These healthy yet decadent no bake paleo strawberry chocolate bars are absolutely perfect for anytime of the day. Amazing with your morning cup of coffee or a sweet treat for evening time.
I know what you might be thinking. You're thinking that it's almost fall and I'm bringing you a strawberry dessert recipe that seems a tad summery.
But give me a chance to explain why these no bake paleo strawberry chocolate bars are perfect for any time of the year.
Let's start with the fact that we use freeze-dried strawberries. This means that you get the perfect strawberry taste anytime of the year.
The second reason that these are a perfect dessert all year long is that they're pink / red.
Which means they'll be beautiful on your Christmas dessert table, perfect for your Valentine's Day party and obviously when spring comes pink is definitely in.
But maybe you don't care about why they're perfect for all year long and you just care about how they taste.
So here we go. These bars taste like a no-bake brownie covered in a delicious healthy strawberry frosting.
The strawberry frosting is smooth and sweet and super creamy. The base is a little bit chocolaty, and soft with a little crunch. In other words they are perfect.
I actually found that the longer they sat around in my refrigerator the better they taste.
These are super healthy and loaded with great carbohydrate sources, protein and healthy fats.
I am in love with eating them with a warm cup of coffee in the morning. And because if all the great ingredients, these bars do a great job filling you up!
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Ingredients and substitutions
- medjool dates (dried)
- pecans
- cashews
- vanilla
- freeze dried strawberries
- coconut cream
- maple syrup
- salt
- coconut oil- refined
Substitutions
Here are a few of the ingredients you can safely sub out with out affecting the recipe:
- Pecans/cashews- you can use all pecans or call cashews or sub in your favorite paleo friendly nut. Just make sure there are 2 cups total of whatever you use, and be sure to use raw nuts.
- Coconut oil- I use refined coconut oil because it doesn't have a flavor of coconut. You can sub in unrefined if you don't mind a hint of coconut flavor.
- Coconut cream- you can buy a can of coconut cream or save your self some money and simply skim the cream off the top of a can of full fat coconut milk. To make this easier just put the can in the fridge upside down overnight, then open the can from the bottom, pour out the liquid and you are left with just coconut cream.
- Dates- I have never worked with other dates, so I don't know how they turn out.
Expert tips and how to store
I always like to include expert tips but sometimes recipes really don't need them, like this one. But just in case I like to brainstorm a few to help you out.
- I used parchment paper to make it really easy to get these bars out of the container. While not necessary, it makes for a super easy removal and the bars will look really pretty. You could also use plastic wrap.
- If you want them to really look like a showstopper when serving, cut off the edges all around the perimeter of the bars. Just about ¼ of an inch. This gives a really nice crisp layered look.
- You may want to add the water one tablespoon at a time when making the base. Just in case your dates are more moist than mine were.
- Feel free to add crushed freeze dried strawberries to the top. If you want them to stay crunchy, add them right before serving as they tend to get soft.
Storing
These can be made ahead of time up to 24 hours if you are serving to guests. The color does start to change after about 2 days in the fridge so for the best color serve the day of.
Store in a sealed container in the fridge.
Are these dairy free and vegan friendly?
Yes! These bars are made with all vegan friendly ingredients. Which automatically makes them dairy free. They are paleo as well.
Is this a healthy dessert?
This is honestly one of the healthiest desserts and it still tastes like a dessert!
It is loaded with real food ingredients, very low added unrefined sugar and filled with amazing fats. Fat is your friend, friends. They keep you full longer and are fantastic for brain health.
Let's connect!
Don't forget I would love for you help me out! If you ever make a recipe from Fed and Nourished it helps so much for you to come back and leave a review. And if you are on Instagram come on over and follow along! You can even tag me in your recipe posts!
More vegan dessert recipes
PrintRecipe
No Bake Paleo Strawberry Chocolate Bars
- Total Time: 120
- Yield: 12 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These healthy yet decadent no bake paleo strawberry chocolate bars are absolutely perfect for anytime of the day. Amazing with your morning cup of coffee or a sweet treat for evening time.
Ingredients
Chocolate base
- 1 cup raw pecan halves
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 15 dried medjool dates (about 2 cups)
- 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons of water
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla
- small pinch of salt
Strawberry cream layer
- 1 cup cashews, soaked in hot water for 2 hours or overnight
- ½ cup coconut cream (see notes)
- ¼ cup melted refined, coconut oil
- 1 cup freeze dried strawberries (see notes)
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
Instructions
- In a food processor insert the s blade for chop/puree. Add all of the ingredients for the base of the bars to the food processor this includes pecans, cashews, pinch of salt, dates, cocoa, water and vanilla. See notes.
- Process the ingredients until everything begins to stick and clump together or to the sides of the bowl.
- Press the base into a parchment or plastic lined 8x8 inch square pan evenly using your hands. The base layer should be about ½-3/4 inch thick in the pan.
- To make the frosting cream layer add all ingredients for the strawberry cream frosting into a high powered blender. This includes soaked cashews, coconut cream, melted coconut oil, freeze dried strawberries and maple syrup.
- Blend on high until everything is smooth and combined.. This cream will be very smooth and not chunky when blended completely (see notes)
- Pour or spoon out the cream layer onto the base. Use the back of a spoon to evenly spread the cream. Place in the fridge until set. This took about 2 hours. It will be firm to touch when you lightly touch your finger to the strawberry cream.
- Cut the bars and serve. Store the bars in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
Notes
- Be sure you are using freeze dried strawberries where the only ingredient is strawberry, if you are paleo.
- If you feel your dates are pretty moist you can add the water one tablespoon at a time as you process the base. If it sticks together prior to all the water being added you do not need to add all of the water. If your dates are really dry, you may need to add more water 1 tablespoon at a time.
- If you do not have a high powered blender and the cashews are still in pieces you can put the cream through a mesh sieve to remove any small pieces.
- You can use coconut cream from a can or use the coconut cream found at the top of full fat coconut milk cans. Just stick it in the fridge overnight upside down. The next day open the can from the bottom and pour out the liquid. All that will be left is the cream!
- Prep Time: 10
- Category: Dessert
- Method: No Bake
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: no bake bars, no bake strawberry chocolate bars, vegan no bake bars, paleo no bake desserts
Emily
These no bake strawberry chocolate bars are absolutely delicious. With the dates and all the healthy fats, I made these to enjoy in the days leading up to labor and another batch for my birthing team. They loved them and i did too. I'll be making these again and again post baby. A wonderful, healthy treat!
★★★★★
Maria
Hello! I hope you are doing well! This looks delicious! Does the strawberries have to be frozen? Or could they just be dehydrated?
Thank you!
Loren
Hi Maria! Yes these are so delicious! So the recipe is for freeze dried strawberries which is essentially a dehydrated strawberry, just dried out a different way. Hope this helps! Let me know how you like them, I can't wait to hear.