Sugar-Free Almond Joy Bars
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These Sugar-free Almond Joy Bars are a coconut and chocolate lovers dream!
They're so easy to make, you can satisfy your sweet tooth in a flash, they freeze well, and are loaded with healthy ingredients. Plus they work for almost any special diet–they are low-carb, paleo, and vegan too.
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.
Whether you're:
- looking for healthy chocolate candies
- wanting to make home made candy
- looking for a way to get more fat into your diet
this Healthy Almond Joy Bars 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 sweeter 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: Make sure to read my tips on Substituting Sweeteners for Cooking and Baking if you want to make substitutions for the sweeteners in the post.
- About Stevia extracts: If using stevia, all extract powders are not created equal. I've used KAL in the past. NuNaturals is my current favorite, but I will be trying SweetLeaf soon. You can find NuNaturals at a better price on Iherb, one of my favorite places for supplements and health products. Their liquid stevia drops are wonderful.
- Multiple Sweeteners: Using more than one alternative to sugar results in a more natural tasting dish, plus it minimizes any adverse health effects that might turn up from using any one of these alternative sweeteners. You can read more about that issue in this post about stevia.
- Alternative Sweeteners: For the 1 1/2 scoops stevia, you could also use vegetable glycerine, xylitol, erythritol, or any combination thereof. I really like using low-carb sweeteners due to being on a candida diet, which I started a number of years ago. Use a little more if using erythritol since it isn't as sweet. You could use this DIY Truvia as well. Organic erythritol can be used instead of xylitol (just add 1/3 of the original amount). For every 2 tablespoons xylitol, 1/32 teaspoon stevia extract can be used.
- 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.
- THM: For those on the Trim Healthy Mama plan, this recipe is an “S.”
- 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 Healthier 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!
Sugar-free Almond Joy Bars
Ingredients
Chocolate / Carob Base
- 1/2 cup coconut oil
- 1/2 cup almond butter (see Recipe Notes for a link to my homemade version)
- 1/4 cup low carb sweetener (or preferred alternative sweetener)
- 6 tablespoons cocoa
- 4 tablespoons erythritol (see alternative in Recipe Notes)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Coconut Topping
- 1 2/3 cups unsweetened coconut flakes
- 7 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1/3 cup low carb 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
Base
- Melt oil and nut / seed butter over low heat.
- Stir in cocoa / carob (sifted if you like, but I have never bothered with this) and granulated sweetener and combine thoroughly.
- Mix in remaining ingredients except for vanilla. Continuously stir until it slightly thickens, then remove from heat.
- Stir in the vanilla.
- Pour the mixture into an 8×8 pan and place in freezer to harden while you make the topping. If you don't have room in your freezer, the fridge will get it solid enough to work with.
Topping
- Melt oil in small pan and add coconut flakes. Stir.
- Add remaining ingredients. Simmer and stir until it thickens a bit.
- Once the chocolate is hardened, gently smooth the coconut mixture on top.
- Place slivered or whole almonds on top (optional). Place bars back in the freezer until hardened. Again, the fridge will work, but it will take longer.
- Slice into squares of desired size and enjoy! They'll be too hard to cut right out of the freezer so let them thaw a bit first.
- Store in the refrigerator or freezer.
Notes
-
- Oil Options: You can substitute palm shortening or 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 have used almond butter, sunflower seed butter, as well as homemade pumpkin seed butter and they all worked out great.
-
- Sweetener: Organic erythritol can be used instead of xylitol (just add 1/3 of the original amount). For every 2 tablespoons xylitol, 1/32 teaspoon stevia extract can be used.
-
- 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.
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.
This recipe was updated with new photos. Here's an earlier image that was in previous versions for your reference.
I'd love to hear what you think if you try them!
I love these! Made then so many times and always turn out amazing. When I’m on a budget I use 50/50 Almond butter /Tahini, as almond butter is quite expensive in the UK. I also stir a good cupful of puffed quinoa into the base mix to bulk it out a bit.
I’m about to make some right now – so glad you like them!!
There are astrike 7n the recipe but no note to tell what to do
I’m sorry but I don’t understand your comment.
She means you have an Asterisk sign in your main recipe, but you didn’t show what the asterisk was for in your notes section.
Got it and fixed. thanks!
Hi. I am looking for nutritional info on your recipes. I am counting carbs. Thank you! You are a wonderful cook I can see without tasting!!!
Hi there. Sorry but I haven’t done this. Perhaps you could enter the ingredients into a site that calculates? I have so many substitutes that it would be hard to figure it out for everyone. Thanks for understanding!
