Two-toned, fudgy, and properly nourishing — these no-bake bars have been a staple in my kitchen ever since I first came across them. Think of them as a raw, healthified Bajadera: the same layered logic, the same pull-one-more-from-the-tray quality, without any of the refined sugar or flour.
Recipe originally by Melita Matičević Vukasović (@kuhas_melita), adapted here with small variations.
Ingredients
- 200 g raw buckwheat groats
- 200 g walnuts or roasted hazelnuts
- 250 g Medjool dates
- 50 ml rum (or water)
- 2 tbsp coconut oil, divided
- 3 tbsp raw cacao powder
- 1 pinch fine sea salt
- 150 g 70%+ dark chocolate
Method
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01
The night before, soak the buckwheat and nuts separately in cold water. In the morning, rinse both well and drain thoroughly.
Soaking softens the groats and wakes the nuts up — it is what gives the bars their fudgy, raw character rather than a dry crumb.
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02
If your dates are dry and firm, soak them in hot water for 10 to 15 minutes to soften. Soft Medjool dates can go straight in.
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03
In a food processor, blend the buckwheat, nuts, dates, rum, half the coconut oil, and the salt until the mixture comes together into a rough, sticky dough.
No rum on hand? Swap it for water — you will only lose that faint, warm depth in the background.
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04
Divide the dough in half. Return one half to the food processor and blitz in the cacao powder until fully incorporated. You now have one dark layer and one pale layer.
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05
Line a rectangular baking dish with parchment paper. Press the dark cacao layer in first, then spread the plain layer evenly on top, pressing firmly to compact.
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06
Melt the dark chocolate with the remaining coconut oil in a double boiler, stirring until glossy. Pour evenly over the top layer.
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07
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Once the glaze has fully set, slice into bars or fingers with a sharp knife.
It cuts cleanly when cold — let it come fully to fridge temperature before the knife goes in.
Anatomy of a Bar
70%+ chocolate melted with coconut oil and poured to set glossy on top. It snaps clean when cold and gives every bar its finished, professional edge.
The plain half, spread on second. Lighter and sweeter, carrying the soaked-groat texture and the walnut or hazelnut you chose to balance the dates.
Pressed in first. The same dough blitzed with raw cacao — deep, faintly bitter, and fudgy. The grounding bass note under everything above it.
Notes & Tips
Keep the bars in the fridge for up to a week, or freeze for longer keeping — they slice straight from frozen with a few minutes' rest.
The rum can be swapped out entirely for water without compromising texture — you will just lose that faint, warm depth in the background.
Hazelnuts tend to give a slightly more delicate flavour; walnuts bring more bitterness to balance the sweetness of the dates.
No refined sugar and no flour — naturally gluten-free and vegan, sweetened entirely by the dates and the chocolate you choose.
