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!
Flourless Coconut Almond Bars
Ingredients
First Layer:
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar or sucanat, or brown sugar
- 1/3 cup butter you can use coconut oil, but you'll need to keep them refrigerated
- 1 cup almond meal or almond flour
- 2 tablespoons ground flax
Second Layer:
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons almond meal or flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1/3 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
Chocolate Drizzle:
- 1/3 cup dark or semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9 x 9-inch square pan with parchment (or foil - you'll need the overhang to remove the bars).
- Make the first layer by mixing the sugar and butter until creamy and then adding the almond meal and flax, stirring to combine well. Press into prepared pan and bake for 12 minutes until brown around the edges. Remove from oven.
- Meanwhile, prepare the second layer by beating the eggs in a medium bowl. Add all the remaining second layer ingredients, mixing well and pour onto the partially baked first layer.
- Bake for 20-23 minutes more, or until top is golden brown and center barely jiggles. Cool completely on a wire rack before cutting into 24 bars.
- For the drizzle, melt the chocolate chips with the oil and use a spoon to drizzle over the bars evenly (you can do this before cutting or after cutting, it's up to you).
Notes
Nutrition
Other Bar Cookies You May Like:
Grain Free Almond Chocolate Truffle Bars
Healthy Whole Grain Apple Butter Bars
Healthy No-Bake Fudge Oatmeal Bars
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Laurie says
I thought I’d try this recipe because I like the simplicity of the recipe and the ingredients. I had everything on hand too. I added 1 cup of roasted hazelnuts and a couple of drops of Wild orange essential oil to the chocolate drizzle. This tastes like a real almond joy bar but with hazelnuts and it tastes even better. Like a guilty pleasure and it’s addicting too! I keep it in the fridge because I like it cold and it tasted better the second day. I would suggest cutting it into bars the next day because it holds its shape better and then drizzle.
Thanks so much for an awesome recipe! I will be enjoying this all the time now 😉!
Jami says
I’m glad you enjoyed this with your additions (which sound great!) – thanks for the cutting tip, too.
Sarah says
Can I sub flax eggs? Would that work for the filling?
Jami says
I haven’t tried that, Sarah, but you can sure experiment.