Gluten-Free Vegan Panforte Energy Bars with Dates & Ground Almonds

I love making these easy date & ground almond panforte energy bars every few months as a quick snack for tennis while my husband takes them on cycling trips. Inspired by traditional Italian panforte, this gluten-free and vegan version is packed with natural energy—perfect for a nutritious boost on the go!

Unlike store-bought bars, I know exactly what's in them, and they’re much cheaper to make at home. Plus, I use ground almonds instead of chopped nuts (a request from my husband, as whole nuts can be tough to chew while cycling). I also simplify the recipe by using just one type of dried fruit, but you can easily swap and adapt based on what you have in your pantry.

These bars are soft, chewy, and packed with energy, making them a great pre-workout snack or midday pick-me-up. They store well, are easy to make, and are dairy and gluten—a better and more affordable alternative to store-bought options!

Takes – 20 minutes to prep.
Bakes – 25-30 minutes
Makes – 16-20 small bite-size bars

Dry Ingredients 6

• Ground almonds – 210g (1.5 cups)
• Ground flax seed (optional) – 2 tbs
• Tapioca flour, rice, gluten-free or cornflour (or your choice) – 70g (1/2 cup)
• Cocoa powder – 21g (2 tb + 2 ts)
• Pumpkin spice blend – 1 ts
  *or your choice of cinnamon, cloves, ginger powder etc

Fruit

• Soft Medjool dates, without seeds– 243g (about 26 dates, 1.5 cups)
  *or your choice, try raisins, figs or any other dried fruit

Wet ingredients 4

• Sugar – 100g (1/2 cup)
• Honey, date syrup or agave – 135g (1/2 cup)
• Olive oil, or another oil – 21g 2 tb
• Vanilla extract – 1 ts
• Water (only if needed to mix and flatten) – 1-2 tbs

Method

1. PRE-HEAT – oven 150˚C fan. Grease and line a square baking tray.
2. PREP. DATES – remove the seeds from the dates and chop them into small pieces. 
3. WHISK DRY INGREDIENTS – In a bowl, whisk together ground almonds, flour, cocoa, and spices. Fold in the chopped dates.
4. HEAT SYRUP – In a saucepan over medium heat (induction 6.0), cook sugar and syrup for 5 minutes (until it reaches 100˚C) until gently bubbling. Remove from heat and stir in oil and vanilla.
5. COMBINE – Quickly pour the bubbly syrup over the dry ingredients. It will be thick and hard to mix, but work fast! Add a little water if needed and mix until no dry flour remains.
6. PRESS – Scoop the mixture into the tray and press it down firmly. Use a wet spoon or spatula to smooth the surface. 
7. BAKE – 25-30 minutes
8. COOL – Remove and completely cool in the tin. Slice into bars. We like to make them small. 40g bars about 20- 24 pieces. I wrap them in small pieces of baking paper and store them in the fridge. They usually last for about 6-8 weeks.

Sue Maree P Tips

• Store: I wrap them in small pieces of baking paper and store them in the fridge. They usually last for about 6-8 weeks.
• Freeze – I haven't tested freezing them yet, but I’m sure they would freeze well!
• Flours – any gluten-free soft flour would work. I mainly use a starchy type of flour.
• Nuts or seeds – I have also made versions nut free with ground seeds like sunflower and pumpkin.
• Sugar – I have not tried any alternate sugars. This recipe requires a combination of white sugar and syrup to get the right consistency.