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These no-bake pistachio bars have three layers of pure deliciousness! A gluten-free vanilla shortbread, a thick and nutty layer of pistachios, and the icing on the cake: a rich chocolate ganache. Fun, colorful, and so tasty!
Pistachios meet chocolate and sea salt in these decadent no-bake bite-sized bars. A gluten-free shortbread makes the base, topped with a vibrant pistachio layer and a creamy chocolate ganache. It’s chocolatey, nutty, a bit salty, and chewy (just like my hazelnut caramel bars, actually). The perfect afternoon pick-me-up snack!
These little bars are not only cute, but they also offer the best combination: salted pistachios + chocolate!
⭐️ What Makes These Bars So Good
- No-bake & easy to make. No need to turn on the oven here. You can make these bars with just 8 ingredients and a food processor. They’re no-bake and ready in just a few minutes (excluding chilling time).
- Naturally sweetened. Aside from the dark chocolate, which you can easily replace with a coconut sugar-sweetened version, the bars are naturally sweetened with maple syrup.
- Pistachio + chocolate= pure perfection. Nuts and chocolate are always a winning combo, but pistachios in particular? They take it to a whole new level.
Vaishali, a reader, says: “These bars are SO good! Thanks for an excellent recipe, it’s a keeper. ★★★★★”
Andrea, a reader, says: “I really liked this recipe! I was looking for a vegan dessert that’s a little different from my usual chocolate cake or chocolate-chip cookie, and I had all the ingredients for this. It came together easily, and it’s a pretty cookie. ★★★★★”
🍫 What You’ll Need
Here are the ingredients you will need to make the bars:
- Oat flour – To make the shortbread layer, you will need oat flour. I used homemade oat flour, but store-bought will work as well.
- Maple syrup – Its natural stickiness helps bind the shortbread layer ingredients, preventing them from crumbling.
Substitute: Feel free to replace it with coconut nectar or date syrup. - Coconut oil – In the shortbread base, you will also find coconut oil. It does two things: adds richness and hardens the shortbread once refrigerated.
- Pistachios – You can use either raw or roasted pistachios. The roasted ones will bring a much nuttier flavor, while the raw ones (especially if you use young, unripe pistachio kernels) will produce a vibrant green color, as shown in the photos here. For the best of both worlds, use a mix of both!
- Dark chocolate – To make the ganache that sits on top of the pistachio layer, you will need either dark chocolate chips or dark chocolate chunks. If you want the bars to be fully refined sugar-free, use dark chocolate sweetened with coconut sugar.
- Plant-based milk – Any unsweetened plant-based milk works here.
- Vanilla extract – To infuse the shortbread layer with floral notes.
🥣 Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Shortbread base
- Add the ingredients to a bowl. Add the oat flour, maple syrup, coconut oil, and vanilla extract to a bowl.
- Mix. Using your hands, mix the ingredients until a soft dough forms.
- Press into a baking dish. Transfer the dough to the baking dish and use your hands to press it into an even layer.
- Flatten it. Top with a layer of parchment paper, then press it down firmly with the bottom of a glass.
2. Pistachio layer
- Process the pistachios. Add the pistachios, maple syrup, and salt to a food processor.
- Process for about 40 seconds, or until it looks like almond meal.
- Transfer over the first layer. Transfer the pistachio mixture into the baking dish, on top of the oat shortbread.
- Press it. Press it firmly into an even layer. Again, press it down firmly into an even layer.
3. Chocolate ganache
- Make the ganache. Place the chopped dark chocolate in a small bowl. Pour the hot milk into the bowl and let it sit for one minute.
- Mix. Next, use a spoon or a small whisk to combine the milk and the melted chocolate.
- Pour the ganache. Pour the ganache over the pistachio layer and tilt the dish to spread it into an even layer.
- Refrigerate. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before cutting into squares.
You can then carefully lift the mixture from the baking dish and cut it into 12 squares!
📔 Thomas’ Tips
Ensure your coconut oil is at room temperature. The oil should be soft like a pomade. If it’s hard, it won’t mix well with the oat flour and maple syrup. In that case, melt it over low heat and wait 30 minutes before using.
Double the recipe. This recipe makes 12 small squares of about 1.5 inches (3.8 cm), so they can disappear really fast! You can easily double the recipe by using a 7.5×7.5-inch (19x19cm) baking dish.
Having trouble processing the pistachios? Adding half a teaspoon of coconut oil can help process the pistachios into a fine meal.
Refrigerate before cutting. Both the shortbread layer and the chocolate ganache need time to firm up in the refrigerator, so don’t try cutting into squares too early. I recommend waiting for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
🍵 Variations
Want to customize these bars? Here are some ideas that I’ve recently tested:
- Lemon pistachio: Add 1/2 teaspoon of finely chopped lemon zest before processing the pistachios.
- Matcha pistachio: Mix the pistachio meal with 1 tsp of matcha.
- Coconut: Replace 1/2 cup of the oat flour with 1/4 cup of coconut flour for a subtle coconut flavor.
☕️ Serving Suggestions
You can enjoy these bars with coffee, taro milk tea, or a matcha latte!
❄️ Storing & Freezing
- To store: You can store the bars in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
- To freeze: Freeze for up to 2 months. You can allow them to sit on the counter for 30 minutes before eating or thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
💬 FAQs & Troubleshooting
Since this is a no-bake recipe, the “shortbread” is not crispy like a traditional shortbread, it’s softer. You can make it drier/firmer by adding more oat flour (or coconut flour) and/or slightly reducing the amount of maple syrup.
