Sometimes you feel like a nut.
And that’s when you should reach for one of these almond joy bars. They have all the flavors of the popular candy bar you love, including almond, coconut, and chocolate, but unlike their processed counterparts, they are naturally-sweetened and loaded with fiber and healthy fats.
These bars were inspired by my No-Bake Peanut Butter Cup Bars, but this variation features an almond flavored “cookie” crust made with almond flour and a dash of almond extract, and is then topped with a quick coconut filling. The result is an easy and delicious bar, without the effort that would go into recreating an actual chocolate-covered candy bar.
They store well in the freezer, too, so you can always have a healthier chocolate treat on hand when your sweet tooth strikes!
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No-Bake Almond Joy Bars (Vegan)
Makes 15 bars
Adapted from No-Bake Peanut Butter Cup Bars
Ingredients:
Crust:
1 cup almond meal
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon melted coconut oil
1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
Pinch of salt
Coconut Filling:
1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut (I use this brand)
3 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 tablespoon water
Chocolate Topping:
1/4 cup raw cacao powder or cocoa powder
1/4 cup melted coconut oil
2 tablespoons maple syrup (at room temperature)
Directions:
Line a standard loaf pan with parchment paper and set it aside. To prepare the crust, combine the almond meal, maple syrup, coconut oil, almond extract, and salt in a medium bowl, and stir well until a sticky dough is formed. Press it evenly into the bottom of the lined loaf pan, and set aside.
To prepare the coconut filling, combine all of the filling ingredients in the mixing bowl and stir well. Spread the coconut mixture over the crust, then use a spatula to smooth the top. Set aside.
To prepare the chocolate topping, combine all of the ingredients in the mixing bowl and use a whisk to create a silky smooth chocolate sauce. (If any of your ingredients are cold, this sauce will firm up. If that happens, simply place the bowl in a warm area or in a hot water bath briefly to liquify the ingredients again.) Pour the chocolate sauce over the top of the coconut layer and smooth the top with a spatula. Place the pan in the freezer to set until firm, about one to two hours.
Pull on the parchment paper to easily remove the solid bar from the pan, then slice into bars and serve directly from the freezer. These bars will soften fairly quickly if left at room temperature, so it’s important to keep them chilled until ready to serve.
These bars should store well in an airtight container in the freezer for up to three months.
No-Bake Almond Joy Bars (Vegan, Paleo)
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1 cup almond meal
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon melted coconut oil
- 1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
- Pinch of salt
Coconut Filling:
- 1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
- 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon water
Chocolate Topping:
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup (at room temperature)
Instructions
- Line a standard loaf pan with parchment paper and set it aside. To prepare the crust, combine the almond meal, maple syrup, coconut oil, almond extract, and salt in a medium bowl, and stir well until a sticky dough is formed. Press it evenly into the bottom of the lined loaf pan, and set aside.
- To prepare the coconut filling, combine all of the filling ingredients in the mixing bowl and stir well. Spread the coconut mixture over the crust, then use a spatula to smooth the top. Set aside.
- To prepare the chocolate topping, combine all of the ingredients in the mixing bowl and use a whisk to create a silky smooth chocolate sauce. (If any of your ingredients are cold, this sauce will firm up. If that happens, simply place the bowl in a warm area or in a hot water bath briefly to liquify the ingredients again.) Pour the chocolate sauce over the top of the coconut layer and smooth the top with a spatula. Place the pan in the freezer to set until firm, about one to two hours.
- Pull on the parchment paper to easily remove the solid bar from the pan, then slice into bars and serve directly from the freezer. These bars will soften fairly quickly if left at room temperature, so it's important to keep them chilled until ready to serve.
Nutrition
Enjoy!
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Reader Feedback: What is your favorite candy bar?
Thanks for the recipe
Can I ask if I can use wet almond meal directly from almond milk or I have to dry it first
Thanks
This recipe was developed with ground whole almonds– not the almond pulp that is leftover from making almond milk. Using the almond pulp will probably affect the results, since it will contain less fat and less flavor. I definitely wouldn’t use it wet, but let us know if you have any success using the dried version. (You may need to add more oil and sweetener to compensate for the texture and flavor.)
