This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure and privacy policy.
Valentine’s Day is a great excuse to whip up something sweet, don’t you think?
While chocolate desserts usually dominate this particular holiday, these raspberry bars are the perfect solution for any non-chocolate lovers in your life. They are downright addictive!
Featuring protein-rich almond flour and metabolism-boosting coconut oil, these treats are something you can feel good about serving to your loved ones. Sweet and tart homemade raspberry sauce pairs perfectly with this buttery crumb topping, creating a moist and crumbly bar that’s truly hard to resist.
I may never need another chocolate dessert again.
—
Raspberry Almond Bars (Grain-free, Dairy-free)
makes one 8″ x 8″ pan
Adapted from Elana’s Pantry
Ingredients:
Crust:
2 cups almond flour or almond meal
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon water
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Filling:
10 oz. bag of frozen raspberries
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Crumb Topping:
1 cup walnuts
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
Directions:
Prepare the raspberry filling by heating the 1/2 cup maple syrup in a 1 1/2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Bring the maple syrup to a boil, then reduce the heat and allow to simmer for 5 minutes. Add the frozen raspberries and vanilla extract, and bring to a simmer again, allowing the mixture to cook for 15 minutes, until thick.
(Do not cook for longer than 15 minutes, or the pectin will break down and the sauce will not thicken properly.)
Remove from the heat, and transfer to a glass jar to chill in the fridge while you prepare the crust. (For best results, allow the raspberry filling to chill completely before adding to the crust. If you can make it the day before, it will become more thick and jam-like!)
*Note: Fresh raspberries may be used if you prefer, I simply chose frozen because they are more affordable. You may also substitute 1 cup of prepared raspberry jam, to make things easier!
For the crust, preheat the oven to 350F and line an 8″ x 8″ baking dish with parchment paper, to prevent sticking. Combine all of the crust ingredients in a food processor, and process until the dough sticks together. Press the dough into the bottom of the baking sheet, and bake for 12 minutes at 350F. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 20 minutes.
Prepare the crumbly topping by combining the walnuts, coconut, maple syrup, coconut oil, sea salt and almond extract in a food processor, and process until sticky and crumbly, but still coarse in texture.
Arrange the bars by spreading the raspberry filling over the crust, then spreading the crumbly topping over the raspberry layer.
Return to the oven for 15 minutes at 350F, or until the topping is lightly golden.
Allow to cool completely before cutting and serving. For best shelf life, store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to a week.
Raspberry Almond Bars (Grain-free, Dairy-free)
Ingredients
Crust:
- 2 cups almond flour or almond meal
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Filling:
- 10 oz . bag of frozen raspberries
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Crumb Topping:
- 1 cup walnuts
- 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
Instructions
- Prepare the raspberry filling by heating the 1/2 cup maple syrup in a 1 1/2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Bring the maple syrup to a boil, then reduce the heat and allow to simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add the frozen raspberries and vanilla extract, and bring to a simmer again, allowing the mixture to cook for 15 minutes, until thick. (Do not cook for longer than 15 minutes, or the pectin will break down and the sauce will not thicken properly.) Remove from the heat, and transfer to a glass jar to chill in the fridge while you prepare the crust.
- For the crust, preheat the oven to 350F and line an 8" x 8" baking dish with parchment paper, to prevent sticking. Combine all of the crust ingredients in a food processor, and process until the dough sticks together. Press the dough into the bottom of the baking sheet, and bake for 12 minutes at 350F. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 20 minutes.
- Prepare the crumbly topping by combining the walnuts, coconut, maple syrup, coconut oil, sea salt and almond extract in a food processor, and process until sticky and crumbly, but still coarse in texture.
- Arrange the bars by spreading the raspberry filling over the crust, then spreading the crumbly topping over the raspberry layer. Return to the oven for 15 minutes at 350F, or until the topping is lightly golden.
- Allow to cool completely before cutting and serving. For best shelf life, store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to a week.
Notes
Nutrition
Calories per bar: 286, Fat: 21g, Carbohydrates: 20g, Fiber: 4g, Protein:5g
Hope you enjoy them!
—
Reader Feedback: Do you prefer chocolate or non-chocolate sweets?
Thank you so much for your help with the Almond Butter! Mine turned out great& you gave me the patience I needed! Love,love your recipes!
Thanks again!!
Made these this week and they were great! I didn’t have maple syrup so used raw honey instead, and turned out sooo yummy! My husband and I both enjoyed these best warmed up in the oven with a little coconut milk vanilla ice cream on the side. Thanks for another great recipe Megan!
(For non-detox folks. Otherwise, it tastes great the way it is!)
The topping alone is heavenly! My toddler loves it, which is perfect b/c it is loaded with healthy fats!
I’m gonna try the crust again, but with ground oatmeal to give it a lighter taste.
Is this dessert gluten free?
Yes, almost all of my recipes are gluten-free.
I just made these and wow, they taste great! The raspberry filling didn’t thicken up for me, so I added 1 tbsp of agar agar flakes and it turned out perfect. Even my very particular 5 year old loves them. I was amazed at how “buttery” the crust tastes-thanks!
Wow! Made these this week and my husband is still raving about them! VERY VERY good! Thanks for the recipe!
Ok thanks! Your recipes are great 🙂 I’m curious… what do you think about the blood type diet? What is your blood type and do you think it is relevant to how you eat/feel?
Thanks!
These look fantastic! But how do these work with food combining? Fruit and nuts?
This definitely falls into the “treat” category, so it’s not perfectly combined. Fruit does combine with nuts if you remove their moisture content, so by cooking the raspberries down for 15 minutes, you are removing quite a bit of the moisture. For a more properly combined version, try using the jam recipe in my Cherry Almond Thumbprint cookies– it uses dried fruit as the base!
+1 on Abbie’s comment. Mine came out more like raspberry crumble. But I could tell it was because I hadn’t let the jam reduce enough, and so it made the bottom crust a bit soggy. Nevertheless totally delish! I find with grain free baking, it takes me a couple of tries to get it perfect.