Hey my Darlings! How are ya?
Thank you for all of your sweet comments on the Fundraiser Auction I participated it! It was such a great experience and it gave me a huge feeling of accomplishment afterwards! You guys are SWEETER THAN SUGAR (and so much healthier too)!!
Oh, and the treats I should healthify — how about the Chocolate Covered Pretzels, the Peanut Butter Cupcakes (with the little bears on top), and PERHAPS something else? 😉 Red Velvet Cookies with Beets perhaps? 😉
Do you like Almond Joys? I remember eating Almond Joys when I was a little girl; but since they are NOT the healthiest treat, I don’t want to eat them.
Here’s the Almond Joy’s Ingredient List:
Just by looking at an Almond Joy, you would think it would have a short ingredient list, like Chocolate, Shredded Coconut, and Almonds! But apparently, they are just SUGAR, SUGAR, and TRANS FATS!
With an Ingredient list like this, I don’t want to eat them. Nevertheless, I still enjoy their flavor.
Therefore, I use them “in” my recipes. 🙂 For me, Almond Joys are one of the candy bars that inspire me and my recipes. My Almond Joy Pizzert Babies and My Almond Joy OIAJ are just a couple examples!
AND NOW they have inspired something else —
Something absolutely SPECTACULAR!
Almond Joy Dessert Bars!
Hehe, even though these are called “Dessert Bars,” I would totally eat these for Breakfast! 😉
Almond Joy Dessert Bars
Notes: Dive into this lovely with a side of Banana Ice Cream! You can use Raisins or even Carob Chips in place of the Chocolate Chips. If you want a real Almondy experience, try adding 1/2 tsp Almond Extract. 🙂 If you don’t have any coconut oil, try some canola oil. Vegan, No Sugar Added, Dairy Free, Vegetarian, Soy Free, and of course HEALTHY!
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 1 1/2 cups ripe mashed banana
- 2/3Â cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1/4 cup maple syrup (optional)
- 1 1/3 cup whole wheat flour
- 2/3Â cups unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2Â Tb baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (see note)
These are slightly sweet, but if you like desserts sweeter, simply use agave in place of part of the almond milk.
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a  13- by 9- by 2-inch baking pan.
In a large bowl, combine oil, banana, almond milk, and maple syrup.
Add the flour, baking powder, and baking soda.
Stir in coconut, sliced almonds, cinnamon, and chocolate chips.
Immediately pour mixture into prepared baking pan (you want to put it in the oven as soon as possible since the baking soda and the baking powder were activated when you mixed them with the wet).
Bake about 19-21 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Remove pan from oven and let mixture cool in pan. Cut into 15 bars.
I like to store the cooled bars in the refrigerator or freezer. The counter top can work, too. 🙂
Best part —
Grab a fork and DIG IN! 😀
But, hands are just as acceptable. 😉
Stay tuned for my Vegetarian Cooking Class!
Which Chocolate/Candy Bars are you favorite? Almond Joys and Reese’s for me! 😀
Do they inspire your recipes? Haha, I seem to really like Almond Joys and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups! Like my Blissful Reese’s Pizzert Babies, my Reese’s Nut Butter, and many others!
xoxox,
WOW KAT!!
I love almond JOYS!! AND it sucks since I can’t have chocolate but I’m totally going to either put carob powder in this recipe or somethin but I’m gonna play with it so that I CAN HAVE IT!!
It looks GORGEOUS! GAHH! I love you!! 🙂
Have you made those Carob Chips yet? They would be perfect in this! 😀
I’m SO sad! I ran out of my Carob Powder earlier this week. 😦 No worries, I’ll get some more soon. 🙂
why is coconut so gross in almond joys but so good when veganized? your version looks great
Hehe, thanks Katherine! 🙂
That ingredient list is disgusting!! Why does there need to be so much sugar??