If this is what I get when I feel like a nut, then I think that I just perminantly became very nutty. These look to die for!
This recipe looks great! But I feel like every time I try a healthy dessert recipe it never turns out right! Are there any “rules” I should be aware of? I just tried a dairy free coconut milk cupcake recipe this morning and it was way too wet and never ended up cooking through, and I wasted a bunch of ingredients 🙁 What am I most likely doing wrong?
This recipe is more likely to turn out well because there’s no baking involved. With baking, there is more room for error, because it’s more of a scientific process– if you substitute any ingredient or measure incorrectly, it can go terribly wrong! Was the cupcake recipe made with coconut flour? That usually has the most problems, because if you’re even off by a teaspoon with the flour measurement it can affect the results.
Do you have the Calories, carbs to this recipe looks amazing.
These bars look so delicious! And I also love your peanut butter version! I will definitely give it a try, coconut and chocolate – it does not get much better!
Omigosh ,these bars look absolutely amazing and I can’t wait to make them asap! I made your peanut butter ones for my family, but Almond Joy bars have always been my fave! If you could figure out a butterfinger dupe that would be amazing too!
Butterfingers are my favorite too and probably the worst candy bar you can eat!!! oh well. And they get stuck in your teeth so they make you feel like you’re getting at least one cavity every time you eat one.
Also love health bars. And Peppermint patties which aren’t too high in calories.
I love Butterfingers, too! You should try this recipe if you want to make them at home: https://detoxinista.com/2012/10/healthier-homemade-butterfingers/
Heath bars should be next on my list… 🙂
There is a recipe on this site already for homemade butterfingers. I’ve made them before and they are delicious!! You just have to search for “butterfinger”. Megan always has the best recipes!! Thanks, Megan!!
Thanks, Kayla! The butterfingers are my favorite– I can’t wait to make them for Halloween this year! 🙂
Almond joys were my favorite growing up. This is a must make as I have them up when I started eating clean. Oh I’m so excited! Thanks for sharing. I’ll be looking up the peanut butter recipe everyone is raving about as well!
Was so excited to make these and did…ended up so disappointed. The flavor is ok…which I could fine tune. The bars are no way as thick of coconut or chocolate like the picture. For these to turn out looking like these, you will need to double the coconut and chocolaye mixture.
Did you use the same size pan?
I also wonder what size pan you used. I used a standard loaf pan, which created the layers you see in the pictures above. Using a larger pan would result in thinner bars, though!
I agree I just made these using a slightly larger loaf pan, I doubled the recipe to allow for this, expecting leftover. But the layers were still much thinner than picture. I’d have to at least triple if not quadruple the recipe to achieve this.
Still tasted great though and easy to make!
I made these this afternoon and love them! So easy, so quick, so yummy!! Love having healthier versions of treats available in the freezer. Thank you for all your great recipes!!
Honestly, yours! My whole family love your treats and candy bars much more than the “regular” ones!
I have to admit, that as soon as I saw your blog post paired with a picture, I gasped. They look so good and I love that they aren’t bad for you! Pinned!
These sound so delicious and can’t wait to try!
Do you happen to have a calorie idea per serving? Thanks!
they look lovely
These look delicious! Every time I see a new post of yours I’m amazed – you always have the best recipes 🙂
-Cassidy
Would honey work instead of maple syrup for all the layers?
It will probably change the flavor slightly, but yes, I think it would work. It might make the chocolate layer thicker, but if you warmed the mixture slightly I think it would thin out and be easier to pour.
How many net carbs?
Is almond flour the same as almond meal? I have almond flour on hand from a previous recipe, I ordered the brand used by Megan in another of her fantastic recipes. Thanks
Yes, I think almond flour would work, too!
These look divine – we dont get almond joy bars over here but i want to give these a try. Do you find the raw cacao powder sets funny? I have tried using it for sauce before and it can separate but maybe I am not using enough coconut oil?
Holy yum! These look absolutely delicious!
