October 26, 2020

It’s the first day of my self-declared candy week, and i’m kicking it off with one of the top requested chocolates: homemade ALMOND JOY!

A delicious coconut bar topped with whole almonds, and coated in melted chocolate! They’re vegan, gluten-free, and and made with just 7 simple ingredients!

I’m a huge candy + chocolate lover. In fact, my bat mitzvah was “candy themed,” and included a big cart of candy that came out towards the end for everyone to snack on.

I’ve always loved recreating homemade versions of my favorite candies, but also enjoy eating the real stuff whenever I crave it. **that’s your reminder that the real candy does not need to be off limits, unless you’re allergic/sensitive to certain ingredients**

I actually had to buy some of the real stuff in order to test some of these recipes. But hey, if eating chocolate bars is part of my job description, I’m here for it.

These vegan almond joy bars were one of the top requests when I asked for suggestions on Instagram. They’re a nice change from my usual nut-butter based desserts, and give you all the tropical vibes!

Here’s what you’ll need for these Homemade Almond Joy Bars

Shredded coconut– make sure to grab a bag that doesn’t have added sugar! You’ll be sweetening the mixture with pure maple syrup, so the added sugar in the flakes isn’t necessary
Coconut oil
Pure maple syrup
Coconut flour
Vanilla extract
Almonds
Dairy-free chocolate chips- I love using these because they melt well and taste delicious!

I typically use dairy-free chocolate in all of my desserts. If you don’t have any dairy allergies, you can use a milk based chocolate for the coating to closer resemble the real almond joy bar!

Just a few basic ingredients stand between you and these coconut gems! They’re so delicious, and are really easy to make. You may need a little patience coating each one, but trust me- they’re worth it.

Stay tuned for more homemade chocolate bars coming this week!

Be sure to check out some of my other favorite chocolate bars on the blog, like my Vegan Caramel Candy Bars (aka TWIX), and Vegan Snickers Bars.

Homemade Almond Joy Bars (vegan)

5 from 1 vote

Course: Candy, Gluten-Free, Sweets, Vegan

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Freeze time

hours

Total time

hours

minutes

Ingredients

2 cups unsweetened, shredded coconut
1/4 cup melted coconut oil
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
2 tbsp coconut flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup whole almonds, to top
Chocolate Coating
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tsp coconut oil

Directions

In your food processor, blend together the shredded coconut, coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla, and coconut flour.
Line a 9 x 5 loaf pan with parchment paper. Flatten the coconut mixture into the pan and freeze for at least 3 hours, until it hardens.
Once frozen, pour your chocolate chips into a shallow bowl with the coconut oil. Melt in 30 second increments in the microwave until smooth.
Remove the bars from the loaf pan. Slice vertically down, and then horizontally to create 12 smaller bars.
Dip each bar into the melted chocolate, place onto a parchment lined tray or cutting board, and top with two almonds. You can leave the bars as is topped with the almonds, or coat/drizzle over them with more chocolate (see photos above)
Repeat until all bars are coated. Place the tray into the freezer to set for additional 20 minutes. Once frozen, slice around the bars with a knife to clean the excess melted chocolate.
For best texture, store the bars in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks.
The bars can be kept frozen for up to 3 months!