5-ingredient Healthy Chocolate Orange Date Bars (Nakd Bar Copycat)
on Aug 18, 2021, Updated Jul 25, 2024
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If you’re looking for a guilt-free no bake snack bar that tastes like a treat, you may have found it. Vegan, gluten free, unrefined sugar free (pretty much everything free), these healthy chocolate orange date bars are so easy to make with just 5 raw ingredients.
Love chocolate truffles? This healthy chocolate orange truffle recipe is the delicious ‘sibling’ of these raw orange chocolate bars. They make a great gift!
Why you’ll love them
- NO refined sugar, chocolate, butter or oil. These yummy raw brownie bars are gluten free, vegan and just pure goodness, really.
- Just 5 raw ingredients. So quick and easy to make in a food processor. Nothing to cook or bake.
- Taste like gooey brownies. Honestly. A tastier no bake snack bar you will struggle to find.
- Make perfect after school snacks, lunch box treats and pick-me-ups on the go.
- Taste just like Nakd bars! Love them? Me too, but it’s much more economical to make your own raw bars!
About the ingredients
Dates: Packed with fibre, dates are a great natural sweetener. I use pitted dates (you want this to be a quick recipe!). I’ve found some incredible dates locally that honestly taste almost like caramel, so see what you can find. Medjool dates work really well, but any dates are fine. In a pinch, the recipe even works with dried apricots if you’re not a fan of dates!
An orange: You’ll need juice and zest for maximum yummy orange flavour in these incredible orange chocolate bars.
Raw cashews: Use raw unsalted cashews, which you can find in a bulk buy store ven
Raisins, sultanas or prunes: These add extra yummy sweetness to the truffles.
Cacao powder: This is different to cocoa powder. It’s very healthy! You can find it in most good health food stores, and a lot of supermarkets, too. Can you substitute with cocoa powder? Yes, actually, since you only need 2 tablespoons anyway.
How to make them
Step 1: Prepare an 8×8 inch baking pan by lining it with baking paper.
Step 2: Pour the juice of half an orange over the dates for a while. This has two purposes – to soften the dates a little and to begin flavouring the truffles with orange.
Step 2: Put the cashews and the rest of the orange juice into the bowl of your food processor. Process for about 2 to 3 minutes or until the mixture is all mashed up and forms a ball.
Step 3: Empty the cashew and orange mixture into another bowl.
Step 4: Now add the date and orange juice mixture and the sultanas (or raisins/prunes) to the food processor bowl (no need to clean it first) and process that until you have another sticky ball. This will probably happen faster than the cashew mixture.
Step 5: Now this is the fun part! Mash the two mixtures together in the large bowl with a spatula until you have something that looks like thick chocolate cake batter. Mix in the orange zest and cacao powder too. Mmm! Permission to pinch off bits of the mixture and eat them. Cook’s treat!
Step 6: Press the mixture into the prepared baking pan. Smooth right into the corners. Put into the fridge or freezer to harden (at least 30 minutes), then cut into 8 to 10 bars.
More things to know (Recipe FAQ)
Store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a couple of weeks. Alternatively, keep them in the freezer. They freeze well for up to 3 months. I actually think they taste best straight out of the freezer, since they don’t really taste frozen.
You can try dried apricots! The taste will be slightly different, but your bars will still taste very delcious.
Try sunflower seeds! They will mash up in a similar way to the cashews. Your bars will still taste very yummy, and sunflower seeds are also very nutritious. Let me know if you give this a try!
No worries. Just leave them to soak in the orange juice for a little while longer. They’ll be fine.
Looking for a healthy but show stopping dessert? You just have to try this 30-minute healthy chocolate cake, too. It will blow your mind (also makes a great kids’ birthday cake!).
A few more easy, healthy snacks
These 5-ingredient healthy chocolate orange truffles are like the little sibling to these bars! They’re perfect little energy bites, and also make a great gift.
