I may not have my costume picked out or a pumpkin carved yet (how the heck is it Oct 24th?), but the vegan candy options are a-go. That is, if they last until the weekend.
I’ve been working on these layer bars for a few weeks now. It took a bit of patience to get the thickness of the layers juuust right, but lo and behold I finally nailed something worth sharing.
Me likey. Me likey a lot.
If you are looking for a fun and incredibly tasty Halloween treat (or really, a treat for any special occasion!), I hope you’ll give these a whirl. They just about made our dreams come true.
Featuring all new, protein-packed salads, hearty toppers, flavour boosters, and dressings you'll want to drink, my new cookbook will transform the way you think about salads. Oh, and be sure to flip to the back for a surprise dessert chapter!
3-Layer Almond Coconut Chocolate Bars
Yield
18 small bars
Prep time
Cook time
Chill time
1 hour
Total time
These bars are bursting with three of my favourite flavours – almond, coconut, and chocolate! How could you go wrong? A soft and nutty toasted almond-oat crust forms the base. If you’ve made my Chilled Chocolate Pie, you can probably attest to how good this press-in crust is! The middle layer is made up of a no-bake almond butter “fudge” enhanced with rice crisp cereal for a wicked crispy texture. The bars are topped with a dark chocolate “macaroon” coating and garnished with big flakes of toasted coconut. I know.
Ingredients
For the base:
- 3/4 cup whole almonds
- 1/2 cup gluten-free oat flour*
- 1/4 cup virgin coconut oil
- 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup (or other liquid sweetener)
- 1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
- 1 cup gluten-free rolled oat
For the middle layer:
- 1 cup raw or roasted almond butter (or peanut butter)
- 1/2 cup virgin coconut oil
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup (or other liquid sweetener)
- 1/2 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- pinch fine grain sea salt
- 1/2 cup rice crisp cereal
For the topping:
- 1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips (use Enjoy Life brand for soy-free)
- 1/2 tablespoon virgin coconut oil
- 1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
- 1/4-1/3 cup toasted unsweetened large coconut flakes (such as Let's Do...Organic brand)*
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line an 8-inch square pan with two pieces of parchment paper, one going each way.
- For the crust: Add the almonds into a food processor and process until a fine meal forms, just larger than sand. Now add the oat flour, oil, syrup, and salt and process until combined and sticky. Finally, add the cup of rolled oats and process until the oats are chopped and the dough comes together, but the oats still have a bit of texture to them. The dough should stick together when pressed between your fingers. Crumble the dough evenly in the prepared pan. Press the dough into the pan evenly, wetting fingers if necessary to prevent sticking. Smooth out the dough with a pastry roller and use your fingertips to press in the edges until even. Poke a few holes with a fork to let air escape. Bake, uncovered, for around 13 minutes. Place pan on cooling rack for at least 10 minutes.
- For the middle layer: In a medium saucepan, stir the almond butter, oil, syrup, vanilla, and salt and heat over medium until the coconut oil is melted and the mixture is smooth. Whisk if necessary. Remove from heat. When the crust has cooled for 10 minutes or so, stir the rice crisp cereal into the almond butter mixture and pour this mixture on top of the crust. Smooth out and place in the freezer on a flat surface for 40-45 minutes, until the middle layer is completely solid. While the mixture freezes, toast the large coconut flakes (see note below). After the middle layer is frozen, remove from freezer and lift out the bar. Slice into 6 rows vertically and then slice 3 rows horizontally to make 18 small bars. Place bars in the freezer once again while you prepare the chocolate topping.
- For the chocolate topping: In a saucepan, melt the chocolate and coconut oil over low-medium heat. When half the chips have melted, remove from heat and stir until completely smooth. Stir in the shredded coconut. Remove bars from the freezer and spoon a small amount of chocolate on top of each bar. Immediately, sprinkle with toasted coconut flakes. Return the bars to the freezer until the chocolate is set. Serve immediately (bars will melt quickly, so I wouldn't suggest keeping them out too long). Store leftovers in the fridge or freezer.