I am LOVING your version!! You always make the best recipes 😀
xoxo
It’s really sad that it is gross. We should start a protest! Or just make better versions ourselves. 😉
Thanks Paije! 🙂
Awesome recipe!!!!! 😀
My favorite candy bars are reeses and three musketeers…..oh and peppermint patties!! 😀 I like to make a “peppermint patty” smoothie with cooca powder and mint extract! sooo good! hahahaha
can’t wait for the post about the cooking class!
Ohhhh, yum! Your Peppermint Patty Smoothie sounds delicious!:D I just need to get me some peppermint extract! 😀
I’ve actually never had an almond joy before. But yours sound so much better than theirs anyways (that ingredient list really isn’t appealing at all). And I definitely love how some of your absolutely delicious recipes are inspired by candy, especially reeses- yum! 😀
Awwwwee, thanks Mandi! 🙂
Yum! I want to make these! I made an Almond Joy type dessert today too! Can’t wait to post it.
I actually never liked coconut candy when I was little. Maybe because it was loaded with sugar and other nasty stuff it took away the joy of the actual coconut!
Whitney
Oh cool!! I can’t wait to see your Almond Joy dessert! 🙂 YAY for Almond Joys! 🙂
You know, I don’t think I’ve ever had an Almond Joy.
Really?! Wow. Haha, I used to have them all of the. Now I have these. SO much better. 😉
DELICIOUS!! those look so moist and dense!!!!!!!
Thanks Carrie! 🙂
Mmmm. Almond Joys are my weakness.
Haha, don’t worry — that’s why I make better versions of them. They’re my weakness too. 🙂
mmm…I just love me some Metabisulfite. hahahah! I don’t think I ever really liked Almond Joys, I’m not a big coconut person. Your bars look good though!
I loved Reese’s – pb and chocolate are the best combo ever!
Megan
Haha, I know! The ingredient list is like a Chemistry experiment! YIKES! 🙂
I love Reese’s too! Peanut Butter and Chocolate were MADE for each other! 😀
Don’t you think that almond extract has a maraschino cherry flavor? My whole family thinks so.
I don’t know if I’ve ever had a maraschino cherry before, so I can’t really say.
These look amazing! I’m not a fan of coconut, but I think even I would like these 🙂 Almond Joys are my dad’s favorite. I want to make these for him!
I know your dad will love these! 😀
Kat, you need to stop making my “need to try” recipes list expand! It’s getting ridiculous! Why are you so good at making delicious treats?!!
Awwwwweeeee!!!!! You are so sweet Tara!!!! I LOVE YOU! You are always so sweet to me. 🙂
Hands down those look amazing!! Almond Joys are deliciouss! I love Crunch Bars and Kit Kats 😀
Thanks Jenny! 🙂
That list of ingredients on the manufactured bar is crazy! I bet yours taste better than the orginal too, they certainly look amazing:)
Thanks! 🙂
I once tried almond joy and thought it was just ok.
I think I would like these bars though! Still can’t beat chocolate and coconut
I hear ya! Coconut and Chocolate are the BEST!! 😀
You should try these! I know you would love them! 🙂
OMG those look good!
Thanks Matt! 🙂
I absolutely love the idea of transforming a candy bar with icky (albeit delicious) ingredients into a healthy snack with wholesome ingredients! Just let me know when you can make a healthy Reese’s! 🙂
Give my Blissful Reese’s Pizzerts a try. 🙂 I know you’ll love them. 🙂
OMG that ingredient list is awful!!! How can a company justify putting all those artificial ingredients in a product!?!
Well your bars look 150% better than theirs….I love no sugar added baking! Thanks for the yummy substitute!
Thanks Kaila! 🙂 Yah, I was shocked when I saw the ingredient list. Though I must admit, I’m not surprised. All of those artificial ingredients get people addicted to the bars, so the company makes it money.
Oh wow these look good, I guess your Almond Joys are like our british bountys yum 🙂
in your response to the pumpkin not being available in the UK i have no idea, we only ever get pumpkins at halloween 😦 and we dont have tinned pumpkin or anything like that. 😦
Oh wow. That is so sad that you only get pumpkins around Halloween! That is NOT fair.
