No-bake apricot chia energy bars are healthy no-bake snacks that are gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, and vegan. They make great healthy after-school snacks for kids!
Sweet and chewy with little bits of crunch (and white chocolate, if you like), it literally takes minutes to make this healthy snack recipe. But don’t let all those scary buzzwords scare you away, because these might be one of my favorite snack recipes to date. My boys and have been munching away on No-Bake Apricot Chia Energy Bars.
I seriously hate driving. Not just driving. I don’t even like being in the car. As a kid, long road trips were the worst because I’d try to read a book to pass the time, but that made me so nauseous that after awhile I’d feel my tummy turning just by reading road signs. My first long drive on my own was about five hours from Central New Jersey to visit my friend in Syracuse, and every time I went, I’d drive as long as I possibly could before I stopped, would run into Subway, and then somehow eat a sub while driving, just to minimize my time in the car. A few days later when I was ready to head home, we would usually go get a big breakfast, and then I’d try to make it all the way without so much as a bathroom break.
When it was just The Hubby and I, I always made him drive. I still do, except when I take the boys on my own to make the 3 1/2 hour trek to my moms. And let me tell you, that’s always such a joy. Especially when the 31/2 hour trek takes 5 or 6 hours. When it was just The Bug, I kind of lucked out because I could easily time our trips around nap time, and he would crash and sleep almost the entire way. Oh, well except that one time when we drove down in a snowstorm, it took something like six hours, and he slept for 40 minutes.
Awesome.
And now it’s even more fun and excitement. King Stuff clearly inherited my feelings about being in the car, and The Bug no longer naps unless he is super exhausted. So basically he spends the entire time nagging me. Ten minutes into the ride he wants a snack. Twenty minutes later he wants to know if we are still in New Jersey. Thirty minutes later he has shut his mouth just long enough for King Stuff to finally fall asleep. And thirty minutes after that I’m doing 70 mph on the interstate with a million other cars around, because this is Jersey, and he has to have a snack NNNOOOOOOWWWW. And BAM, King Stuff is up and whining for the next 2 1/2 hours.
Not that King Stuff would have slept much longer anyway. Forty minutes is about his maximum in the car. And if he does sleep longer, Mr. I Don’t Have to Pee I Don’t Have to Pee I Don’t Have to Pee obviously DOES have to pee. Repeatedly.
Double awesome.
Actually the best was when he didn’t have to pee until we were twenty minutes away from my mom’s with literally nowhere to stop. OMG! Both of them were screaming. “I HAVE TO PEE!” “I NEED A SNACK!” “MAMAMAMAMAMA! MA-MAAAAAAAA!” “WAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!”
Luckily, to calm the natives, food usually works. Even speeding down the highway, I can just toss them one of these no-bake apricot chia energy bars!
So I know this may seem like a random combination, but out of all of the energy bars, balls and bites I’ve made, this no-bake apricot chia energy bars recipe might be my absolute favorite.
They are definitely sweet, but I think the apricot flavor keeps them from being too sweet. I’m a total texture girl, so I love the bits of pepitas (raw pumpkin seeds) and especially the chia seeds. Most of the time you see chia in overnight oats or smoothies or chia pudding where is swells up and get gel-ish, but here it’s like little bits of crunch. I like just a little bit of white chocolate for a creamy bit to balance the fruit, but if you don’t want the added sugar (though it is only a bit), you could leave out the white chocolate chips.
Though I wouldn’t recommend that. 😉
What I would recommend, though, is making a batch of these to bring along when you are in the car, at the park, anywhere on-the-go, because they are super portable, super tasty, but not super messy. Always a good thing when you are stuck in a car with two cranky kids.
Need some more healthy snack ideas?
 |  |  |
- Cranberry Almond Energy Balls
- Double Chocolate Cherry Pistachio Energy Bars
- Dark Cocoa Superfood Granola
Plus here are a few from my friends…
- Apple Cinnamon Fruit Leather from Baked by Rachel
- Coconut Cream Pie Energy Bites from Spoonful of Flavor
- Overnight Quinoa-Chia Chocolate Breakfast Pudding from Boulder Locavore
Here’s the No-Bake Apricot Chia Energy Bars Recipe…
No-Bake Apricot Chia Energy Bars
Sweet and chewy with little bits of crunch, it literally takes minutes to make this healthy snack
Ingredients
- 1 cup Medjool dates, pitted
- 1 cup dried apricots
- 2 Tablespoons chia seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup raw pumpkin seeds/pepitas
- 2 Tablespoons white chocolate chips (use vegan, if desired)
Instructions
- Line a 8x8 or 9x9 square pan with wax or paper.