First, try processing them a bit more. Pistachios shouldn’t turn into a nut butter, but should start to release their natural oil. If it’s still not working, you can add half of a teaspoon of coconut oil or nut butter to help them hold together better.
The bars won’t hold well at room temperature. They must be stored in the refrigerator.
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No-Bake Chocolate Pistachio Bars
Ingredients
Shortbread
- 1 cup (88 g) oat flour
- 3 tbsp (45 ml) maple syrup
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) coconut oil at room temperature
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
Pistachio Layer
- 2/3 cup (115 g) raw pistachios shelled
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) maple syrup
- 1/8 tsp salt or more to taste
Chocolate Ganache
- 1/4 cup (40 g) dark chocolate chips or finely chopped dark chocolate
- 3 tbsp (45 ml) unsweetened plant-based milk
Instructions
- Line a 4×7-inch (10×18 cm) baking dish with parchment paper and set aside.
- Add the shortbread ingredients to a bowl. Add the oat flour, maple syrup, coconut oil, and vanilla extract to a bowl. Use your hands to mix the ingredients until a soft dough forms (similar to cookie dough).
- Press into a baking dish. Transfer the dough to the baking dish and use your hands to press it into an even layer. Top with a layer of parchment paper, then press it down firmly with the bottom of a glass. Set aside.
- Process the pistachios. Add the pistachios, maple syrup, and salt to a food processor. Process for 30-40 seconds, or until it has the texture of almond meal. The mixture should be slightly sticky and hold together if you try to shape it into a ball.
- Transfer over the first layer. Transfer the pistachio mixture into the baking dish, on top of the oat shortbread. Press it firmly into an even layer. Again, top with a layer of parchment paper and use a glass to press it down firmly into an even layer.
- Make the chocolate ganache. Place the chocolate chips (or chopped dark chocolate) in a small bowl. Heat the milk in a small saucepan until it almost comes to a boil. Immediately pour the hot milk into the bowl and let it sit for 1 minute. Next, whisk until the chocolate is melted and fully combined with the milk.
- Pour the ganache. Pour the ganache over the pistachio layer and tilt the dish to spread it into an even layer.
- Chill. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before cutting into 12 squares.
- You can store these pistachio bars in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
Notes
Note: This recipe was first released in September 2018. I’ve re-tested it, added new process shots, and more detailed instructions in February 2026. You can see the older photos below.
About the Author
Thomas Pagot is the founder, photographer, and recipe developer behind Full of Plants. He created the blog in 2016 as a personal cookbook for vegan recipes. Through years of recipe development, Thomas has successfully grown Full of Plants into a trusted resource for plant-based recipes.
Leave a Comment
How can you have 18 squares with a 4X7 pan?
That’s a bread loaf pan.
As you can see on the photos, I cut them into small squares of about 1.5-inch.
These look delicious. I don’t have any chocolate in the house, so I’m thinking about topping them with a date caramel paste. Do you think that flavour combo would work and would it make them too sweet overall?
I think it will make it a bit too sweet, and you might even have trouble spreading the date caramel on the layer of pistachios.
oh my god!!!! its amazing, i just made it, its so so yummy!! thank you so much for the recipe.
i made ganache with coconut cream and dark 80% chocolate
Glad you liked it Julia!
The bars look delicious. Do you blanche and peel the skin from the pistachios to get the lovely bright green color. I have never gotten pistachio paste to look so vibrant. Thanks,
I bought pistachios directly without the skin 🙂
I think I only have a circular pan of the size listed in the recipe. Because of this, I’m wondering if I would be able to use a cookie cutter to cut bars into shapes?
You can use a circular pan, but I would cut using a knife. Using a cookie cutter is possible but you might end up with a lot of “crumbs”.
I really liked this recipe! I was looking for a vegan dessert that’s a little different from my usual chocolate cake or chocolate-chip cookie and had all the ingredients for this. It came together easily and it’s a pretty cookie. The shortbread bottom is a bit dry, but maybe it will get more moist when I store it in a plastic container. I topped the ganache with roasted coconut flakes.
Thanks for your feedback Andrea! 🙂 Glad to hear your liked these bars!
Very nice i love this
Thanks!
Hi Thomas-
is the calorie count for the whole bar? or did you mean a square?
Let me know!
Hi Chanelle,
I wish it was! 🙂 It is for one square.
Both tasty and pretty. so easy to make.
Thanks, Thomas, for another creative recipe
Glad to hear you liked these bars Sara! 🙂
Thanks for your feedback!
Hi! The recipe looks delicious. I was wondering if I can use 1 cup of oats flour instead of 3/4 oats and 1/4 coconut flour. And can I use olive oil instead of coconut oil? Will it give a move savoury taste to it?
Thank you!
I think you may have to adjust the amount of oat flour, maybe a bit more than 1 cup. Regarding the olive oil I would not recommend it as coconut oil helps make the bars firmer.
Hi Thomas!
I’d really liked your recipe!
Could I replace pistachios with pumpkin seeds flour? Thank you
Hi, I think it should work but you may have to adjust a bit the liquid ingredients.
These aren’t vegan unless you use vegan chocolate. Ordinary dark chocolate is a dairy product.
Thanks for your input!
These bars are SO good! Thanks for an excellent recipe, it’s a keeper.
Glad you like it Vaishali! 🙂
Great work Thomas ! Again 🙂
Thanks!!