5-ingredient Healthy Chocolate Orange Date Bars (Nakd Bar Copycat)
Ingredients
- 1 orange, juiced and zested
- 6 ounces pitted dates
- 2/3 cup raw cashew nuts
- 1/3 cup raisins or sultanas, I used raisins
- 2 tablespoons raw cacao powder
Instructions
- Line a fairly small square baking tin (I had 8×8 inch) with baking paper and set aside.
- Put the dates in a small bowl and pour half of the orange juice over them. Put aside for a moment.
- Put the cashews and the rest of the orange juice in your food processor and process until they are all mashed up and clump together in a ball (this took quite a while – at least 2 or 3 minutes).
- Tip the cashew and orange mixture into a bowl. Then tip the dates/orange juice and sultanas into the food processor and process for a short while until they too are all mashed up and form a sticky ball (this won’t take as long as the cashews).
- Add the mashed up dates/sultanas to the cashew/orange mixture in the bowl, then add the cacao and orange zest and mash everything together well until it resembles a thick chocolate cake batter.
- Tip the mixture into the baking tin and spread out and press down until it’s evenly pressed in and smooth.
- Cover and put in the fridge or freezer to harden a little, then cut into 8 to 10 bars (I cut mine into 8, but that makes fairly large bars).
Tried this today. Very easy to put together, and delicious! I used pecans in place of cashews.
I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Jean, and interested to hear that it came out well using pecans. That sounds wonderful, actually! Thanks so much for the feedback!
These look wonderful! Can I make them with peanuts? My sister-in-law is allergic to tree nuts and I was wondering if I could make them for her with peanuts instead?
Hi Christine. I completely understand as our son is also allergic to tree nuts (I published this recipe before he was born!). I’ve never tried it with peanuts, but I do think it would work. You might have to process the nuts for a bit longer than the cashews, but as long as they eventually form a ball with the orange juice, the recipe should work well. Now you’ve made me want to try it too – for my son! I’d love to hear how you get on if you do try it!
Tastes great. I think maybe my orange was too big though as it’s just not firming up. I have added a bit of oats and put in a low oven to see if I can form it up slightly.
Ahhh, maybe, Amy! Also sometimes I put mine in the freezer. They are delicious eaten straight out of the cold!
Hi hope you are well.
I just made these and while they taste really good and consistency was sticky and looked like yours, they didn’t quite harden up despite keeping the tin in the freezer. Please could you help me understand the issue ? Thank you.
Hi Maithili! Thanks so much for the feedback! Try reducing the amount of orange juice slightly next time and see if that makes a difference. It could be that the orange was particularly big so there was a lot of orange juice, or maybe the dates were softer than average. It’s hard to say for sure but try that and see! Also, I have a very similar recipe on the site but it’s in truffle/ball form. Maybe try that and see if that works out for you better? https://scrummylane.com/5-ingredient-raw-chocolate-orange-truffles/
Yum – this looks like an amazing healthy snack. I love anything with dates!
Thank you! This is my favourite healthy snack – I must make some more!
Where did you get your raw cacao powder from Helen? Neither my big Sainsburys nor big Tescos seemed to have it.
Hi, Mel! I actually got it from a health food shop near our home. Let me know if you can’t find any and I can get you some and send it. These are delicious, by the way. Let me know what you think!
Chocolate + orange is such a great combination. These bars look fudgy and all sorts of delicious. And aren’t food processors magical? Love that you can throw all ingredients in and you’re done!
Seinfeld is a hilarious show. Love that they tout it’s a show about nothing. Who would’ve though nothing is so funny? 🙂
Haha … I’ve never heard that it’s a show ‘about nothing’ before, but that’s so so true! It’s very light – never really too serious – which is why I like it. So glad you like these lovely fudgey bars … I can’t stop eating them every time I make them!
Only 5 ingredients and healthy too?! These raw bars are definitely a recipe I need to make!
Hi, Thalia! Glad you like them! Try making them into truffles, too … they work really well that way!
