This recipe is so easy, you could do it with your eyes closed so long as you have a food processor or Vitamix. You will need one of the two.
Everything goes into the bowl of the processor, you pulse it, press it into a pan, let it firm up in the fridge, slice and enjoy. I keep the bars in an airtight container in the fridge (because I like my almond butter bars, and my peanut butter cups, nice and cold) and they will last you a couple of weeks if you do the same.
I like to spread a thin layer of unsweetened chocolate over the top, with a little added coconut milk to make the spreading easy. Unsweetened chocolate is quite bitter, but it makes me swoon. You might find that dark chocolate falling in the 65%-85% range is more your speed and that’s cool too. And, honestly if you feel like the chocolate is over the top, leave it out. (We WERE friends…) If you do opt for the chocolate, I suggest slicing the almond bars into squares once the chocolate is set but not solid, to prevent splintering. They’ll be delicious no matter what.
Two more things:
First, SALT. Don’t forget it here I use flaky Maldon sea salt by preference, but you could also use kosher salt here. Add a scant teaspoon instead of a full teaspoon in that case. And, depending on where you live in the world, you might find that these get crumbly when you store them in the fridge and, if so, you might want to add an extra couple of tablespoons of coconut oil/and or sweetener to make them a bit more sticky with the next batch.
Lastly, I hope it goes without saying that if you decide that instead of almonds you like pecans, or cashews, or peanuts or…..it’s your party. Substitute away.
I’ve been known to snack on these before an early morning bike ride, and substitute them for decadent dessert when I’m in training. They also make for great snacks for little people cut into small pieces, or for afternoon snacks in lieu of a pre-packaged bar.
All of that said, I can’t wait to hear how you’re enjoying, and where you’re enjoying this favorite recipe of mine! And I hope that it’s a helpful snack for you as you’re finding your way, figuring out how to genuinely fuel your body best. I have a sneaking suspicion that this old favorite will become your new favorite, too.
Flavors are FUN, yes, but they also are the mechanisms by which our bodies nourish themselves. Flavors basically tell our bodies what the food is giving us – on a nutritional and energetic level. Our bodies then prepare enzymes to break those components down, assimilate them, and turn them into fuel for our vibrant lives. We can’t eat just one flavor and get all of the things we need, so learning to track the flavors in our foods helps us to be sure that we’re really getting all of the things we need in our meals. This particular recipe has three of six flavors. The more flavors we can enjoy in any meal or food, the happier and more balanced our bodies will be. If you’re wanting to learn more about how the flavors we eat fuel our bodies – energetically and nutritively, check out this little blog post.
For the superhuman in all of us.
Prepare an 8×8 inch square pan by spraying with coconut oil and lining it with parchment or wax paper. Set aside.
In the bowl of a food processor, combine the almonds, flax meal, coconut, almond butter and salt. Pulse briefly to chop up the whole almonds. Add the coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla to the mixture and pulse to form a chunky paste; be sure to break up all of those big old almonds!
Press the mixture into the bottom of the 8×8 pan. Chill until the mixture firms up a bit, about 30 minutes.
Once set, melt the chocolate with the coconut oil. To do this, you could use a double boiler, or you could zap it in the microwave. To use a double boiler method, set a pot of water over medium heat, top with a bowl that is larger than the mouth of the pot and add the coconut and chocolate. Allow the chocolate to warm, lifting the bowl off the pot often to wipe the bottom and prevent the chocolate from burning. Remove the bowl from the pot when the chocolate is nearly melted.
To use the microwave method, simply zap the chocolate and coconut in 20-30 second increments, stirring to incorporate in between increments. Continue until almost completely melted.
Allow the chocolate to set at room temperature. Then, return to the refrigerator for a few minutes to chill the bars. Cut into squares and enjoy!
Once melted, pour 1/2-3/4 cup of the chocolate mixture over the chilled almond butter mixture using an off-set spatula. Work quickly as the chocolate will set up fast on a chilled surface!