Raw Salted Caramel Slice (Date Bars)

Name: Raw Salted Caramel Slice
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 75 min
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups (330 g) Medjool dates (See Note 1); 1 1/2 cups (150 g) almond meal or flour (See Note 2); 1/3 cup (35 g) desiccated coconut (See Note 3); 1/2 tsp sea salt flakes (See Note 4); 3/4 tsp vanilla extract (See Note 5); 2 tbsp desiccated coconut (See Note 6)

For the full recipe including quantities and method, click the "jump to recipe" button, or scroll through and read our helpful tips along the way.

Jump to Recipe Leave Review

These delicious Healthy Date Energy Bars are so simple to prepare, are no-bake and taste like a Raw Salted Caramel Slice! They make for a great snack and are vegan, gluten and refined sugar-free.

Overhead shot of the complete slice, cut into pieces.

Jump to:

Why we love this recipe:
Ingredients in this recipe:
Step by Step Instructions:
Tips for Success and FAQs:
More delicious recipes for you to try:
Raw Salted Caramel Slice

Why we love this recipe:

Inspired by my Salted Caramel Bliss Balls, these Healthy Date Energy Bars contain just 5 ingredients, and are one of my favourite snacks!

They are so simple to prepare. Aside from tasting delicious, they are also:

Vegan, gluten and refined sugar-free – making them suitable for many people with special dietary requirements;
Rich in dietary fibre;
Made from raw ingredients, and do not require cooking;
Suitable for freezing.

Ingredients in this recipe:

Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.

Medjool Dates – are fresh dates that have a rich, caramel-like flavour and a soft, chewy texture.

Almond Meal/Almond Flour – Almond meal and almond flour are similar ingredients. Either are suitable to use in this recipe, depending on what is available, and what your preference is.

Desiccated Coconut – the finely grated, unsweetened and dried flesh from the coconut.

Vanilla Extract – enhances the flavour of the Healthy Date Bars.

Sea Salt – optional, but adds that delicious salted element to the caramel flavour. I use sea salt flakes for the best flavour.

Step by Step Instructions:

The first four steps to make this recipe in a photo collage - all of the ingredients in a food processor, a tin lined with paper and dusted with coconut, adding the blended mixture to the tin and the flattened mixture.

The final two steps to prepare in this recipe in a photo collage - the slice dusted with coconut and then cut up into pieces.

Wash the dates, dry them, and remove the pits. Roughly chop the dates and add to the bowl of a food processor along with the almond flour/meal, desiccated coconut, salt flakes and vanilla extract.
Process until the ingredients are combined as you would like them. I like to leave some texture, but you can blend them to be smooth if you prefer. Check that the mixture is sufficiently moist to be able to firmly flatten into your dish. If not, add another date or two, or a teaspoon of water, and blend again.
Line a dish 20 cm x 20 cm (8 inch x 8 inch) with cling wrap. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon coconut.
Add the mixture to the dish.
Using the back of a spoon or a spatula, firmly flatten and smooth the mixture.
Sprinkle the top with the remaining tablespoon of coconut. Cover and refrigerate for about one hour to firm up.
Cut into bars, the size of your choice. I made 15, approximately 6.5 cm x 4 cm. Store the Raw Salted Caramel Slice in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Stack of three pieced of the slice on top of each other, with the remaining slice in the background.

Tips for Success and FAQs:

The dates that we use in these Healthy Date Bars are Medjool dates. These are fresh dates, available from the greengrocer or fruit and veg section of the supermarket. They are not the dried variety that is found in the baking aisle of the supermarket.

Once you have blended the mixture, check that the mixture is sufficiently moist to be able to compress into a bar. If not, add another date or two, or a teaspoon of water, and blend again.

How long will the Healthy Date Bars last for?

They will last in the refrigerator, stored in an airtight container, for about one week.

Can the bars be frozen?

To keep them longer, they can also be frozen in an airtight container for about 3 months.

Overhead shot of the slice cut into pieces, with some dates and sea salt around the edge.

More delicious recipes for you to try:

After some more delicious snack ideas? These are also vegan, gluten and refined sugar free, and very simple to prepare:

I hope you’ll enjoy these delicious No-Bake Date Bars – I can never resist a sweet treat that tastes of salted caramel!

Alex xx