There’s something about the cozy, festive season that makes me want to spend time in the kitchen, though I don’t always want the fuss of traditional holiday baking. That’s where these Date and Walnut Bars come in—they’re my secret weapon for creating delicious Christmas sweets without even turning on the oven. When I’m brainstorming Christmas dessert ideas, I lean toward recipes that feel special but are wonderfully simple, and these bars are exactly that. They’re the perfect blend of chewy, caramel-like dates and crunchy walnuts, making them an ideal choice for easy Christmas treats that still feel like a gift.
I love having a plate of these out for friends and family during the holidays. They fit right in with all your other holiday treats, whether you’re building a cookie tray or just need some satisfying Christmas snacks to have with coffee. If you’re looking for Christmas baking ideas that are genuinely stress-free, this no-bake recipe is a true comfort food recipe for the season. It’s the kind of project that fills your home with warmth and gives you a delicious, wholesome treat to enjoy. Every bite tastes like cozy, festive joy.
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Why You’ll Love This Date and Walnut Bars
- Effortless and No-Bake: No oven needed—just the stovetop and fridge.
- Naturally Sweet and Wholesome: Sweetness comes from dates, not refined sugar.
- Incredibly Versatile: Easy to customize with spices, chocolate, or salt.
- Perfect Texture Contrast: Chewy dates and crunchy walnuts in every bite.
Ingredients & Tools
- 500 g pitted Medjool dates
- 200 g raw walnuts
- 150 g rolled oats
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- A generous pinch of sea salt
Tools: A food processor, an 8×8 inch (20×20 cm) baking pan, parchment paper, and a small saucepan.
Notes: Use soft, sticky Medjool dates for a smoother paste and richer caramel flavor. Don’t skip the salt—it enhances the sweetness.
Nutrition (per serving)
| Calories: | 210 kcal |
| Protein: | 4 g |
| Fat: | 9 g |
| Carbs: | 32 g |
| Fiber: | 4 g |
Serves: 12 | Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 5 minutes | Total Time: 20 minutes (plus chilling)
Before You Start: Tips & Ingredient Notes
- Your dates need to be soft. If your dates are a little dry or firm, simply place them in a bowl and cover them with hot water for about 10 minutes. Drain them thoroughly before using, or you’ll add too much extra liquid to the mixture.
- Don’t over-process the walnuts. You want them to be chopped, not turned into a fine meal. A little texture is what gives these bars their fantastic crunch and prevents them from becoming too dense.
- The coconut oil is your binder. It helps everything stick together and gives the bars a lovely, smooth mouthfeel. If it’s solid, just gently melt it before adding—it incorporates much more easily that way.
- Line your pan properly. This is a sticky situation, literally. Using parchment paper with a little overhang on two sides will make your life so much easier when it comes time to lift the whole slab out for slicing.
How to Make Date and Walnut Bars
Step 1: First, get your pan ready. Line your 8×8 inch baking pan with parchment paper, making sure there’s some overhang on at least two opposite sides. This creates little “handles” that will allow you to lift the entire block of bars out cleanly later. Give the parchment a very light spritz of cooking oil or a tiny rub of coconut oil to ensure nothing sticks.
Step 2: Now, let’s prep the star ingredients. If your walnuts are in large pieces, give them a rough chop on a cutting board. You’re aiming for a mix of sizes for great texture. Next, take about two-thirds of your oats and pop them into the food processor. Pulse them several times until they resemble a coarse flour. This helps create a more cohesive base that binds beautifully with the dates.
Step 3: Time to work with the dates. Make sure your Medjool dates are pitted. If you bought them with pits, just slice them open and remove the seeds—it’s a little task, but it’s essential! Add the pitted dates to the food processor with the oat flour. Pulse everything together until the dates are broken down and the mixture starts to clump together. It might look a bit dry and crumbly at first, but just keep pulsing.
Step 4: Now for the wet ingredients. In your small saucepan, gently melt the coconut oil over low heat. You don’t want it sizzling hot, just liquid. Remove it from the heat and stir in the water and vanilla extract. This combination is going to help bring the dough together and add a lovely aroma.
Step 5: Combine everything. With the food processor running, slowly pour the liquid coconut oil mixture through the feed chute. You’ll notice the crumbly date and oat mixture suddenly transform into a thick, sticky paste. It should come together into a ball or a few large clumps. If it seems too dry, add another teaspoon of water. If it’s too wet, add a tablespoon of the remaining whole oats.
Step 6: Add the crunch. Transfer the sticky date mixture to a large mixing bowl. Now, add the chopped walnuts and the remaining whole rolled oats. This is where you get that fantastic texture. Use a spatula or your hands (lightly oiled if it’s very sticky) to fold and press everything together until the walnuts and oats are evenly distributed.
Step 7: Press it in. Transfer the mixture to your prepared pan. Now, this is the most important step for getting neat bars—press, press, press! Use the bottom of a flat glass or a measuring cup to press the mixture down very firmly and evenly into every corner of the pan. The more compact it is, the less likely the bars are to crumble when you cut them.
Step 8: Chill out. Cover the pan with cling film or a lid and place it in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, though overnight is ideal. This chilling time is non-negotiable as it allows the coconut oil to set firmly, binding all the ingredients together and making the bars sliceable.
