coconut and date dough. To do this, add the unsweetened shredded coconut, dates and coconut oil to a food processor and mix until it forms a crumbly dough.

2. Press the dough into a pan.

Now that you’ve got that delicious, coconut date dough, it’s time to press it into a pan to create the bars.

Before you do this, line an approximately 7-inch square baking pan with 2 overlapping strips of parchment paper. This will allow you to easily lift the bars out of the pan once they’re set.

Once you’ve firmly pressed the dough into the pan, set the whole pan in the freezer and move on to the next step.

Note: The dough will be a little bit oily when you press it into the pan. This is normal due to the fats from the coconut and coconut oil. It will firm up in the freezer and create an awesome chewy texture.

3. Melt the chocolate.

The next step is to melt the chocolate. To do this, you can either:

1. Use a double boiler or make a double boiler using a glass bowl big enough to sit on top of a small pot. This is the method I use. You can see it set up below.
2. Use the microwave. Place the chocolate in a glass bowl, start with 15 seconds then check and stir every 15 seconds until melted. Be careful because it will be ruined if it burns. This is why I like the makeshift double boiler method.

Stir the chocolate until it’s completely melted. This should only take a few minutes.

4. Spread the chocolate.

Once the chocolate is completely melted, remove the coconut bars from the freezer and use a spatula or spoon to evenly spread the chocolate over the bars.

5. Freeze, slice and enjoy!

Alright, they’re almost ready to enjoy! Once you’ve spread the chocolate over the bars, place the pan back in the freezer to set. Once the chocolate is completely firmed, pull the bars from the freezer.

Lift the bars out of the pan using the edges of the parchment paper. Heat a knife under hot water and then score the bars (gently press lines where you plan to cut). This will prevent the chocolate from cracking.

Slice the bars into 8-10 large bars or 16 square and enjoy!

Expert Tips

• It’s important to use soft, moist dates in this recipe. If your dates are overly dry, soak them in hot water for 15 minutes then drain well before using in the recipe.
• To thin the melted chocolate and make it easier to spread, you can add 1 tbsp melted coconut oil or butter.
• If you prefer, you can use this homemade chocolate to coat the bars instead of store-bought chocolate.

FAQ

Storing

• Due to the chocolate, these are best stored in the fridge for freezer until just before serving.
• Fridge: Store up to 2 weeks in an airtight container.
• Freezer (Recommended): Store up to 4 months in an airtight container.

More Desserts

Loving these coconut bars? You might like these too:

• Vegan Oat Flour Brownies: Another date-sweetened dessert.
• Cashew Tahini Bars: Similar to these but no coconut and made with cashews and tahini.
• Peanut Butter Blondies: No-bake blondies with a peanut butter date base.
• Chocolate-Dipped Coconut Macaroons: If you love chocolate and coconut, you have to try these macaroons!
• Chocolate Fudge Bars: Decadent fudge bars that are no-bake and super easy to make.