Tahini Date Flapjacks: Healthy Vegan Oat Bars

Sweet, soft and irresistibly chewy, these homemade tahini date flapjacks are a wholesome treat made without refined sugar and only good fats. Not only are they plant-based and highly nutritious, but you can easily make them gluten-free. Just use certified gluten-free oats. Perfect for a delicious and filling healthy snack.

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These tahini date flapjacks are inspired by my not so healthy halva flapjacks with white chocolate. Whilst the latter are delicious, they’re stuffed with both dairy and sugar. Not at all the thing for a nutritious vegan January.

Dive Right In

• Veganuary
• Why Make Tahini Date Flapjacks?
• Easy Tahini Date Flapjacks?
• Ingredients, Additions And Substitutions
• How To Make Tahini Date Flapjacks
• Other Date Recipes You Might Like
• Keep In Touch
• Pin It.
• The Recipe

Veganuary

Every January I go plant-based for the month. It’s a thing in the UK and is called Veganuary. I do it for a number of reasons. It helps to reduce my overall intake of dairy, it makes me more creative and I get to try recipes and products that are new to me.

But veganuary for me is not just about eating vegan food, it’s also about eating healthier food and cutting down my sugar intake. I allow myself one sweet item a day and it has to be something healthy (ish). These tahini date flapjacks fit the bill perfectly. They lasted the two of us six days and were just as good on day six as day one.

If you’re interested in eating more plant-based meals, I have absolutely loads of vegan recipes. Most of them are healthy ones too.

When I started taking part several years ago, I found breakfasts and lunches the hardest. Replacing my go to eggs, yoghurt and cheese was a little fraught to begin with. But now I have heaps of delicious recipes up my sleeve.

If you’re struggling with either of these two meals, I have two posts that should helps: 31 healthy vegan breakfast recipes and 31 healthy vegan lunch recipes.

Why Make Tahini Date Flapjacks?

Tahini date oat bars are one of the best healthy plant-based snacks you can bake. They’re really tasty. And baking in the bleak dark days of winter is such an antidote to cold weather.

Here are a few more reasons why you’ll want to bake some.

• Adaptable – Need these oat bars to be gluten-free? Just use gluten-free oats. Want to add an extra twist? Throw in some seeds, chopped nuts or even a handful of dark chocolate chips.
• Family-friendly – Both kids and adults enjoy the soft, chewy texture and natural sweetness of these flapjacks. Healthy doesn’t have to mean boring.
• Easy to make – Flapjacks are one of the easiest bakes to make. And only one pan required. This recipe is slightly more involved in that you need to soak and puree the dates, but hands on time is minimal.
• Inclusive – Pretty much everyone can tuck into these gluten-free, nut-free, plant-based snacks. No one needs to feel left out.
• Naturally sweetened – Thanks to the dates, these flapjacks require only a small amount of added sweetener. In this instance coconut sugar rather than refined sugar. This makes them a healthier choice.
• Packed with goodness – Tahini adds a rich, nutty flavour and is full of healthy fats, while oats provide slow-release energy, keeping you satisfied for longer. Dates add sweetness but are also particularly nutritious. They’re high in both fibre and antioxidants, for example. (ref: Healthline)
• Perfect for meal prep – These flapjacks store well which makes them an ideal grab-and-go snack for busy days, lunchboxes or post-workout.

Easy Tahini Date Flapjacks

Tahini and dates are a favourite combination. They both come from the Middle East, where both ingredients are celebrated staples. The nutty, slightly bitter tahini beautifully balances the rich, caramel-like sweetness of dates. The combined flavour is irresistible.

They also deliver a dose of nutrients, including healthy fats, fibre and natural sugars, making them a wholesome pairing in both sweet and savoury recipes.

I’ve used this classic pairing to make these easy tahini date flapjacks. In case you’re wondering, flapjacks are known more commonly in the US (and some other countries) as oat bars or oatmeal bars. The main ingredients is, after all, oats.

Although I’ve used some unrefined sugar in the recipe, the principle sweetener is dates. A mix of rich and creamy tahini and coconut oil hold the oats together. I’ve also added an orange as it seems a fitting flavour for winter and it goes very well with both dates and tahini.

Ingredients, Additions And Substitutions

You only need six main ingredients to make these date and tahini flapjacks. And the good news is that you’re likely to have most, if not all, in your home. They are mostly store cupboard staples – at least in my kitchen they are.