Step 9: Slice and serve. Once fully chilled and firm, use the parchment paper handles to lift the entire block out of the pan. Place it on a cutting board and use a sharp knife to slice it into 12 even bars or squares. For super clean cuts, you can wipe the knife blade clean between slices.
Storage & Freshness Guide
- Fridge: Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
- Freezer: Layer between parchment in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
- Reviving: Thaw at room temperature; briefly microwave if too firm.
Serving Suggestions
Complementary Dishes
- A sharp cheese board — The saltiness and fat from a good aged cheddar or a creamy blue cheese create a stunning contrast to the sweet, fudgy bars.
- A bowl of fresh fruit salad — The bright, juicy acidity from fruits like oranges and berries helps to cleanse the palate between bites of the rich bars.
- Greek yogurt with a drizzle of honey — This turns your bar into a more substantial breakfast or snack, adding a tangy creaminess that complements the dates perfectly.
Drinks
- Earl Grey tea — The bergamot in the tea has a lovely citrusy note that cuts through the sweetness and highlights the caramel flavors in the dates.
- A glass of cold whole milk — It’s a classic for a reason. The creaminess of the milk is the ultimate partner for any sweet, chewy treat.
- Black coffee — The bitterness of a strong brew provides a fantastic counterpoint to the bars, making for a very sophisticated pairing.
Something Sweet
- A small scoop of vanilla bean ice cream — Serve a warm bar (briefly microwaved) with cold ice cream for an incredible hot-and-cold, soft-and-crunchy dessert experience.
- Dark chocolate-dipped strawberries — This keeps the fruit-and-chocolate theme going but in a lighter, more refreshing form.
- A simple lemon sorbet — The intense, clean citrus flavor is a brilliant palate-cleanser that makes each bite of your date bar taste new again.
Top Mistakes to Avoid
- Mistake: Using hard, dry dates. If your dates aren’t soft and sticky, the mixture won’t bind properly, and you’ll end up with crumbly bars that fall apart. Always soak firm dates to revive them.
- Mistake: Not pressing the mixture firmly enough. A gentle pat won’t do it. You need to use some serious elbow grease to compact the mixture in the pan. This is what gives the bars their structure and satisfying chew.
- Mistake: Skipping the chilling time. I know it’s tempting to slice into them right away, but the fridge time is crucial for the coconut oil to set. Cutting too soon will result in a messy, soft mixture rather than neat bars.
- Mistake: Turning the walnuts into dust. If you process the walnuts for too long, you’ll lose all the lovely textural contrast. You want identifiable pieces of nut for that satisfying crunch in every bite.
Expert Tips
- Tip: Toast your walnuts. For a next-level flavor, spread your walnuts on a baking sheet and toast them in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 8-10 minutes until fragrant before chopping. This deepens their nutty flavor immensely.
- Tip: Create a flavor-infused oil. Gently warm the coconut oil with a strip of orange zest or a cinnamon stick before melting it fully. Strain it out, and you’ll have a subtly perfumed oil that adds another dimension to the bars.
- Tip: For super-neat slices, score them before chilling. After pressing the mixture into the pan, use your knife to lightly score the surface where you plan to cut the bars later. This gives the bars a “fault line” to break along for perfectly clean edges.
- Tip: Customize your add-ins. Once you’ve mastered the basic recipe, try replacing half the walnuts with other ingredients like unsweetened shredded coconut, chopped dark chocolate, or even a tablespoon of chia seeds for extra nutrition.
FAQs
Can I use a different type of nut?
Absolutely! While walnuts are classic, this recipe is very adaptable. Pecans would be a fantastic substitute, offering a similar texture with a slightly sweeter, buttery flavor. Almonds would work well too, just make sure to chop them to a similar size as the walnuts. If you have a nut allergy, sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds are a great crunchy alternative.
How should I store these bars, and how long will they last?
Because of the coconut oil, these bars are best kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They will stay firm and fresh for up to two weeks. You can also freeze them for up to three months. Just layer them between parchment paper in a freezer-safe container. They thaw relatively quickly at room temperature.
My mixture is too dry and crumbly. What can I do?
This usually happens if the dates were a bit dry to begin with. Don’t worry, it’s an easy fix! Add more liquid a teaspoon at a time. A little more water, or even a touch of maple syrup or honey, will help it come together. Pulse it in the food processor again until it reaches a sticky, pressable consistency.
Can I make these without a food processor?
It’s a bit more of an arm workout, but yes, you can! You’ll need to chop the dates very finely by hand—a sharp knife and a little patience are key. Then, simply mix everything together in a large bowl. The final texture will be a bit more rustic with visible pieces of date, which is also delightful.
Are these bars suitable for vegan diets?
Yes, they are! This recipe, as written, is naturally vegan. It relies on dates for sweetness and coconut oil for binding, with no animal products involved. Just always double-check the labels on your specific ingredients, like vanilla extract, to be 100% sure, but it’s generally a very safe bet.
Date and Walnut Bars: An Easy No-Bake Holiday Treat
Date and Walnut Bars are the perfect no-bake treat for your holiday baking. These easy, wholesome snacks combine chewy dates and crunchy walnuts for a deliciously comforting bite.
Ingredients
For the Ingredients
-
500 g pitted Medjool dates
-
200 g raw walnuts
-
150 g rolled oats
-
3 tablespoons coconut oil
-
2 tablespoons water
-
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
-
sea salt (a generous pinch)
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