Rich and gooey almond butter bars with chocolate, vanilla & cinnamon. Plus a pinch of healthy from whole grain oats, whole wheat flour, almond butter, coconut oil and flax seed.
I made several batches of these almond butter bars to perfect the recipe, and every time they disappeared immediately. I'm not sure who ate more, me or my kids!
These simple one-bowl bars are soft and chocolatey with the rich flavor of almond butter.
Looking for no-bake almond butter bars? Try my no-bake chia bars or chewy almond butter granola bars. My easy no-bake, nut-free granola bars made with sunflower butter are great too!
Why these bars are the best
- Mostly healthy, wholesome ingredients
- Easy one-bowl bars
- Rich almond butter flavor
- A pinch of cinnamon and vanilla are so good with the chocolate!
Ingredients
Step-by-step instructions
Mix together all of the ingredients, except for the chocolate chips
Stir in the chocolate chips
Press the thick batter into an 8x8 pan lined with parchment
Bake the bars for 20 to 23 minutes at 350 F. Let the bars cool completely before lifting them out the pan and cutting squares.
Substitutions
If possible, make these bars with the ingredients listed in the recipe at the end of the blog post. They're the best! But if you need to make a few substitutions, here's what works:
INGREDIENTS
whole wheat flour -->
almond butter -->
coconut oil -->
ground flax seed -->
chocolate chips -->
vanilla extract-->
SUBSTITUTIONS
all-purpose flour
peanut or sunflower butter
unsalted, melted butter
omit, or use chia seed
dried fruit
almond extract
Storage
I think these bars taste best if stored at room temperature (in an airtight container on the counter) and eaten within 3 days.
You can also store the bars in the freezer for a month or more. Just pop them into a freezer bag or freezer-safe container. The bars defrost quickly, so you can put them in lunchboxes frozen and they'll defrost before well before lunchtime.
Recipe FAQ
I don't recommend it. Here's why: According to this detailed article about white sugar vs brown sugar , brown sugar is acidic, which means it works really well with baking soda (which is alkaline). Brown sugar and baking soda make these bars rise up into chewy, soft bars. If you use white sugar, the texture will be different and you might get that terrible metallic taste that happens when the baking soda isn't paired with an acidic ingredient.
Liquid sweeteners, like maple syrup, make the bars too moist and they don't hold together well.
Sure, use milk chocolate or very, very dark chocolate. Your choice.
I like almond butter made from dry roasted almonds because it has the richest almond flavor. Don't buy almond butter that has sugar added. If the almond butter has salt added, then omit the salt in the recipe.
Pro Tip: Don't forget - Line the pan with parchment so you can easily lift the baked bars out of the pan. ALSO remember to wait to lift the bars out of the pan and cut them until the bars have completely cooled. Otherwise they won't hold together.
(I know, it's hard to wait. Sometimes I cheat and steal corners of the warm bars from the pan)
More treats and little things
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📖 Recipe
Almond Butter Bars
Rich and gooey almond butter bars with chocolate, vanilla & cinnamon. Plus a pinch of healthy from whole grain oats, whole wheat flour, almond butter, coconut oil and flax seed.
Read the blog post above for ingredient substitutions, if needed.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 23
- Total Time: 33 minutes
- Yield: 12 bars 1x
- Category: Snacks, Treats & Little Things
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 1 cup old fashioned oats
- ½ cup whole wheat flour
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ⅓ cup almond butter
- ¼ cup melted coconut oil
- 1 egg
- 1 to 2 tablespoons ground flax (optional)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ to ¾ cup chocolate chips
Instructions
Prep
- Heat oven to 350 F
- Line a square 8x8 baking pan with parchment, leaving an overhang. You need the parchment to lift the bars out of the pan after they're baked.
Combine Bar Ingredients in One Bowl
- In a medium bowl, mix together everything except for the chocolate chips: oats, flour, brown sugar, almond butter, coconut oil, egg, flax, vanilla, cinnamon, baking soda and salt until completely combined.
- Add the chocolate chips and mix well to combine.
- Spread the batter out evenly in the 8x8 pan, using a spatula and/or your fingers. This batter can be very thick, so using your hands to press the batter into the pan usually works best.
Bake
- Bake 20 to 23 minutes, until the middle of the bars is set and the edges are firm and lightly browned.
- Set the pan on a cooling rack and let the bars cool completely before lifting them out of the pan.
- When the bars are cool, cut into squares.
Notes
Storage: The bars taste best if eaten within 3 days.
This recipe works best with the ingredient amounts listed above in an 8x8 pan. Doubling this recipe and making it in a larger pan does not work well.
Sara Welch
These were so delicious; I especially loved the hint of cinnamon! Easily, a new favorite treat!
veenaazmanov
Healthy and perfect snack box option or sweet tooth craving option. Looks tempting and yummy combination too.
Angela
I absolutely love this recipe! It really satisfies my sweet tooth without making me feel guilty. Plus, it's so easy to make!
EA Stewart
These are a perfect treat for kicking off the fall season! Even better, I can make them with gluten-free flour and oats and they taste delicious! Great recipe!
Jessica Formicola
I am a huge fan of almond butter, so these bars are right up my alley! Thanks so much for sharing!