Coconut Cashew Granola Bars
These vegan Coconut Cashew Granola Bars are sweet, satisfying, and wholesome!
I was watching a clip of my favourite lady Nigella making Granola Bars the other day, and she described medjool dates as “the most delicious edible glue”. Isn’t that perfect? She’s right (obviously…!), medjool dates add the most wonderful sticky, caramely, natural sweetness to any recipe, and thus, they make the perfect no-bake granola bar ingredient.
When time permits, I always prefer homemade granola bars to shop bought ones. Healthier, whole ingredients, and they just taste better to me. This is my current favourite bar- a toasted oat and coconut base, with crunchy cashews, and a drizzling of dark chocolate for a little indulgence. So delicious!
Whats your favourite go-to snack?!
- ¾ cup chopped raw cashews
- 1½ cups oats
- ¾ cup unsweetened coconut flakes
- 1½ cups pitted, chopped dates (medjool if possible)
- 6 tbsp maple syrup or honey (if not vegan)
- 6 tbsp peanut butter or almond butter
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- pinch of salt
- ⅓ cup dark chocolate chips
- Line a 9x9 inch pan with two sheets of cling film (plastic wrap) so that all four sides are covered. Push your fingers into all of the corners to ensure that it fits tightly
- Tip the nuts, oats and coconut into a medium saucepan, and warm over a medium heat. Toast the nuts, oats and coconut in the dry pan stirring constantly. When the coconut turns a golden brown colour, immediately remove from the heat and tip into a large bowl (the coconut can burn very easily!)
- Return the saucepan to the heat, and add the chopped dates, maple syrup, nut butter, vanilla, cinnamon and salt. Stir everything until it has melted together and the dates start to break down into a sticky sauce-lie mixture (like in the picture above). Remove from the heat, and tip into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Stir everything until well combined
- Tip the mixture into the lined pan, and press it flat with your fingers and pop in the fridge to chill
- Put the chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl, and heat in the microwave in 20 second increments, stirring between each time, until the chocolate is melted. Drizzle over the top of the bars and allow to set in the fridge before cutting into slices
Adapted from my Gingerbread Granola Bars.
For best results, store in the fridge.
This look extremely delicious, Emma! Granola is my favourite snack on the go and this version is just perfect 🙂
Pinned!
Thank you so much Evi XX
Emma, I completely agree that homemade granola bars are so much better! The difference is amazing. Your homemade bars combine such tasty ingredients! Well done. 🙂 My favorite go to snack is chocolate almond coconut granola. <3
Thanks Demeter! The only problem is that I eat WAY too many when I make them myself…!
These look perfect for my long runs, get baking Kim, as discussed today haha
Haha! You’d really like these… if I kept the choc off!
Nigella has such a way with words. These look incredible!
She really does. Thanks Lynn!
Sounds and looks delicious Emmer!😘
Thanks Alice!
I’m embarassed to say that I’ve never cooked with medjool dates before! I was just thinking about trying to make my own granola bars today though, so I guess I need to look into them! These look so good that I think I could eat them for snacks and dessert 🙂
Oh they come in handy for all sorts of things Izzy!
I love homemade granola bars and your flavors sound amazing. Store bought bars always have a chemical like taste to me. Dates are incredible…magical really. When I first discovered date brownies I went on an all things date binge 🙂
Thanks Kathryn! I had the same experience with date caramel (omgswoon!) x
Yum! Toasted coconuts, cashews and dates there’s so much to like about these bars not to mention that gorgeous chocolate drizzle.
Thank you Brie! You gotta have the drizzle 🙂
WOW! These are beautiful! Looks like the perfect granola treats! They look super intriguing, Emma.
Thanks Anu 🙂
This is a great idea – they look so good and love that they are vegan – perfect to have ready for a quick snack. I haven’t tried experimenting with medjool dates but need to give them a go.
Geraldine… you will never look back!!
These look delicious and surprisingly easy! Can’t wait to try them 🙂
They’re very easy. Hope you love them!
These look so yummy! I should make them for my wedding <3
Thanks Claudia x
I tried this yesterday and it was delicious! Thanks for the great recipe!
Yay! So happy to hear it Anshula 🙂
😍 Doing this, like, yesterday! This looks so incredibly delicious. Great post!
Haha, thanks Victoria!
Yummy!! Great one 🙂
looks amazing!! i had to pin it 🙂 xx
Thanks Glenny! Let me know if you try it 🙂
Oh my gosh. These look amazing and toasted coconut is everything!! Yum!!
It IS everything 🙂
Yummy! These look really awesome and it’s great that they’re vegan!
Thanks Molly!
I like how these are at once decadent and nourishing. Anything with the chocolate, coconut, date combo is a good one. And oh, I love watching Nigella too. 😉 Do you have any other favorite YouTubers? I’m always on the lookout for more. I like Donal Skehan (not pure veg), The Happy Pear (though they can get really loud), Deliciously Ella, Peaceful Cuisine, Green Kitchen Stories, and a few others.
Obsessed with Happy Pear, and pretty much anything on Jamie Olivers Food Tube! Will defo have to check out your other suggestions, thanks Katie!
Emma I made them yesterday and they are awesome!
Eat 2 together with my boyfriend as an evening snack and the rest of the bars are in the freezer for the coming weeks. This will be a snack to look forward to, really more like a treat than a ‘healthy snack’! And maybe they are more are treat than a healthy snack after all, (also because of the chocolate) but I don’t care 🙂
I made the caramel very smooth by the way, by adding a bit of water when it almost started to burn + I used the handblender to make one big paste.
Definitely a treat, but one thats crammed full of good stuff! Nice work on the caramel Els, so happy you stopped by to report back!!
These look so yummy! I just printed the recipe and will definitely be trying them. Thanks!
Thanks Marci!
Oh, I love making homemade granola bars. I’ll have to give these a try.
Hope you love them!
Oh my gosh these look to die for! I love the combination of coconut & chocolate – it is a close rival to peanut butter and chocolate for me!
Hey Emma!! Do you think these will freeze well?
I do! Are you doing some last minute freezer prep?!
I am, got some time to kill 🙂 These are super yummy! I made two batches!