Nicole’s No Bake Tahini Fig Oat Bars

We’re ringing in 2023 with an incredible snack recipe from my friend Nicole, who you probably recognize as the one & only Kale Junkie. She’s the queen of kitchen hacks, quick and easy snacks, and nourishing, super flavorful meals and I’ve been loving her recipes for years!

Nicole published a beautiful cookbook, Love to Eat, which has 75 amazing recipes focused on flavor and intuitive eating. Such a great book for the new year as she states “you too can find freedom to eat the foods you love, without guilt, and to live your damn life once and for all.” Yes, please!

Without further ado, say hello to these delicious tahini oat bars packed with nutrients from oats, seeds, and dried fruit. They’re naturally sweetened with honey and have an epic chocolate topping because we know everything is better with a little chocolate. These babies are easy to make (no food processor required!), perfectly chewy, and make the BEST snack to keep in your fridge or freezer. Should 2023 be the year of homemade snacks? Absolutely.

Prep them for the week as 8 larger bars or 16 smaller bites, and kick off the new year strong!

Ingredients in these tahini oat bars

These incredible nut free bars are filled with nourishing ingredients you’ll love. The oats, seeds, and cacao nibs give them the perfect texture, and that gorgeous chocolate topping makes them the ultimate treat. Here’s what you’ll need to make them:

Oats: feel free to use regular or gluten free rolled oats as the base for these bars.
Dried figs: diced, dried figs give the bars little bites of sweetness and a chewy texture.
Tahini: using all natural tahini keeps the bars nut free and helps them stay together.
Honey: they’re also naturally sweetened with a little honey!
Mix-ins: get a boost of fiber, protein, antioxidants, healthy fats & omega-3s with chia seeds, hemp seeds, sesame seeds and cacao nibs. These mix-ins, plus the rolled oats also make these bars great for breastfeeding mamas!
Extra flavor: don’t forget the vanilla extract (learn how to make it here!), cinnamon, and sea salt.
For the chocolate drizzle: you’ll also melt some dairy free chocolate chips with coconut oil to give the bars a lovely chocolate topping.

Looking for an extra boost of protein?

These tahini fig oat bars pack over 10g of protein, but feel free to add even more by mixing in 1-2 scoops of collagen peptides or unflavored protein powder!

Make these bars your own

Easily customize these tahini oat bars to your taste preferences! Here are some swaps that I think would work well:

For the figs: feel free to use your favorite dried fruit like dried cranberries, cherries, or even chopped Medjool dates.
For the tahini: if you’d like to use a different nut or seed butter I’d recommend an all natural cashew butter to maintain the flavor of the recipe.
For the mix-ins: if you only have a couple of the mix-ins on hand, feel free to double up. For example, you can easily swap the hemp seeds with more chia seeds, etc.

Can I make them vegan?

Feel free to swap the honey for maple syrup, date syrup, or coconut palm syrup, and remember to use dairy free chocolate chips to keep these bars vegan.

Delicious tahini oat bars in 5 simple steps

Prep your pan. Start by lining an 8×8 inch pan with parchment paper so that the bars don’t stick.
Mix the bars. Add all of the ingredients for the bars to a large bowl (except the chocolate) and mix until well combined.
Set the bars. Pour your mixture into the prepared baking pan and place them in the fridge to harden.
Make the drizzle. Melt the chocolate chips and coconut oil together in the microwave, then pour over the refrigerated bars. Place them back in the refrigerator for an hour so that they set.
Slice & enjoy! Once the chocolate has set, remove the bars from the pan, slice them into 8 or 16 bars, and enjoy.

Storing tips

In the fridge: store these tahini fig oat bars in an airtight container or a freezer-safe bag in the fridge for up to 1 week.
In the freezer: feel free to keep the bars in a freezer-safe bag in your freezer for up to 1 month. If you do keep them in your freezer, be sure to leave them out on the counter for a few minutes before serving so that they soften up a bit.

More no bake snacks you’ll love

Get all of my no bake snacks here!

I hope you love these no bake tahini fig oat bars! If you make them be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked them. Enjoy, xo!