Homemade Almond Joy Bars (No Refined Sugar!)

almond joy bar close up on a cutting board.

Homemade Almond Joy Bars (No Refined Sugar!)

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: almond joy recipe, healthy almond joy

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 0

Total Time: 20

Servings:

Calories: 142kcal

Author: Megan Gilmore

Once you taste this Almond Joy recipe, you will always want to keep a stash in your fridge. They taste 100% better than the store-bought version, and you can assemble them in about 20 minutes of hands-on effort. There's NO refined sugar required... not even chocolate chips! Yet they taste totally irresistible.

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Ingredients

Chocolate Base:

¾ cup almond flour
2 tablespoons cacao powder
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
Pinch of salt

Coconut Filling:

1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons coconut oil
⅛ teaspoon almond extract (optional)
1 to 2 tablespoons water

Chocolate Topping:

1/4 cup maple syrup (at room temperature)
1/4 cup melted coconut oil
3 tablespoons cacao powder
¼ cup sliced almonds , roughly chopped (optional)

Instructions

Lightly grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan then press a piece of parchment paper into the bottom. This will make the bars easy to remove later. To prepare the chocolate base, combine the almond flour, cacao powder, maple syrup, coconut oil, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir until a sticky dough forms. Press it evenly into the bottom of the lined loaf pan, and place it in the freezer to firm up while you make the next layer.
To prepare the coconut filling, add the shredded coconut, maple syrup, coconut oil, almond extract, and 2 tablespoons of water to a mini food chopper. Secure the lid and process until the mixture looks relatively uniform. Remove the pan from the freezer and spread this coconut layer over the top evenly. Then return it to the freezer while you make the last layer.
To prepare the chocolate topping, combine the maple syrup, coconut oil, and cacao powder. (If any of your ingredients are cold, this sauce will firm up. If that happens, simply place the bowl in a warm area or in a hot water bath briefly to liquefy the ingredients again.) Pour the chocolate sauce over the top of the coconut layer and smooth the top with a spatula. Place the pan in the freezer for 1 hour to firm up.

You can stop at the chocolate layer for a "Mounds" bar, or sprinkle chopped almonds on top for an "Almond Joy" bar. I love the added crunch from the almonds, but the choice is up to you. The almonds will stick to the bar if you add them before the chocolate layer hardens.

Once the bars look firm, remove them from the freezer and use the parchment paper to pull them out of the pan. Use a sharp knife to cut them into 18 small pieces. Serve these chilled for the best texture. I like to serve them from the fridge. If you leave them at room temperature too long, the coconut layer may separate from the bottom layer. You can place these in the fridge to firm up again.

Notes

Nutrition information is for 1 of 16 bars. This is calculated using an online ingredient database, so it's just an estimate, not a guarantee.

Update Note: This recipe was originally posted in 2011 and updated in 2026. The original version didn't have cacao powder in the bottom layer and used 1/4 teaspoon of almond extract instead. I think it tastes more authentic using the more updated version.

Storage Tip: These should keep well for up to a month in an airtight container in the fridge, but I usually eat them much faster than that.

Nutrition