Coconut Oil

Coconut oil works well as a butter replacement as it has similar properties when it comes to baking. I use cold pressed virgin coconut oil, but it does have a distinctive coconut taste. If you’d rather not include the flavour of coconut, you can get deodorised versions.

As an alternative to coconut oil, use eighty millilitres of extra virgin olive oil instead.

Dates

Ordinary dried dates are good for this recipe. They’re a lot cheaper than medjool dates and the delicious caramel flavour you get with the latter will be lost in the bake. Make sure they’re pitted first.

However, if you do use medjools, you shouldn’t need to soak them first.

Although not as sweet, dried unsulphured apricots are also good in this recipe.

Oats

Rolled porridge oats are best for flapjacks. Jumbo oats are just a bit too course. Look out for certified gluten-free ones, if needed.

Orange

Both the zest and juice of an orange give additional flavour to these flapjacks. The juice also helps to moisten the oats and hold everything together.

Use an organic orange for preference. Otherwise an unwaxed one is good, if you give it a good scrub. If using an ordinary orange, scrub it well with soap and water before using to remove as much of the wax and pesticides as possible.

I didn’t have any oranges when I made this particular batch of flapjacks, so I used two organic satsumas instead.

Salt

It’s not the most obvious thing in the world, but a little salt helps to bring out the sweetness in bakes. Use sea or rock salt for preference as they’re less refined.

Tahini

If you’ve not come across tahini before, rush right out and get some. It’s a paste made from ground up sesame seeds and it’s excellent for cooking. As well as an essential ingredient for hummus, it’s fabulous for sauces and salad dressing and it works really well in baking.

There are two different types of tahini: hulled and unhulled. Hulled is light in colour as well as smoother and creamier than unhulled. It’s the one that most recipes call for and the one I’ve used in this recipe.

Unhulled is the most nutritious as it contains the whole sesame seed. But it’s generally rougher in texture and distinctly more bitter than the hulled version. It’s also harder to get hold of.

Unrefined Sugar

Although dates are the principle sweetener in this recipe, I have added some sugar too. I’ve used coconut sugar, which is somewhat healthier than white sugar. (ref: Healthline)

If you can’t get hold of coconut sugar, swap it for another type of unrefined sugar such as rapadura or even muscovado.

Additions

If you’d like to pack even more into these tahini date bars. I have some suggestions. Roughly chopped nuts or seeds are always a good bet. Walnuts work particularly well with these flavours. Fifty grams should do it.

For a cocoa hit, throw in a handful of dark chocolate chips, as well as or instead of, the nuts.

A teaspoon of sweet spice such as cinnamon or mixed spice will add additional flavour notes. As will a teaspoon of vanilla extract.

How To Make Tahini Date Flapjacks

Like all flapjack recipes, this one is one of the easiest bakes you’ll ever make. It’s mostly a question of stirring, although a bit of blending is also required.

Please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for full instructions, timings and quantities of ingredients used.

Step 1. Prepare Orange

First off, zest the orange and place in a medium sized saucepan. A microplane (affiliate link) is excellent for this purpose.

Step 2. Soften Dates

Roughly chop the dates. As you can see from the image, I forgot to do this and subsequently the dates took longer to soften than they should have. Make sure you remove any stones if yours aren’t already pitted.

Either soak the dates in the orange juice overnight or simmer them gently for ten minutes or until the dates are soft. Whichever way you go, use the saucepan that holds the orange zest. Keep the lid on, so that you don’t lose too much of the juice.

Step 3. Melt And Blend

Once the dates are soft, add the coconut oil and tahini and warm over a gently heat until they’re melted.

Add the sugar and salt and mix well. Remove from the heat. Then blend roughly with a stick blender (affiliate link). Small pieces of date are good for texture, but you don’t want too many of them.

Step 4. Add Oats

Meanwhile blitz a portion of the oats into a course flour. This helps to stop the flapjacks from being too crumbly. I used our old coffee grinder, but a mini food processor or blender will both work.

Mix the flour together with the remaining oats into the date and tahini mixture. Stir until all of the oats are coated. If the mixture is too dry, add a tablespoon of warm water.

Tip the mix into the prepared tin or silicone mould. Press it down firmly with the back of a spoon until you have an even layer.

