No-Cook Almond and Date Power Squares

General Xerophagy Published June 11, 2026

These are dense, chewy, and serious — built to carry you through a long fasting day or a stretch of services without anything cooked, no oil, and no fuss. Whole almonds and sunflower seeds bring real protein and staying power; soft dates bind everything without sweetener; a little cocoa and salt keep them from tasting like a health-food afterthought. Cut into squares, they're rich enough that one or two genuinely satisfies.

Already xerophagy-compliant — nothing here is cooked and there's no oil. On feast days you could press them into a tray with melted dark chocolate on top, but they need no improvement for a strict day.

FASTING LEVEL: Xerophagy (no oil, no cooking)
SERVINGS: 12 squares
TIME: 15 minutes + 1 hour chilling

INGREDIENTS

- 1 1/2 cups (210g) raw almonds
- 1/2 cup (70g) raw sunflower seeds
- 1 1/2 cups (250g) soft Medjool dates, pitted (soak in warm water 10 minutes if dry)
- 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons raw sesame or chia seeds
- Zest of 1 orange (optional)

METHOD

1. Pulse the almonds and sunflower seeds in a food processor until coarsely ground with some texture remaining — don't go to flour. Tip into a bowl.

2. Add the pitted dates to the processor and blend until they form a sticky paste, scraping down as needed.

3. Return the ground nuts to the processor with the date paste, cocoa, salt, cinnamon, sesame or chia seeds, and orange zest if using. Pulse until the mixture clumps together when pressed.

4. Press the mixture firmly and evenly into a parchment-lined loaf tin or small dish, packing it down hard with the back of a spoon.

5. Chill at least 1 hour to firm up, then lift out and cut into 12 squares. Store in the fridge.

NOTES

- If the mix won't hold together, your dates were too dry — pulse in 1-2 more soaked dates.
- Swap almonds for walnuts or cashews depending on what you have; all stay raw and oil-free.
- For a fruitier version, press a layer of chopped dried apricots or cranberries through the middle.
- These travel well and keep two weeks refrigerated — ideal to carry to long services.