Tip:
1) To make 1/2 cup oat flour, add 1/2 cup rolled oats into a high-speed blender and blend on high until a flour forms. 2) To toast the large coconut flakes, spread onto a baking sheet and toast at 350F for only 3-4 minutes, until golden and fragrant. After cooling, I crumbled the flakes up into smaller pieces for easier sprinkling. 3) For a fun twist, try making these bars using my homemade Nutella instead of almond butter!
Nutrition Information
(click to expand)
By the way, thank you for your comments in my last post! It’s comforting to know that many of you have been through the same thing and it all worked out in the end. Here’s to good luck house hunting vibes for all. :)
I just wanted to say that even not following this recipe exactly, the end result is amazing! I needed to make something gluten free and vegan for a party this afternoon with little notice, so of course I started searching OSG! These came up, and I started making them before I realized I had maaaaybe 1/2 cup of coconut oil left! I reduced the amount in the base and the filling, added a touch of water to hold together the crust, and upped my nut butter amount in the filling and they are still fantastic!Thanks Angela for this amazing recipe!
Made these and they are amazing. My husband loved them left out of the fridge for a bit. Soft and gooey. The rice crispies inside give these bars the right amount of crunch and texture.
These are soooooo good! They didn’t stand a chance in my house! They are, however, a little bit time consuming (I have three little ones to run after all day). Can’t wait to make them again! Thanks for sharing! :)
Made these last night! They are so delicious! Easy recipe to follow. I have to take them to friends, so I don’t eat them all. Thank you for the great and healthy recipes!
I made these bars yesterday for a family get-together and everyone loved them. They are rich and full of delicious flavor. I made a double batch in a 13×9 pan. Now I have leftovers. Lucky me!
Sounds good and looks great :)
I have a class tomorrow and I think we’ll make it with the kids.
Thanks!
Looks so delicious….my grandmother used to make same cookies. She added a lot of butter. Apparently butter makes it taste so good.
Hi Angela! I tried this lovely bar right after I found this recipe and……. it tastes beyond amazing!!!!! Thank you so so so much for sharing the recipe with us:))
I had a lot of fun making the different layers,
but I found the final product very greasey and waxy.
too much oil? coconut flavor was overwhelming.
Hi Dan, I find the coconut oil becomes more noticeable as it warms, so serving the bars chilled straight from the fridge may help with the texture you’re noticing. Cold, they should have a firmer feel. I haven’t tried reducing the oil, but you could experiment with that if you wanted. I’d love to hear how it goes!
Do you use refined or unrefined coconut oil?
I dont necessarily like coconut, but these chocolate bars look great! I might have to try it and substitute the coconut for something else.
This is a fantastic vegan recipe that gets an enthusiastic two thumbs up from me!
Cannot. Eat. Just. One. (seriously!)
Haha, I have trouble eating just one too, Jason! Glad to know I’m not alone. ;)
Only thing I recommend doing differently with this recipe is pouring the chocolate mixture on top of the entire pan of bars BEFORE they’re cut. Makes it easier. Then, just let the chocolate set up in the fridge before lifting out the whole thing from the pan and cutting the bars with a knife dipped in hot water.
Amazing recipe Angela. I’ve been baking different variations of oatmeal based flapjacks to take with me on trips. Your chocolate bars sound like a slightly more unhealthy but super yummy alternative :)
I absolutelt love these and want to make them for a friend who has an allergy to coconut. Do you think/know if using palm oil would substitute well for coconut oil in this recipe?
This was out of this world delicious
I’ve been looking for the perfect vegan/GF recipe for a halloween party — Found it! This looks crazy yummy. I wish I could make these right now! What a great alternative treat to all the crappy candy of the holiday. I’m making these first thing tomorrow.
Holy moly, are these ever good! Have a newborn at home and serious chocolate needs? I just threw all the ingredients of the first two layers into a bowl, pressed into a pan, popped it in the freezer and then added the melted chocolate and coconut layer on top. It was barely frozen when I started to devour it and it’s equally as delicious as the original method.
Hi Angela,
I’m not sure if you are aware of who advertises on your blogs and your not the only vegan blogger that I’ve noticed this with but it’s Canada Goose. I would have hoped you’d have more control over this. Sad to see.
These were sooo good!! I did not have choc chips for the top layer, so I melted some coconut oil with raw cocoa powder and some maple syrup. I also did not have any rice cerael, so I crumbled up a brown rice cake and that was perfect. It turned out perfect!