Hazelnut Praline Bars (Vegan Gluten-Free)

These Hazelnut Praline Bars taste just like chocolate spread crossed with a millionaire caramel slice. They have a nutty no-bake brownie base topped with a crunchy hazelnut praline layer covered in dark chocolate and are all vegan and gluten-free.

I am in love with no-bakes (especially as my oven is broken right now) as they are easy to make and pretty fail-safe. Along with my No Bake Almond Caramel Brownies, these are a new favourite no-bake dessert or snack that is so indulgent but packed with wholefoods. They were similarly inspired by a HU Chocolate bar (which is refined sugar free and made with minimal and wholesome ingredients): the hazelnut butter stuffed dark chocolate bar which is a dream to eat!

How amazing are these Hazelnut Praline Bars?

These bars are the real deal. They are:

• Rich and fudgy
• Creamy and crunchy
• Chocolate and nutty
• Taste like chocolate spread
• Naturally vegan, gluten-free and refined sugar free
• Made with wholesome ingredients
• Easy to make in a few steps
• Require no baking
• A great dessert or snack

I hope you will already love these and want to make these no-bake bars, so skip ahead to the recipe card. Firstly, let’s discuss the ingredients and method in a bit more detail.

What ingredients go into these praline bars?

The ingredients for the three layers are all quite similar so don’t be put off by the seemingly long list. For the brownie-style base:

• Medjool dates: these are the jammiest and best for using for no bake recipes. I tend to always soak the dates in boiling water first, so other dried dates will also work.
• Oats: make sure these are gluten-free where needed.
• Hazelnuts: the first of many hazelnut elements. These are blended up with the oats to form a fine powder or flour consistency although some small lumps are ok. If you are making these nut-free, these will have to be seeds, more detail below on making them nut-free.
• Coconut oil: this adds a lovely texture to the base and as it sets hard, helps the base to be firm and support the other layers.
• Cocoa powder: or cacao powder adds the lovely chocolate richness. Make sure it’s 100% cocoa and the unprocessed kind is my favourite for the best flavour.
• Salt: to bring it all together.

Onto the middle praline layer, which is the best bit:

• Hazelnuts: these are blitzed into small bits which adds the lovely praline element to the Hazelnut Praline Bars.
• Hazelnut butter: this is another layer of hazelnutty goodness. You can find this in most wholefood shops and some supermarkets. If not, you can use another nut butter like almond, cashew or peanut butter or seed butter like tahini or sunflower seed butter.
• Medjool dates: as above, the jammier the better.
• Coconut oil: this adds to the texture and you could use coconut butter instead.
• Vanilla: for the lovely sweet flavour which adds to the praline.
• Dark chocolate: chopped small, this adds a delicious chocolate crunch to the hazelnut praline to give the bars that chocolate spread taste.

As for the top layer, it’s really simple:

• Dark chocolate: you can use any chocolate here, as for the middle layer. I prefer a dark chocolate but dairy-free milk chocolate will also work.
• Coconut oil: this allows the chocolate to set a little softer meaning it won’t crack as easily as you slice it into bars.
• Hazelnuts: for some added hazelnut goodness on top.

How do I make these bars?

They are really simple and are built from the base up in a few steps:

• Make the base: by blending the ingredients together to reach a sticky mix that holds together between your fingers.
• Press the base into a tin: I use a loaf tin and make sure it’s nice and compact.
• Make the praline layer: save the blitzed hazelnuts and chocolate chunks to the end but blend the rest of the ingredients to a really sticky mix, it’s a cross between a  thick date caramel and the base texture.
• Stir in the hazelnuts and chocolate: into the praline and pour over the base mix and press down evenly.
• Melt the chocolate and coconut oil: and pour over the praline.
• Sprinkle with hazelnuts and chocolate: and then chill in the fridge for 2 hours or overnight to set.
• Slice into bars: using a sharp hot knife, see my tips here.

Are these gluten-free and can the Hazelnut Praline Bars be made nut-free?

Yes, these bars are free from gluten, just check your oats are gluten-free where needed. You can make these nut-free (although they will no longer be Hazelnut Praline Bars!) by using seeds like sunflower or pumpkin seeds instead of the hazelnuts and use a seed butter like tahini or sunflower seed butter instead of the hazelnut butter.

I cannot find hazel nut butter, can I use something else?

I love the taste of hazelnut butter but it is not as easy to find as the others (I get this one from Koro which is amazing and you can save with code Nourishing5) so you can use runny smooth cashew, almond or peanut butter or use a seed butter like tahini or sunflower seed butter, too.

How long will these bars last?

They are a great one to make ahead of time as they will last up to 1 week in the fridge (even 2 weeks although they may not look as fresh) and you can also freeze them for up to 1 month.

What other no-bake bars can I make?

I hope you will love these Hazelnut Praline Bars and if you are looking for more no-bake recipes, how about my:

• No Bake Almond Caramel Brownies
• Chocolate Salted Caramel Cake Balls
• Ferrero Rocher Cake Balls
• Vegan Chocolate Nougat Bars
• Peanut Butter Oreo Crispy Squares

I look forward to hearing what you think of these delicious Hazelnut Praline Bars so please let me know in the comments below. If you do make these bars, I would love to see them so please tag me in them – I’I’m @nourishing.amy on Instagram and use the hashtag #nourishingamy. I’m also on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest  – please say hello!

With hazelnut praline love x