Vegan Cashew Cookie Dough Bars

Vegan cashew cookie dough bars are a marvellous no-bake healthy snack or dessert! Made with a handful of pantry staples, you’ll always want to have a batch of these sweet treats on hand for whenever a craving strikes.

Happy Friday! I know that I said I might only be posting two recipes per week for the next little while, but I’ve since realized that sitting down and writing blog posts is so therapeutic for me. It’s a nice little break from reality. And I’ve somehow made a lot of progress on my school work (positively miraculous for me, ha). I have dozens of recipes ready to share, so I might as well just stick with my Monday-Wednesday-Friday routine! 

I love all things cookie dough. I wasn’t really allowed to eat raw cookie dough as a kid because my parents were quite safety conscious and didn’t want any of us to get salmonella from raw eggs, but I distinctly remember enjoying my fair share of it at friends’ houses over the years. (Probably to the chagrin of my parents. Sorry Mom and Dad!) 

That’s why I’ve been so excited about all of the vegan (egg-free!) versions of cookie dough that can be made. I believe that my first introduction to vegan cookie dough was the peanut butter cookie dough balls in The Oh She Glows Cookbook. Over the course of time, I’ve tried many more recipes, and have even played around with developing my own spinoffs. This particular recipe, for vegan cashew cookie dough bars, is my new favourite… and my Dad’s. I always know a recipe is a winner when it disappears in a matter of a couple of days, which was the case with these bars. We enjoyed them as an afternoon pick-me-up as well as a pre-workout boost. They’re even divine enough to eat for dessert. 

the details

‘Tis the season for no-bake desserts, as the weather is only getting warmer and most of us will not be ultra keen to have our ovens on as often as in the fall and winter months. These bars only require the use of a food processor and a stovetop to make the vegan chocolate topping. As well as being vegan, they are gluten-free and packed with a decent amount of fibre, protein, and healthy fat, as well as natural sugars from the dates and a tiny bit of maple syrup. They are little bites of bliss! 

the ingredients 

These cashew cookie dough bars require the following ingredients: Raw cashews, Medjool dates, rolled oats, cashew butter (or peanut butter), maple syrup, sea salt, vanilla extract, and semisweet chocolate chips. The topping is optional, but highly recommended; to make it, you’ll need cacao butter or coconut oil, cocoa, maple syrup, and non-dairy milk. 

how to make it

Add the cashews and oats to a food processor and process until coarsely ground. Add the dates, cashew butter, maple syrup, salt, and vanilla. Process until a sticky dough forms. Finally, add the chocolate chips and pulse several times to break up and incorporate.

Line a 9×5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper. Make sure that there is enough overhang so that you can easily lift the bar out of the pan once frozen. 

Crumble the dough into the prepared pan and press down firmly with your hands into an even layer. 

Next, make the chocolate topping. Place the cacao butter or coconut oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat to melt. Remove from the heat and whisk in the cocoa, maple syrup, and non-dairy milk. Pour over the cookie dough in the pan and spread out with the back of a spoon. 

Transfer into the freezer and freeze until firm. I froze mine for 90 minutes. 

Remove from the freezer and lift out of the pan. Depending on how firm it is, you might wish to let it soften for a couple of minutes before slicing. 

Run a sharp knife under hot water for 20 seconds. This helps prevent the chocolate from cracking when you slice through it. Then slice into 12-16 squares, depending on how large you would like them to be. 

Enjoy some immediately with a large glass of your favourite milk or an iced latte, and store the rest in an airtight container in the freezer. 

more vegan no-bake treats

• No-Bake Vegan Nanaimo Bars
• Vegan No-Bake Mini Chocolate Cheesecakes
• Vegan Chocolate Raspberry Ice Cream Sandwiches (No-Bake) + Video

I hope that you love these vegan cashew cookie dough bars! If you make them, let me know how you enjoyed them by leaving a comment and rating below the post. And if you share a photo to Instagram, tag it @upbeet.kitchen and #upbeetkitchen. I love seeing what you’ve made!

Enjoy! 

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Vegan Cashew Cookie Dough Bars

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5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 2 reviews

• Author: Allison
• Total Time: 10 minutes
• Yield: 12 servings 1x
• Diet: Vegan

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Description

Vegan cashew cookie dough bars are a marvellous no-bake healthy snack or dessert! Made with a handful of pantry staples, you’ll always want to have a batch of these sweet treats on hand for whenever a craving strikes.

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Ingredients

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Cashew Cookie Dough Bars

• 1 cup raw cashews
• ½ cup rolled oats
• 1 cup pitted Medjool dates (10–12 dates- aim for very soft dates for best results)
• 2 tablespoons cashew butter or peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ cup semisweet chocolate chips

Chocolate Topping

• 2 tablespoons finely chopped cacao butter or virgin coconut oil
• 2 tablespoons cocoa or raw cacao powder
• 1 ½ tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon non-dairy milk

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Instructions

1. Add the cashews and oats to a food processor and process until coarsely ground. Add the dates, cashew butter, maple syrup, salt, and vanilla. Process until a sticky dough forms. Finally, add the chocolate chips and pulse several times to break up and incorporate.
2. Line a 9×5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper. Make sure that there is enough overhang so that you can easily lift the bar out of the pan once frozen.
3. Crumble the dough into the prepared pan and press down firmly with your hands into an even layer.
4. Next, make the chocolate topping. Place the cacao butter or coconut oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat to melt. Remove from the heat and whisk in the cocoa, maple syrup, and non-dairy milk. Pour over the cookie dough in the pan and spread out with the back of a spoon.
5. Transfer into the freezer and freeze until firm. I froze mine for 90 minutes.
6. Remove from the freezer and lift out of the pan. Depending on how firm it is, you might wish to let it soften for a couple of minutes before slicing.
7. Run a sharp knife under hot water for 20 seconds. This helps prevent the chocolate from cracking when you slice through it. Then slice into 12-16 squares, depending on how large you would like them to be.
8. Enjoy some immediately with a large glass of your favourite milk or an iced latte, and store the rest in an airtight container in the freezer.

Notes

Recipe inspired by my cashew cookie dough energy balls, which was originally inspired by the Cookie Dough Balls in Oh She Glows Everyday.

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Category: Snack