Healthy Almond Joy Bars (Sugar-Free & Keto)
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These Healthy Almond Joy bars are a chocolate and coconut lover’s dream. They’re an easy no-bake treat with a rich chocolate layer, coconut topping, and crunchy almonds. They’re naturally dairy-free and can easily be made sugar-free, keto, paleo, and vegan.
Since they’re made as bars, you can skip the dipping of many homemade candy bars, but still have an amazing treat to enjoy any time of day.
Why You’ll Love These Sugar-Free Almond Joy Bars
This recipe for Healthy Almond Joy Bars has got to be one of our all time favorites.
It’s one of the first healthy desserts that I made after starting on my sugar-free diet. I’ve shared these with sugar-free and non sugar-free folks alike and everyone has loved them.
I shared my original recipe for these right after I started blogging, and it was pretty good as it was. But thanks to some changes, it’s now truly amazing.
These bars are made with healthier ingredients than the traditional candy bar and since they are a bar variety, they’re easier to whip up than coated candies.
If you love the combination of chocolate, coconut, and almonds but want something easier than individually coated homemade candy bars, this recipe is for you.
Directions
Here are step by step photos of how to make these Almond Joy Bars. See the recipe card below for more details.
Combine almond butter and coconut oil and sweetener in pan. Melt. (steps 1 and 2)
Add cocoa powder and combine. (steps 3 and 4)
Spread chocolate base in pan. (step 5) Combine coconut topping ingredients in pan. Stir over heat. (step 6)
Spread coconut topping over chocolate base. (steps 7 and 8)
Recipe Notes and Substitutions
- Substituting Sweeteners: This recipe is quite forgiving. Granulated low-carb sweeteners such as xylitol or allulose can be used, and you can use a little less of the bulk sweetener and add stevia extract to reach your preferred sweetness.
- Using Stevia: Pure stevia extracts vary considerably in strength, so start with a very small amount and adjust to taste. Stevia works especially well here combined with another sweetener rather than supplying all of the sweetness by itself.
- Using Liquid Sweeteners: Liquid sweeteners can work, but adding too much may make the bars softer. Start with less and add stevia if additional sweetness is needed.
- Oil Options: You can substitute palm shortening, as well as butter, for the coconut oil.
- Nut or Seed Butter: If you’re allergic or needing to avoid nuts, you can substitute really any nut or seed butter, but almond is especially nice. See Homemade Nut/ Seed Butter for a make-your-own option. I’ve used homemade almond butter, homemade sunflower seed butter, as well as homemade pumpkin seed butter and they all worked out great.
- We love serving these chilled from the fridge or freezer but they don’t travel well in warm weather. You could make them with cocoa butter instead of coconut oil so they’ll hold up better in warmer temps.
- Keto/Low-carb: This recipe as written fits these diets.
- AIP: Use coconut butter instead of the seed/nut butter for AIP. Here’s how to make your own. I haven’t tried this, and the bars will for sure be more firm, but I think it can work.
More Healthy No Bake Treats
If you like this recipe, you’ll love
- Keto Mounds Bars – quite possibly the best Sugar-free Mounds Bar recipe out there.
- Bean Fudge – yes, I said “beans.” So easy and so good.
- Healthy Gummies – fun to make and funner to eat
- Healthy Snickers Bars – vegan, keto / low-carb, and refined sugar-free, and they’re peanut-free too!
Healthy Almond Joy Bars (Sugar-Free & Keto)
Ingredients
Chocolate / Carob Base
- 1/2 cup coconut oil
- 1/2 cup almond butter (or other nut or seed butter)
- 1/2 cup low carb sweetener (or preferred sweetener. See Recipe Notes)
- 6 tablespoons cocoa powder (or carob powder)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Coconut Topping
- 1 2/3 cups unsweetened coconut
- 7 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1/3 cup low carb sweetener (or preferred sweetener)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1/4 teaspoon additional flavoring (optional)
- 2 teaspoons arrowroot powder
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- almond halves or slices (optional)
- melted low carb chocolate chips for drizzle (optional)
Instructions
Chocolate Base
- Melt the coconut oil and almond butter in a small saucepan over low heat.
- Add the cocoa powder or carob powder and sweeteners. Stir until thoroughly combined.
- Add the salt and continue stirring over low heat until the mixture thickens slightly. Remove from the heat.
- Stir in the vanilla.
- Pour the mixture into an 8-inch square pan. Place in the freezer while you prepare the coconut topping. The refrigerator will also work, but the base will take longer to firm up.
Coconut Topping
- Melt the coconut oil in a small saucepan over low heat. Add the coconut and stir to combine.
- Add the remaining topping ingredients and cook, stirring, until the mixture thickens slightly.
- Once the chocolate base is firm, gently spread the coconut mixture evenly over the top.
