These are the best chocolate almond butter bars. These homemade dessert bars have a delicious almond butter base and are topped with rich dark chocolate. This healthy treat is refined sugar free, dairy-free and gluten-free, but it tastes so good you would never know it!
Gluten free chocolate treats like my gluten-free dairy-free brownies, gluten-free chocolate mug cake and gluten-free chocolate zucchini bread are some of my all time favourite, which is why I can't wait for you to try the gluten free dessert recipe I am sharing with you today.
Table of Contents
Why you will love this recipe:
- The flavour! These nut butter bars are soft and chewy and the contrast of the dark chocolate topping with the sweet nut butter base is just perfect.
- This no bake dessert is so quick and easy to make, just like homemade chocolate covered Rice Krispie treats.
- These homemade dessert bars are healthy, refined sugar free, gluten free, dairy free, vegan and paleo! They are also high in protein with 9 grams of protein per bar.
- These chocolate almond butter bars store really well, freeze well, and make great leftovers, so they are great for meal prep.
- You can use these as snack bars, breakfast bars, energy bars or protein bars.
- Kids love them and they are safe for them to take to school since they are peanut free.
If you love easy chocolate treats you need to make my 3 ingredient chocolate mug cake, chocolate almond flour mug cake recipe, and peanut butter chocolate Rice Krispie treats.
Ingredients and substitutions:
- Almond butter - I recommend using smooth, unsweetened almond butter for this recipe. If you can't have almonds you could use peanut butter, cashew butter or sunflower seed butter instead.
- Maple syrup or honey - either of these natural sweeteners will work to sweeten these chocolate almond butter bars while keeping them refined sugar free. If you are vegan be sure to use maple syrup.
- Cocoa powder - cocoa powder is used to make the dark chocolate topping for these dessert bars. You could swap this for cacao powder instead.
- Coconut flakes - coconut flakes are used to give the nut butter layer a delicious crunchy, chewy, texture while keeping these bars gluten free and grain free. Be sure to use coconut flakes, and not finely shredded coconut to make these bars.
- Vanilla extract - to help enhance all the delicious flavours of these dessert bars.
- Coconut oil - this helps add moisture to these bars and is also used to make the chocolate layer and give it the perfect smooth texture.
- Sunflower seeds - sunflower seeds add delicious texture and crunch to the almond butter layer of these dessert bars. I recommend using raw sunflower seeds rather than roasted sunflower seeds for this recipe.
Recipe variations and add ins:
- To make these chocolate almond butter bars higher in protein add 4 scoops of collagen peptides to the almond butter layer.
- Instead of almond butter you can make these bars with another nut or seed butter such as peanut butter, sunflower seed butter, pumpkin seed butter, macadamia nut butter or cashew butter.
- Instead of coconut flakes you could use your favourite cereal such as Rice Krispies, corn flakes, Cheerios or Love Bird.
How to make chocolate almond butter bars:
- Step 1: Place a medium sized pot or saucepan on the stovetop on low heat and add the almond butter, maple syrup, coconut oil, and vanilla extract to the pot and heat until melted together and smooth, stirring often to prevent the ingredients from sticking to the pot.
- Step 2: Once the ingredients are melted together remove the pot from the heat and stir in the sunflower seeds and coconut flakes.
- Step 3: Transfer the ingredients to a 9" x 9" baking pan and press down well to form an even layer. Then transfer the pan to the freezer for 1 hour.
- Step 4: While the bars are freezing make the chocolate layer by melting the ingredients together in a small pot on the stovetop on medium heat, stirring the ingredients together until smooth.
- Step 5: Remove the pan from the freezer and pour the melted chocolate on top of the nut butter layer and spread it evenly with a spoon or knife. Then return the pan to the freezer for an additional hour.
- Step 6: Remove the pan from the freezer and cut the bars into desired size pieces. Then enjoy!
Top tips:
- Be sure to use smooth, unsweetened nut butter to make these bars.
- Use coconut flakes and not finely shredded coconut to make these almond butter bars with chocolate.
- Feel free to make a double or triple batch of these bars.
- Use a hot knife to make cutting these bars easier. Simply run the knife under hot water for a few seconds and dry it off before using it.
How to store:
Store any leftover chocolate almond butter bars in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 14 days.
These bars also freeze really well. You can freeze them in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months.
Chocolate almond butter bars FAQs:
No they are not. These bars are not low carb or keto.