I was wondering what could be subbed for the maple syrup?
My other go-to sweeteners are honey and coconut nectar, so you could experiment with those, if you like! Please let us know if you have any success.
This recipe sounds scrumptious! I can’t wait to try it out.
For carb information, I think you can look at the carbs in each of the ingredients you are using (add the carbs up using the amount per serving and the amount used, then divide by how many bars you make. That would be your carb/calorie count per bar. I believe that’s the way to do it…if not let me know…because I’ve been doing it wrong. LOL
Question, I have an auto-immune disease and my doctor put me on a dietary restriction of no sugar. I can only use raw honey as a sweetener. Can you substitute honey here for the maple syrup?
Yes, but you may not need as much honey as it has a stronger flavor than maple syrup. You may also need to thin it out for the chocolate layer, to make it easier to spread.
Hi there! I’m from Greece and coconut oil is both difficult to find as well as a pricey option.. Do you think I could substitute olive oil for coconut oil in this recipe? Also, replace maple syrup with honey? (a lot of changes!)
Looks like a delicious dessert and can’t wait to make it, hopefully with ingredients that I can find more easily 🙂
Olive oil won’t work, but butter would! You need a fat source that solidifies when chilled. Honey should work fine, but it will change the taste a bit.
Thank you, Megan! I’m gonna try them today!! 🙂
Wow. These were amazing! Thank you!
these will go down treat! Thanks for recipe; simple yet so tasty
Delicious! I made the exact recipe except I used lite coconut milk instead of water to add more coconut flavor. Thanks for the great recipe.
I still cannot find your recipe for pumpkin cookies on your cookie site. Thank you for answering my earlier question.
If you know what you’re looking for, you can always use the search bar located in the right sidebar of my website, near the top of the page. The pumpkin cookie recipe is here: https://detoxinista.com/2012/09/pumpkin-pie-cookies-vegan-grain-free/
Dear Megan,
can these be stored in the fridge too or preferrably in the freezer ?
They will be slightly softer in the fridge, but still good!
Thanks Megan.
These are absolutely TERRIFIC ! Love them 🙂
I think I’m gonna make them often 🙂
Hi, so I’m attempting to cook and bake, which I am just hopeless at. I thought these would be simple, and followed everything to a T. It looked good until it came to the chocolate coating… What I got was a wet thin chocolate that seeped right into the coconut as soon as I poured it on. I tried to spread it around, but succeeding only in spreading chocolate coated coconut all over. Looks like rice krispies on top. Should I have done something to thicken it slightly so I got that pretty pour and nice thick layer of chocolate? It’s in the freezer now, but I fear I messed it up (like I do everything I make) and it’ll likely go straight into the trash.
Any suggestions on what to do would be wonderful.
You had me at coconut flour chocolate chip cookies!
Got a craving for chocolate chip cookies this morning (at 7am, please don’t judge) and decided to go in search of an easy allergen-free recipe when I stumbled upon your site. I LOVE it. I’ve been to a lot of healthier cooking and paleo sites over the last year and sadly I have never come across Detoxinista before but you have instantly become my favorite, I can already tell. Can’t wait to spend some time digging through that recipe box!
It is now 8am and I am so very happily inhaling my plate of cookies. Incidentally, I didn’t have any maple syrup so I used no sugar apple butter, a little water, and a few drops of stevia. They have a nice caramely taste-almost buttery.
Thanks again.
Loved this recipe! I didn’t make the crust because I didn’t have the almond meal. I spread the coconut filling into a 9×13 dish and pressed it down good. Added whole toasted almonds and chilled for a few hours. Then poured the melted chocolate on top, put back in fridge for one hour. Until set. Cut into bite size pieces and Bam! Awesome!!
megan
i love the recipe of the filling. just what i was looking for. i did not use the crust but instead filled peanut butter and white chocolate cups. i posted the recipe i adapted from this today and cited your website. glad i found your lovely website.
http://lulucooksandtells.blogspot.com/2014/10/homemade-almond-joy-in-reeses-cup.html
Everyone in the house loved these – even the ones that have no dietary restrictions. I would only probably add another layer of chocolate next time, only keep in the fridge (not the freezer), and make a double batch.