- Top with almond halves or slices, if desired. Return the bars to the freezer until firm.
- Let the bars soften slightly before slicing if they are too firm to cut straight from the freezer. Alternatively, you can use a knife dipped in hot water. Cut into 16 squares.
- Store in the refrigerator or freezer. Drizzle with melted low-carb chocolate before serving, if desired.
Notes
- Oil Options: Butter or palm shortening can be substituted for the coconut oil.
- Nut or Seed Butter: Almond butter is especially good in this recipe, but other nut and seed butters work too. Sunflower seed butter and pumpkin seed butter have both worked well.
- Sweetener Options: This recipe is quite forgiving when it comes to sweeteners. Granulated low-carb sweeteners such as xylitol, erythritol, or allulose can be used. Another option is to use a little less of the bulk sweetener and add a small amount of stevia extract to reach your preferred sweetness.
- Using Stevia: Pure stevia extracts vary greatly in strength. If using one, start with a very small amount and adjust to taste. Stevia works especially well here in combination with another sweetener.
- Liquid Sweeteners: Liquid sweeteners, including allulose syrup, can work, but using a large amount may make the bars softer. Start with less and add stevia if more sweetness is needed.
- Xylitol Safety: Xylitol is extremely toxic to dogs, so keep foods containing xylitol safely away from pets.
- Warm Weather: These bars are best stored chilled. They soften in warm temperatures because of the coconut oil. Cocoa butter can be used for a firmer bar.
- AIP Option: If making an AIP version, use carob instead of cocoa and coconut butter instead of nut or seed butter. This variation has not been tested and will likely produce a firmer bar.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It may vary depending on ingredient brands, substitutions, and preparation methods. Optional ingredients are not included. Net carbs are typically calculated by subtracting fiber and sugar alcohols (such as erythritol) from total carbohydrates. This information should not be relied upon for medical or nutritional purposes.
I’d love to hear what you think of these once you try them!
Recipe:
“1/4 cup granulated sweetener or appropriate substitute
6 Tbsp carob or cocoa powder
3 Tbsp sweetener”
Sweetener is listed 2X – are both quantities included in the base?
Yes, they are both included. Here’s why: https://wholenewmom.com/kitchen-tips/stevia-what-it-is-and-how-to-use-it/
Going through you archives is dangerous 😉 These look SO good! I love Almond Joys and a healthy option is perfect!
You are too sweet Mary Frances!
I am making these, I am wondering if I did something wrong because my topping is not “thickening”. It more flaky. Did I do something wrong, or is it suppose to be that way. I guess I imagined it to be more of a frosting consistency.
it’s quite solid. Maybe you need more coconut oil? Sometimes depending on the coconut I have trouble w/ it sticking together.
Hi, I too love this recipe. Thank you for sharing. I made my first batch last night and after freezing i had a hard time cutting out squares. Then i let it warm up and the chocolate was too soft even stick to the coconut topping. I did use palm oil which is a bit softer than coconut oil. I often make chocolat at home and what i have learned, when i want the chocolate to solidify at room temperature i use cocoa butter. The next time i make this i am going to use cocoa butter in place of coconut oil. This will make the bars easier to travel with.
How many carb are in these. please. Have a grandson with diabetes and would like to know. Thank-you
If you use an alternative sweetener and cocoa there should be very few carbs. Carob and a high glycemic sweetener would be a source of heavy carbs. Does that help?
I have to say this.. your site is just amazing… I can trail all over and find such good information. I end up losing the page I started on and have to find my way back… I can’t wait to try these Almond Joys.
I would love to pick your brain sometime on the essential oils and how you use them for healing purposes. Is there a book you found that contains that information?
Best Wishes
Denise
sorry for the delay. There is one mentioned in my Thieves giveaway post and if you search Healing Intelligence on my blog you can find another. Working on a post right now. thanks.
I recently found your blog and had a question about your recipes. Usually there are 2 different types of sweeteners listed. If I don’t want to use Stevia, but coconut sugar or sucanat, do I just add that extra. So this recipe would be 1/4 cup plus 3 TBS? Thanks!
Just add the two together :). I do that b/c it works better to use 2 different types of sweeteners together when using alternative non glycemic ones. But you can use what you like :)!
This recipe is DELISH… On day 4 of Sugar Free and I am a dessert fanatic. Thanks for all the yummy recipes its making my life easier 🙂
Niiiiiiice. Made these for Father’s Day. SO dang good. I added some sea salt to supercharge the yummy sweetness. Also, doubled the batch so that it would make thicker bars. Yehaw!
Happy to hear! Sea salt in them or on top? Love the doubling idea!
Making these right now – curious if there is supposed to be two separate sweeteners in the cocoa/carob base?
You can do either as long as you make the sweetening amount what you would like.