I love Almond Joy Bars so was eager to see your recipe. I have eaten some carob candy my mom use to make and it’s ok but I really would like the chocolate instead. How would that work w/in your recipe?
I also use Apriva made by Kroger in my baking. I’ve been under the impression that is a “sister” brand of Stevia but I have no real certainty of it.
Hi there. Just use chocolate instead of carob. You might need a tad more sweetener. I have never heard of Apriva. Sounds like a blend like this? https://wholenewmom.com/whole-new-budget/sugar-substitute-like-truvia/
Adrienne, Hello! Thank you for such a QUICK reply!! I clicked to the link you sent and sorta “scanned” it (my head is dull w/a head cold). I sent to Amazon for the erytritol & stevia extract powder to give them a try.
Meanwhile, looking more closely at the Kroger packed Apriva, it’s ingredients are Maltodextrin & Sucralose.
My knowledge is pretty sparse but am assuming Sucralose is a type of sugar but will have to “google” each substance to see what is said about each.
I got off on your article about Candida and eventually took the “test” and my score is high, also. BUT right now that’s almost more then I can handle and will have to give it time and thought.
For now will concentrate on just a few items of information.
Thank you for your reply!
JoVon
Sucralose is the main ingredient in Splenda and the research on it isn’t promising regarding kidneys, from what I have read. I personally don’t use it.
Hope that helps!!
I have just tried this recipe tonight, I’ve done the first half so far and I have to say so far (when I licked the wooden spoon) it tastes awful and bitter. I think at last part of where I went wrong is using Truvia tablets and a little Splenda. I’m hoping the topping will help mask the bitter taste.
Hmmmm…that’s likely why. Different sweeteners can do it. The stevia extract is a lot more potent. Did you finish it? You could gently melt it all together and add some more sweetener. You won’t have bars but you will have something not bitter :).
Ok, love amond joy’s and just tried this recipe. I cooked the topping as instructed, using gluccomannon. The topping did not thicken at all. I used more gluccie, no thickening, at all…totally liquid with coconut shreds. I did manage to toast the coconut getting the heat too high! Didn’t burn, thankfully, but not thick at all…any suggestions? Thanks, can’t wait to taste it!
Hi there. Sorry you are having issues. It didn’t harden up at all? I am betting it’s warm in your home – coconut oil is soft at temps above 75. Could that be the issue?
I have been on a kick making more and more health snacks at home. Came across your recipe a few weeks ago and finally got around to making them over the weekend. I don’t do this often, but I had to take time out to thank you. They were AWESOME! 🙂
Thank you!!! We just made about 4 batches and they are gone! Thanks for taking the time!
Yum! I made these in a mini cupcake tin and they turned out awesome! 24 individual bites of delicious!
What a fun idea!
AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!! these are so good! thank you for posting this recipe
I just made 4 batches last night – you’re in good company :)!
Instead of using all the sweeteners, I just add Nutiva’s coconut manna as the sweetener. Comes out amazing, try it if you haven’t already, super healthy too!
How interesting – you mean you used coconut butter instead of sweeteners?
Hi Adrienne,
This is the brand our family loves https://store.nutiva.com/coconut-manna/ and they call theirs manna, but it is actually coconut butter technically. Thanks for pointing that out, I wasn’t sure of the difference, and now I know there is none except the name.
We combine unsweetened shredded coconut and the coconut manna, (butter), until we have a manageable, stiff yet pliable, mixture and form into pinky finger shaped and sized logs on either wax or parchment paper.. We get raw organic almonds and place them along the top of the log, usually 2 or 3, or you could make small patty shapes to put more almonds on. We then heat gently whatever kind of organic chocolate bars they have on sale at Grocery Outlet this week and either drizzle or spoon over the logs and place in fridge until set and serve.
We do peanut butter cups a similar way. Organic peanut butter mixed with ground flax seeds so it’s not so loose, shape and drizzle or cover in chocolate. You could add honey, stevia or coconut sugar to sweeten above treats, but we think they’re naturally sweet enough with the chocolate coating.
Our boys love them and they’re getting super foods and good fats to boot, so I think it’s a win win. When you eat whole foods your taste buds are more alive and your palate, at least ours, does not appreciate the over the top sweetness of commercial processed foods have. This version is perfect for keeping in the fridge when a piece of fruit just doesn’t hit the mark.
We also like to dip 1/3rd of a piece of fresh or dried fruits in the melted chocolate and place ground raw nuts on the chocolate before it sets. It takes about 10 minutes start to finish, you can make small portions and it’s a nice treat with a glass of red wine after supper every once in a while.
I hope this helps and inspires you to have fun and figure out healthier versions of treats that work for you and yours.
Can’t wait – thanks!