I was that rare kid on Halloween who was excited when I got Mounds or Almond Joy candy bars while trick-or-treating. Everyone else hoped for a Snickers or Reeses Peanut Butter Cups. Don’t get me wrong, I liked those too, but I have always loved the combination of coconut and chocolate. All the better if the candy included almonds. These granola bars capture the flavor of the Almond Joy without all the refined sugar and overly processed ingredients. They make a great healthier sweet treat or snack on the go.
Almond Joy Granola Bars
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 1 dozen bars 1x
Ingredients
1 cup gluten-free oats
1 cup chopped almonds
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
3 oz dark chocolate bar, chopped
1/2 cup almond flour
1/2 cup honey or real maple syrup
1/2 cup almond butter
1 tsp almond extract
1/2 tsp sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300.
- Line a 9×13 baking pan with parchment paper allowing extra to hang over the long sides of the pan.
- Place oats, almonds, coconut, chocolate, and almond flour in a large bowl and mix well.
- Place honey, almond butter, almond extract, and salt in a medium bowl and stir until well combined.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well.
- Spread the granola bar mixture into the prepared pan.
- Place another sheet of parchment paper on top of the bars and press down with your hands until they are evenly distributed through the pan.
- Remove the top sheet of paper and use a rubber spatula to smooth out any remaining uneven parts.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden.
- Let cool for 5-10 minutes and then lift the granola bars out of the pan using the flaps of parchment as handles.
- Place the bars with the parchment side up on a cutting board and remove the paper.
- Cut into 12-15 bars depending on your desired size.
- Transfer the bars to a wire rack and allow to cool.
- Once cooled, store bars in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to one week.
- Prep Time: 20 min
- Cook Time: 30 min