Healthy Dark Chocolate No Bake Bars

A Vitamix is often thought of as a great tool for making smoothies or soups but one of our newest chefs, Chef Diana, has recently introduced us to chocolate bars in the Vitamix. Class tested and class approved, these dark chocolate no bake bars are hassle free, easy to make, and a crowd pleaser. An added bonus – these bars are dairy and flour free.

Tips and Tricks:

Chef Diana showed the class how a Vitamix can do all of the work for you. The students added the ingredients, and the Vitamix did the mixing.  The first tip is to run the Vitamix for approximately 20 seconds, and then mix it by hand. This will ensure that all the ingredients are thoroughly combined. Secondly, if your mix is a little thick, that is okay. You will use your hands to pat down the mixture into an 8″x8″ baking dish which will smooth out the mixture. Lastly, you can vary the thickness of these bars by simply altering the width and length of the pan. No need to worry about the baking time since these are no bake bars.

Taste:

These bars were rich, moist, and delectable. Not only did they taste great, but they smelled amazing. You would never guess that these bars were so healthy because they still maintained a deep chocolate flavor that everyone loved. Students were not shy about going back for seconds for these bars!

Chef Diana has perfected this Vitamix recipe. This class was so much fun as students were able to participate right along side Chef Diana as she shared all of her knowledge and helpful tips about using a Vitamix.

This last Vitamix tip is helpful no matter what you are making: clean your Vitamix with Dawn Soap. Chef Diana put a splash of Dawn Soap and water into the Vitamix and gave it a whirl. A Vitamix can boil water in approximately 7 minutes, so do not let it run too long. Let it run for 2 – 3 minutes and it will be clean.

Recipe: Healthy Dark Chocolate No Bake Bars

(Makes 12 bars)

2          cups          old-fashioned rolled oats

1          cup            pecans

1          cup            almonds, slivered

1          cup            Medjool dates, pitted

½        tsp.            salt

1⅓      cups          dark chocolate chips, divided

1½      tsp.            pure vanilla extract

 

1. Preheat the oven to 350 ºF. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and divide the oats, pecans and almonds between the two sheets, spreading out in flat layers. Bake for 10-15 minutes to toast, switching and rotating the sheets halfway through the baking time, until the nuts and oats smell fragrant. Lift the parchment off of the baking sheets to transfer nuts and oats into the Vitamix. Pulse to roughly chop.

2. Add the dates and the salt. Process the mixture until it resembles coarse sand.

3. Add one cup of the chocolate chips and process part-way. Add the remaining ⅓-cup and continue to process until the mixture has turned evenly brown from the melting chocolate. You may need to stop and use a spatula to push the mixture around periodically. Pulse in the vanilla extract.

4. Transfer the mixture to a parchment or foil-lined 8″ square pan. Press to fill the entire pan and use your hands to flatten the top. Place in the refrigerator to cool until firm, about 30-60 minutes. Use the parchment or foil to lift the bars out of the pan; slice into bars with a serrated knife.

You can store these bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before eating.