Healthier Flourless Coconut Almond Bars

 

With the texture of pecan pie, these flourless coconut almond bars are a lot easier to make, but will disappear just as fast at your next gathering. Find more delicious recipe ideas on the Simple Cookie Recipes page.

Do you think it’s odd that after publishing Real Food Recipes for Weight Loss I would post a dessert recipe for flourless coconut almond bars? Oh, but if you’ve read that (or the rest of my story here) you’ll know that I do eat sweets occasionally and I believe not feeling deprived is one of the keys to my weight loss and maintenance.

That, and the fact that these bars are a pretty nutrient-dense food, packed with good things like coconut with fiber and vitamins, anti-oxidant rich almonds, protein and good fats.

And the chocolate? Let’s talk about dark chocolate. Here’s the thing about it: all you need is a bit to be satisfied, and in fact I find I just can’t eat as much of dark chocolate as I used to of milk chocolate.

We’ve never had regular desserts at our house, but a few years ago we started having a small piece of dark chocolate after our meals, which is actually really satisfying and does curb sweet cravings. Our tastebuds have been trained too, and milk chocolate just tastes blandly sweet to us now, which is probably a good thing.

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Flourless Coconut Almond Bars

And these flourless coconut almond bars. They are so good – just very light and tasty. When my daughter ate one, she thought it was like pecan pie or a nut pie bar and it does remind me of that texture. I was reminded of a passover macaroon, the kind made with a bit of almond meal.

I set out to eliminate the flour by substituting almond meal in an ancient recipe I found, not because I avoid flour or gluten, but because I wanted to increase the protein and nutrients in a typical bar cookie. Little did I know it was also going to improve the flavor tenfold!

In the quest for a slightly healthier bar cookie, I also lessened the sugar. And while these changes make for a more vitamin and nutrient-packed product, they’re still a dessert that should be eaten in moderation.

But of course I think that about everything, which is why I feel free to enjoy them every now and then – and I hope you do, too!

Click the arrow for the full recipe (with print options)!