Easy Vegan Chocolate Tiffins (Gluten-Free)

Buttery, rich and sweet sticky tiffin base with crushed digestive biscuits, chopped hazelnuts and dried fruits topped with a layer of dark hazelnut chocolate and more nuts. These tiffin bars are naturally vegan and easily gluten-free and make a delicious snack with afternoon tea.

There is something so nostalgic about chocolate tiffins and if you aren’t familiar with them, don’t get confused between these and rocky roads. While they are quite similar, the main difference is the chocolate. While rocky roads call for the chocolate to be melted down to bind together the crushed biscuits, marshmallows etc (like in my Easy Vegan Rocky Road), chocolate tiffins have a buttery-sugary-cocoa base to bind the crushed biscuits and nuts/fruit before adding on a layer of melted chocolate on top. Basically, they have more chocolate than rocky roads… and I have been hooked on these Easy Vegan Chocolate Tiffins.

They really are so easy to make, hence the name Easy Vegan Chocolate Tiffins. You just need a few basic ingredients which are quite interchangeable and about 20 minutes of prep time before allowing these to cool and set in the fridge for an hour or so.

These Easy Vegan Chocolate Tiffins are:

• Rich and chocolatey
• Crunchy and chewy
• Moreish and delicious
• Nutty and fruity
• Naturally vegan and gluten-free
• Easy to make
• Require no baking

They are also so fun to make with little ones who will love stirring together the butter-sugar mix and the biscuit, nut and fruit mix, too. Plus, the fun part is licking the bowl after!

What goes into these Easy Vegan Chocolate Tiffins?

• Vegan butter: this is for the base and adds to the lovely nostalgic buttery taste and texture of tiffins. It keeps these bars super smooth and rich. You could also try vegan margarine spread or coconut oil, but I have not tried these and the flavour will be slightly different.
• Maple syrup: this adds to the lovely sticky and smooth base of the tiffins. You could use another sticky syrup like agave or vegan honey.
• Coconut or caster sugar: just a little for texture and taste. Any sugar will work here.
• Cocoa powder: or use cacao powder and this makes the base really chocolatey and rich. It thickens the buttery mix and smells heavenly.
• Salt: this brings out the rich chocolate flavours.
• Biscuits: digestive biscuits are the go-to for Easy Vegan Chocolate Tiffins, but any other biscuit will also work like ginger nuts, oaty ones or even chocolate cookies. Just make sure that they are vegan and gluten-free, if needed.
• Mixed dried fruits: I like to use a mix of dried raisins, sultanas and cranberries but you can also use chopped apricots, dates or figs, for example.
• Nuts: I went for hazelnuts as they work so well with chocolate but any nuts like almonds, cashews or pecans would work. You can use seeds for a nut-free option, too, like sunflower or pumpkin.
• Dark chocolate: the icing on top of the cake. Melt the chocolate and allow it to spread evenly all over the tiffin base. I used a dark hazelnut chocolate but any will work and you can use milk chocolate, too.
• Coconut oil: this makes the chocolate a little bit shinier and softer so you can slice the bars more easily and it melts more in the mouth. It is not essential though, so you can skip this part.

The hardest part about these Easy Vegan Chocolate Tiffins is waiting for the bars to set. Once they are ready to go, use a sharp knife to cut the large tiffin into squares or bars and enjoy with tea and coffee. They make a great snack, lunchbox or after dinner dessert and travel well, too.

They are so rich and luscious studded with juicy dried fruits, crunchy nuts and crumbly biscuits plus they are packed with chocolate. No-one would guess that these are vegan, gluten-free and easy to make.

If you are looking for more no-bake chocolate recipes, how about my:

• Vegan Magic Cookie Bars
• Banana Bread Birthday Cake Pops
• Mini Chocolate Chestnut Cheesecakes
• Vegan Protein Rice Crispy Bars
• Salted Caramel Chocolate Cheesecake

Easy Vegan Chocolate Tiffins (Gluten-Free)

• Servings: 16
• Time: 20 minutes plus 1-2 hours chilling
• Difficulty: very easy
• Print

Buttery, rich and sweet sticky tiffin base with crushed digestive biscuits, chopped hazelnuts and dried fruits topped with a layer of dark hazelnut chocolate and more nuts. These tiffin bars are naturally vegan and easily gluten-free and make a delicious snack with afternoon tea.

Ingredients

• 160g vegan butter
• 90g maple syrup
• 2 tbsp coconut or caster sugar
• 45g cocoa powder
• A pinch of salt
• 200g digestive biscuits (gluten-free if needed), crushed
• 100g mixed dried fruits, chopped
• 50g hazelnuts, chopped
• 200g dark chocolate
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• Extra hazelnuts, to decorate

Directions

1. Line an 8-inch square tin with parchment paper.
2. Add the butter, maple syrup and sugar to a small saucepan and heat gently until everything dissolves and then stir in the cocoa powder and salt.
3. Add the crushed biscuits to a mixing bowl with the dried fruits and hazelnuts.
4. Pour the chocolate mix over the biscuits and mix until combined. Pour into the lined dish and smooth over the top, pressing down firmly.
5. Pop the base in the fridge while you melt the chocolate and coconut oil together until melted. Pour over the base, sprinkle with extra hazelnuts and set in the fridge for 1-2 hours.
6. Use a sharp, hot knife to slice into bars or squares and store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

I look forward to hearing what you think of these Easy Vegan Chocolate Tiffins so please let me know in the comments below and tag me in your no-bakes. I’m @nourishing.amy on Instagram and use the hashtag #nourishingamy. I’m also on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest  – please say hello!

With easy tiffin love x