Food Recipes No-Bake Lemon-Chia Bars 3.7 (96) Add your rating & review It’s time to put down the store-bought granola bars. Not only are many laden with sugar, but buying a box of them weekly can also put a major dent in your wallet. Our no-bake version offers a tasty, better-for-you alternative that comes together quickly, is packed with fresh lemon flavor, and has been naturally sweetened with dates. Sliced into bars, they make the perfect travel-friendly breakfast, afternoon treat, or pre-workout snack. The best part? Both kids and adults are sure to enjoy. After cutting, wrap each bar individually in plastic wrap and store in the fridge, making them easy to grab on the go. By Grace Elkus Grace Elkus Grace Elkus is a food writer and editor with over a decade of experience in culinary media. Highlights: * Associate food editor at Real Simple, where she developed recipes, wrote food stories, and assisted with styling * Deputy food director at Kitchn, where she and her team were responsible for 100 recipes a month * Currently the content lead for JOKR Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Updated on November 09, 2017 Rate PRINT Share Hands On Time: 5 mins Total Time: 35 mins Yield: 16 Ingredients 2 ½ cups roasted unsalted cashews 2 cups pitted Medjool dates (about 20 dates) ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice (from about 2 lemons) 2 tablespoons chia seeds 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest ½ teaspoon kosher salt ½ cup shredded unsweetened coconut Directions Line an 8-inch square baking pan with 2 crisscrossed pieces of parchment, leaving an overhang on all sides. Place the cashews in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add the dates, lemon juice, chia seeds, lemon zest, and salt. Pulse until well-combined and the mixture begins to form a ball, about 1 minute. Press the mixture into the prepared pan and top with the coconut. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes, then cut into 16 bars. Alternatively, form the mixture into balls and roll in the coconut. Sometimes it’s the simplest recipes that pack the most punch. These chewy no-bake bars are filled with fresh lemon flavor, thanks to a generous amount of lemon zest and freshly-squeezed lemon juice. Chia seeds not only add crunch, but are a rich source of healthy fats, fiber, protein, and vitamins. In fact, the combination of the chia and the citrus make these bars reminiscent of a lemon poppyseed muffin (yum!). The best part? All the ingredients are tossed into the food processor, meaning the bars come together in fewer than five minutes. These are also fun made into grab-and-go energy bites: simply roll the mixture into balls, then cover in shredded coconut. Get the recipe:No-Bake Lemon Chia Date Bars. Grace Elkus Rate It Print