Step 5. Bake and Enjoy

Place the tin on the middle shelf of the oven and bake. The top should be firm to the touch and just about golden, but not brown.

Allow to cool for ten minutes in the tin, then turn out onto a board and slice into twelve bars. Leave to cool on a wire rack, then enjoy the crumbs – cook’s perk.

Once cool, store in an airtight container for up to six days. You can freeze flapjacks for up to three months. Just place them in a freezer container with a layer of parchment paper between each one.

Other Date Recipes You Might Like

• chocolate chia pudding (vegan)
• date & hazelnut bars
• goji berry bliss balls (vegan)
• maamoul: date & walnut stuffed cookies
• sticky toffee chocolate puddings
• whole roasted cauliflower with tahini sauce (vegan)

Keep in Touch

Thank you for visiting Tin and Thyme. If you make these tahini date flapjacks, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. Do you have any recommendations or tips for making oat bars?

Please rate the recipe. If you post pictures of your creations on social media, tag me @choclette8 so I can see them.

For more delicious and nutritious recipes follow me on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Flipboard or Pinterest. And don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to my weekly newsletter. Or why not join the conversation in our Healthy Vegetarian Whole Food Recipes Facebook Group?

If you’d like more flapjack recipes, follow the link and you’ll find I have quite a lot of them. All delicious and nutritious, of course.

Choclette x

Tahini Date Flapjacks. PIN IT.

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Tahini Date Flapjacks: Healthy Vegan Oat Bars

Sweet, soft and irresistibly chewy, these homemade tahini date flapjacks are a wholesome treat made without refined sugar and only good fats. Not only are they plant-based and highly nutritious, but you can easily make them gluten-free. Just use certified gluten-free oats. Perfect for a delicious and filling healthy snack.

Cook ModeToggle to keep screen awake

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Boiling Time10 minutes mins

Course: Snack

Cuisine: British

Keyword: dates, flapjacks, gluten-free, oats, tahini, traybake, vegan

Servings: 12 slices

Calories: 217kcal

Author: Choclette @ Tin and Thyme

Equipment

• microplane (affiliate link) optional
• stick blender (affiliate link)

Ingredients

• 100 g dates ready pitted dried ones – chopped
• 1 orange zest and juice – organic if you can, otherwise unwaxed
• 75 g coconut oil
• 75 g tahini
• 75 g coconut sugar or unrefined brown sugar
• 1 pinch fine sea or rock salt
• 250 g rolled oats (porridge oats) gluten-free if needed

Metric – US Customary

Instructions

• First zest the orange and place in a medium sized saucepan. Then, using the same saucepan, either soak the dates in the orange juice overnight or simmer them gently for ten minutes or until the dates are soft.
  1 orange, 100 g dates
• Once the dates are soft, add the coconut oil and tahini and warm over a gently heat until they’re melted.
  75 g coconut oil, 75 g tahini
• Add the sugar and salt and mix well. Remove from the heat.
  75 g coconut sugar, 1 pinch fine sea or rock salt
• Using a stick blender, briefly blitz the date mixture. A few small pieces of date in the mix is good, but most should be blended.
• Meanwhile blitz 100g of the oats into flour. Mix this together with the remaining oats into the date and tahini mixture. Stir until all of the oats are coated. If the mixture is too dry, add a tablespoon of warm water.
  250 g rolled oats (porridge oats)
• Preheat the oven to 180℃ (160℃ fan, 350℉, Gas 4).
• Tip the mix into a lined 20 x 20 cm (8 x 8 inch) square baking tin, or lightly oiled silicone mould. Press it down firmly with the back of a spoon until you have an even layer.
• Place the tin on the middle shelf of the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes. The tops should be firm to the touch and just golden, but not brown.
• Allow to cool for ten minutes in the tin, then turn out onto a board and cut into twelve slices. Leave to cool on a wire rack.
• Once cool, store in an airtight container for up to six days.

Notes

If using medjool dates, there’s no need to soak them, but do remove the pits.

As an alternative to coconut oil, use 80ml (⅓ cup) of extra virgin olive oil instead.

You’ll find additional tips and info about this recipe in the main body of the post.

Please note: calories and other nutritional information are per serving. They’re approximate and will depend on serving size and exact ingredients used. Please refer to my nutrition disclaimer for further information.

Nutrition Estimate

Calories: 217kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 19mg | Potassium: 179mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 30IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 1mg

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