Ah, you’re the best! I can’t wait to try these. Almond Joys are very near to this girl’s heart. 🙂
I know you’ll love them! 🙂 Almond Joys are so good!
I just recently started lovin’ coconut!! These look so tasty, girl! My fave bars are definitely Kit Kats and Reeses!
YAY for coconut!
I love Reese’s too! 😀
LOVE almond joys and how delicious and healthy this recipe is cannot wait to see what else you make from the bake sale 🙂
I can’t wait either! 😀
Yum!!! I LOVE almond joys! This might be dangerous that I can now make my own! 😉 I am definitely going to have to give these a try! 🙂
No way! That is so cool!!!! 😀 Homemade always taste better than the prepackaged stuff anyday! 😀
Wow, this looks amazing! I love recipe makeovers!
Thanks! 😀
omg, that looks so so good!
Thanks Melody! 🙂
MMM! i love ANYTHING coconut…add chocolate and i’m totally sucked in! i just need to get some coconut oil! it’s SO expensive, though!
You can use Canola Oil in place of the Coconut Oil if you want. These bars are great both ways. 🙂
I straight-up LOVE Butterfingers, but like AJ’s, they’re far from healthy I’d love to come up with a comparable bar for them!
GIRL I LOVE YOU!!!!
Awee! I LOVE YOU TOO! 🙂
OH MY GOODNESS!!!!this looks awesome!and i love me some reeses and snickers 😉
Those look WAY better than Almond Joys. I think most people don’t even know what coconut tastes like since they only eat it masked with loads of sugar. 🙂
I totally agree! With all of that sugar, you lose the TRUE flavor of the coconut! 🙂 That’s what I love about these! NO sugar! 🙂
Yum!! You always come up with great desserts!!
All of your your baked goods are so healthy, I was just wondering are the savory foods you eat as healthy as your baked goods? I would love to see a post about your normal day to day meals. Just a thought, don’t get me wrong though, I love seeing the desserts and baked goods!!
Oh and I love Twix 🙂
I would say yes, the savory stuff I eat is MOST DEFINITELY healthy!:D I am planning a normal day in my life kind of post sooner or later! I just have to take the pictures. 🙂
I LOVED Almond Joys!! Probably one of my favorite candies! Great recipe!
Thanks Emily! 🙂
You’ve done it again!! 🙂
Kathleen these look amazing! I
I was never a fan of Almond Joys (I always gave them to my mom), I did like Reese’s!
I LUV Reese’s too!!! They are one of my absolute FAVORITES! 😀
another amazingly delish recipe ….you go girl 😉 haha
Thanks Darling! 🙂
Almond joys are SERIOUSLY one of my favorite candies EVER. Thank you SO much for making them healthy for me!! I totally just had a mini one the other day and was thinking man if only they had these in a healthier version. Your the best girl 🙂
I’m glad to have been of service. 🙂
I’ve never had an Almond Joy, but these look yummy!
You are always so sweet! 🙂 Thanks!
These look great! But the ingredient list shows baking powder twice. Should one of them be baking soda?
Those bars look fabulous! I can’t eat many candy bars, but Almond Joys are one of my favorites. Can’t wait to try your recipe!
Thanks! I’m glad you like them! 😀
No sugar in it???? YAY!!!! What a wonderful surprise! 🙂 I’ve bookmarked it and I can’t wait to make it! Thanks!! 🙂
I just made these and wanted to thank you so much for the recipe! You’ve really inspired me to cut my sugar intake – your recipes are the first I’ve made using no added sugar and I’ve been amazed by the results when just relying on bananas, etc. Thank you so much, every recipe I’ve tried has been delicious but also made me feel better about what I’m eating. (And I’ve trained my tastebuds to be satisfied with less sugar!)
DROOL!! these look BETTER than an almond joy!!
I love almond joy bars. These look so good, I will have to try them out! Thanks!