Yes! As long as you use maple syrup to sweeten these bars they are vegan and plant based.
No they are not. The Whole30 program doesn't allow foods like chocolate or dessert of any kind.
No, I do not recommend trying to make these bars sugar free or without sugar. They won't turn out.
Other recipes you will love:
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Recipe
Chocolate Almond Butter Bars
Equipment
- Pot or saucepan
- 9 inch square pan
Ingredients
Nut Butter Layer
- 500 g jar of almond butter
- 1/3 cup coconut oil
- 1/4 cup maple syrup or honey
- 1 tablespoon organic vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups sunflower seeds
- 1 1/2 cups coconut flakes
Chocolate Layer
- 1/3 cup coconut oil
- 2 tablespoon cocoa powder (or cacao powder)
- 2 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
- 1 teaspoon organic vanilla extract
Instructions
- Place a medium sized pot on the stove on low heat.
- Add the first 4 ingredients for the nut butter layer and heat until melted together, stirring often.
- Once melted together remove the pot from the heat and stir in the sunflower seeds and coconut flakes.
- Transfer the ingredients to a 9" x 9" baking pan and press down well to form an even layer.
- Place the pan in the freezer for ~1 hour.
- Make the chocolate layer while the pan is in the freezer by melting the ingredients together in a small pot on the stove on medium heat, stirring the ingredients together until combined.
- Remove the pan from the freezer and add the chocolate layer (pour it on top of the nut butter layer and spread evenly with a spoon or knife).
- Return to the freezer for an additional hour.
- Remove from freezer and cut the bars into desired size pieces.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Nutritional values are an estimate and will vary depending on the exact ingredients used.
- Instead of almond butter you can use another nut butter or seed butter.
Kari - Get Inspired Everyday!
These are like an amazing healthy candy bar, I can't wait to try them out! I always love family favorites made over to leave out things like corn syrup, they always turn out better than the original recipe with good quality ingredients!
taesha
I love healthy remakes of classic family recipes! They have such depth and are always amazing, since the person recreating it has the standard from their childhood on their mind when creating the recipe. Plus, nuts and chocolate are never a bad combo! These look lovely!
Carrie Forrest
Yummm! I want some of these now.
Holley
Looks like a great classic recipe paleo-ized! Congrats on the new site! What a pain a switchover can be! Looks great, that hard work paid off!
Becky Winkler (A Calculated Whisk)
These look so irresistible! I love a good no-bake treat.
Jessica DeMay
Yay for the new blog! So exciting 🙂 I think I know what dessert you're referring to and these look just as good! I love that you made them over and I'm sure they are so delicious!
Stacey Crawford
Wow Erin, these good absolutely delicious! I love sunflower butter and chocolate 🙂
Erin Carter
Thanks Stacey! I love that combo too 🙂
ChihYu
I can never say no to Chocolate and with nut butter this just sounds even better !
Erin Carter
Me either! totally addicting
Katja
I love sunflower butter. So does my Little One. I'm bookmarking this for after my Whole30!!
Erin Carter
Me too! I put it on everything!!
Michele Spring
These look so good Erin! I wish I had them all ready to eat right in front of me right now. And your new blog is beautiful! Happy Birthday 🙂
Erin Carter
Oh thank you Michele!!!xoxo
Sharon H
These look absolutely amazing, however unless I can find the nut butter locally, I'll have to pass on making these. It would cost me almost $15.00 for a 16-oz jar....slightly less than 500 grams....from Amazon, including shipping. Add in the cost of the other ingredients, and this is mighty expensive. Sad, really.But I look forward to seeing more of your recipes.
Erin Carter
Oh Sharon thats terrible! Where do you live? I get my sunflower seed butter at Superstore and its very affordable. Another option would be to use almond butter if you can find that for a better deal?
GiGi Eats Celebrities
And these bars are absolute perfection if I do say so myself!
Erin Carter
I'm so glad you love them!!!
Emily @ Recipes to Nourish
Oh my goodness! These look and sound amazing!!! I wish I had some to snack on right now!
Erin Carter
Thanks so much Emily!!!
Renee @Raising Generation Nourished
These look delicious! I love that you used seed butter - my daughter was in a peanut free room last year and this would have made the perfect class treat for birthdays!
Erin Carter
Thanks Renee! It's so hard with all the peanut allergies out there these days. Please let me know if you guys try these 🙂