HEALTHIER ALMOND JOY BARS
A Healthier almond joy bars recipe we’ve loved at our house this week
A healthier version of the classic candy, using simple ingredients: coconut + almonds + good quality dark chocolate. With a filling that’s rich and coconut-y; and chocolate that’s smooth, rich, and decadent. They’re just like the “real” thing
They’re dead simple to make and nice for when I need a late afternoon energy boost
or whenever, really. I sprinkle them with things like hemp seed, bee pollen, or cacao nibs for a nutritional boost, and to bump up the pretty
Enjoy!
INGREDIENTS
- Crust
- ½ cup raw almonds
- 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
- 12 Medjool dates, pitted
- 1 Tbsp vanilla
- ¼ cup coconut oil, melted but not hot
- Coconut Filling
- 2 cups unsweetened coconut flakes
- ½ cup coconut milk, canned
- 2 tbsp honey (or maple syrup to make the recipe vegan)
- fine grain sea salt
- Topping
- 12 oz dark chocolate, chopped (if you’re not a dark chocolate fan, semi-sweet or milk are great)
- 2 tsp coconut oil
- 3-4 Tbsp almond butter
- cacao nibs + hemp seeds for sprinkling, optional
INSTRUCTIONS
- Line an 8×8 inch square baking pan with parchment paper.
- Crust
- In the bowl of a food processor, add the almonds, coconut, dates, and vanilla.
- Pulse four or five times
- Add the coconut oil and pulse until it comes together, being careful not to over mix (it should be finely chopped and a little chunky)
- Press the base mixture into the prepared pan and put it in the freezer to cool
- Coconut Filling
- In the bowl of the food processor (no need to clean it!) add the coconut, coconut milk, honey and a pinch of fine grain sea salt.
- Pulse until you have a finely ground mixture. Remove the crust from the freezer and add the coconut filling, smoothing until even
- Return the pan to the freezer
- Topping
- Melt the chocolate and coconut oil over a double boiler, stirring every 30 seconds until melted and smooth.
- Stir in the almond butter
- Remove the bars from the freezer and spread the chocolate over top.
- Top with cacao nibs and hemp seeds if desired.
- Cover the pan and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to 1 hour
- To Serve
- Warm your knife under hot water before cutting the bars into squares
- The chocolate layer may pop off of the coconut layer as you cut the bars; don’t worry, just push it back into place.
- Keep the bars stored in a sealed container in the fridge or freezer
Almond and coconut are two of my favorite ingredients. This is an elegant recipe, and delicious for sure. I would love it if you try your healthier almond joy bars and share your opinion
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