- Place dates, apricots, chia seeds and cinnamon in a food processor, and process until the mixture forms a large mass.
- Break up slightly with a spatula, add pepitas to the mixture in the food processor, and pulse until there are small chunks of pepitas.
- Break up the mixture one more time, add white chocolate chips and pulse a few times to slightly break and distribute the chips.
- Press the mixture into the prepared pan. You can cover the top with more paper and press an equal sized pan to roll the top with a glass to flatten completely.
- Refrigerate for 30-45 minutes, then slice into bars or squares.
Enjoy these no-bake apricot chia energy bars!
Want to see lots more yummy food from me and my friends, and cute pictures of my kids?
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I hear you on the driving with kids thing, though I have 5 instead of 2 but….. I think that my 12 yo son makes as much, if not, more fuss than my 1 yo daughter. On a recent trip to see my dying father, they ALL drove me nuts! Maybe next time, I’ll have a few of these bars on hand and their mouths will be silent for a few minutes! 😉
Thanks for the recipe, I’m excited to try it out!!
=) Gayle
These would be great for my picky eater. They look great. I need to get some pumpkin seeds now.
Tanya recently posted…5 Ways For Employees to Trust One Another
These look awesome. I was just thinking recently that I need to find a good recipe for snack type bars. I LOVE dried apricots, so this might be the recipe I was looking for 🙂
By the way, one of my coworkers remembers you from back in your chemical engineering days (I work in Rahway)… she came across your blog and realized that she knows you and told me to check it out!
Kate @ Babaganosh.org recently posted…Caribbean Tres Leches Cake
Oh my gosh, too funny!
I’m obsessed with adding Chia seeds to granola bars. Such a unique texture and great nutrition!
Laura Dembowski recently posted…Poached Pears
These look so delicious and easy! I bet it’s hard to stop at just one! Pinned and tweeted. 🙂
Blair @ The Seasoned Mom recently posted…Aunt Bee’s Sour Cream and Cheese Potatoes
They are pretty satisfying, though, but yes, really yummy! Thanks!
What can I substitute for the dates? Anything?
You might be able to use raisins or another chewy dried fruit to make them stick together.
These bars are super easy and super delicious! My son loves them. Thank you for this great recipe!
Oh great! So glad you are enjoying them!
Do the have to be stored in the ice box? I would like to send them in the mail as a gift but I don’t know if they would keep.
How far are you sending them? They should be fine for a couple days.
Do you have the nutritional breakdown of these apricot chia energy bars?
No, I’m sorry, but there are some online calulcators you can use.
I am always on the look out for this kind of snack since my younger son has nut allergies. He can not eat many of the off the shelf snack bar products or even the high energy backpacking snacks. I am going to try this and see what he thinks. Thanks.
I hope he enjoys it! These kinds of snack bars are so easy and sunflower seed can often substitute for the nuts in many recipes.
Ummmmm. This did not work for me at all. I followed everything perfectly, with a brand new top of the line breville food processor and it’s not blending at all…. I’m a little unhappy considering how expensive Medjool dates and apricots are…
So sorry to hear it didn’t work out. You do have to blend for awhile to get it to really break down. Also, sometimes certain brands or packaged of dried fruit have a little more or a little less moisture. If if looks to dry, you can try adding a few teaspoons of water at a time.
Hi,
I want to make these for a class party for my granddaughter. I want to make them ahead of time. How long would they keep in the fridge? Or can they be frozen? Thank you.
They can be kept in the fridge for at least a week. I haven’t tried freezing them, but I don’t see why not.
Just wondering if you tried to freeze them yet and if so how well it went?
I did not, but since they are made from dried fruit, they will keep for quite a long time at room temperature or just in the refrigerator.
Hi Brianne, I’ve only recently come across your blog and I love it. I can’t wait to see more. I recently tried out your apricot, chia bars and we absolutely love it. Thanks for sharing it.
I’m so happy to hear that you’re enjoying my recipes, Trisha. Thank you!
Totally delicious! Worked like a charm. I didnt have any problems putting it together, made them into energy balls instead of bars. I don’t cut very straight…haha! Used 1 cup of mixed seed (pumpkin/flax/sesame/sunflower). Will make again! Thank you for sharing.
Thank you, Maryam. Haha, energy balls are perfect and a little quicker to make, too. I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Do they have to be kept refrigerated?
If you will eat them within several days they will be fine at room temperature. If you think you will keep them longer, it’s best to stick them in the fridge.