I made a batch of these, following the recipe exactly. They are very tasty however my finished product looked nothing like yours. The chocolate topping was very thinly spread, nowhere near the thickness that is suggested in the photographs. Its almost as if the photos are of a double recipe; the height of each layer is easily twice that of the recipe’s yield.
Great recipe! Great taste and perfect directions….thanks for posting!
I’m in the process of making these and it occurred to me that “Almond joy has nuts. Mounds don’t. Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don’t.” So I guess since these don’t have actual whole almond in them, they might resemble Mounds more than almond joy, even with the almond meal crust 🙂
This recipe is okay. The middle texture is too dry it needs something to moisten it. Maybe coconut cream next time. However I found that if you warm slightly and add a slice of fresh strawberry it is 10 times better.
The almond meal crust is delicious, and you can’t go wrong with the chocolate topping, but my coconut middle was crumbly and did not hold together. The coconut never really absorbed the maple syrup very well. Your picture makes the coconut look thick and integrated. I did not use the brand you link to, I used bulk dehydrated coconut from Whole Foods. Any ideas? Also, after removing from the freezer, do you wait a bit before you cut them? I cut them right away, and the chocolate topping cracked and separated from the filling. Thank you for any help!
As a T2 diet controlled diabetic, I was wondering if these would work with some blood sugar friendly sweetener?
These were absolutely perfect! The only change I made was to use slightly less maple syrup in both the coconut and chocolate (about a half a TBSP less in each). My husband loved them and asked me to make them again immediately. An absolute winner. Thanks for the great recipe.
I made these last weekend, and they did not disappoint! They reminded me of Tastykake’s Coconut Tandy Kakes, from days gone by. ( I used to eat them cold, from the refrigerator.) I’m making these again today, and I’m sure I’ll keep this recipe as a favorite. Thank you!
Thanks for posting this recipe. I’ve been playing around with it as a base recipe and it works great. I posted it on my blog (www.cutterlight.com) and linked back here.
Thanks again for posting.
Greetings from Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia!
I just made these tonight as a healthier Easter treat for my paleo boyfriend- they came out great but I had one tiny screw-up: my coconut filling was your typical shredded pieces, and my coconut oil was thin, so it was not dense (it was mostly just seasoned coated coconut. When I poured the liquidy chocolate sauce onto, it didn’t form a third layer, it kind of sank into the coconut. I was a bit disappointed, but it’s mostly cosmetic! Has anyone else had this issue? Your filling looks very dense and creamy… how do you achieve that consistency? I’m thinking next time I might try pressing the filling more firmly into the crust. Thoughts?
These are great! Made them for my gluten-free brother. I’m vegan so it’s hard to find meals and desserts that please the whole family. Will definitely go back to these.
I added a little ground flax to the almond meal crust. I was hoping that would help it stick together even more, and add a little darker color for contrast. Next time I’ll double the chocolate on top. 🙂
Thanks for the great recipe.
Made these bars, with just a couple minor changes. I didnt have any almond extract and i added a splash of vanilla extract to the coconut layer. They were absolutely delicious!! My kids loved them and said I should definitely make them again. I love that theyre wholesome and super yummy. Thanks! I will be back your site for more recipes for sure!!
I’m trying to find the recipe for paleo bounty bars. I saw it but cannot find it. Please send it to me. Thanks. Barbara Coleman
Is this what you’re thinking of? https://detoxinista.com/mounds-bar-truffles/
Hello, made this 100% to recipe but found the coconut mixture in the middle does not hold together at all. The taste was very good but it’s no fun when they fall apart.
My friend made these a few times and has graciously given me a “sample” a few times… haha! These are crazy delicious; I’m going to try to make them myself now. :))
These are fantastic!!!! My 11 year old daughter made them herself, and while they did not look picture perfect like the ones above, they tasted amazing! My sugarhaulic husband was digging in and said they were really impressive! Thank you for this gem of a recipe!