I love that you just discovered Seinfeld and that you love it! I always love watching a good Seinfeld re-run on tv! These orange bars look awesome and that is so neat that they are raw! I think we have already had this conversation, but the orange and chocolate combo always makes me think of Christmas time and I love it!
Oh, you can repeat that any time you like, Izzy … I love the orange-choc combo, too! (hence quite a few orange-choc recipes on my blog!) You’re so right that it’s a real Christmasy flavour, too. Now, what else can I make with this flavour combo? 😉
So funny that you’re addicted to Seinfeld! I’m an original fan (from “back in the day”!) And wow – I’m also a fan of these gorgeous chocolate bars, right from my first glimpse! Can’t wait to try them – so easy, so healthy, so (yay!) chocolate-y! Definitely pinning! 😀
Hello, Shelley! So glad you like the sound of these chocolate-y beauties! I’ve been eating them all week so can safely say they are a hit … well, at least in our house. 🙂
These look sensational and so perfect to nibble upon when in need of a snack (and I always need them). I’ve missed so many of your beautiful posts, but it’s always such a pleasure to come back and read 🙂
Hello, Gintare! I’ve been missing a lot of your posts, too … now I have to fix that! Life has definitely been ‘getting in the way’ lately! I hope you’re well and thanks for passing by!
I love Seinfeld, Helen! There are so many great episodes, but I love that quote you put up. I frequently ruin my appetite with cookies…darn cookies and lack of will power! This chocolate looks amazing, and love that it is healthy for you!
So glad you liked the quote, Denise … I’m still steadily working my way through the seasons (totally not in order!) but this quote from this episode is one of my favourite so far. Glad you like the bars, too … I can’t stop eating them!
Sadly I am on the final season of Dexter – and healthier snacks like these would help the season go down (instead of the crisps I keep getting).
Hahaha … absolutely! The last season is the only one I haven’t seen … I just love that show!
Je crois que tu viens de trouver le snack parfait pour regarder tout sort des séries à la Tv!
J’adore le mariage entre l’orange et le chocolat et j’ai beaucoup aimée ta présentation.
Merci beaucoup, Eva! Moi aussi j’adore le mariage entre l’orange et le chocolat … c’est mon favori! 🙂
Hahah.. i do the same thing.. i ruin my appetite by snacking on caramel popcorn.. i am so addicted to it.. 😀 but these bars are simply amazing and healthy. I really need to make this bars.. love it!!
Ooh, now there’s an idea – caramel popcorn! Not quite as healthy as these bars but veeery tempting! Glad you like the bars, Arpita!
Oooooo I love these bars!!
Thanks, Zainab!
These sound delicious, and I love that they’re only 5 ingredients!!
Thanks, Rachel! That’s the best thing – they’re so easy to make!
Wow, love these delicious and healthy bars, Helen! Orange and cocoa is our favorite combo. LOL Elain is the best! Actually non of the new shows can measure up to Seinfeld 🙂
I totally agree – where have all the great comedies gone? 🙁 Glad you like the healthy bars – they’re my current mid-morning snack!
Ok, so I laughed out loud when you used the word “crumpet” in this post. I didn’t think English people really ate crumpets, but you must, ha! Now I want a crumpet. These bars looks marvelous and no refined sugar, what a great snack for that afternoon slump I find myself in everyday at 2 ish! And I confess, when I was a kid I wouldn’t touch the chocolate/orange combo, but now I love it! Amazing how refined our tastes get as we age =)
Oh, so now I’m laughing out loud! That’s hilarious. We really do eat crumpets – in fact pretty much everyone I know loves them – they’re a delicious breakfast or anytime snack. Thank goodness I have this slightly healthier snack to hand at the moment too, though 🙂
Hehe I always love it when there’s a Seinfeld reference!! It’s one of my favourite shows ever and I remember that scene! 😀
You do? Oh, I’ve got so much catching up to do. Nothing like getting there with something ten years too late … haha! It’s making for some fun evening viewing at the moment, though!