These six ingredient Almond Bars are super simple to make! This no-bake, gluten-free protein bar will be your new favorite recipe!



 

Coconut Almond Bars

These amazing Almond Bars are perfect when you need a healthy protein-packed snack! They’re full of almonds, coconut, and natural sweeteners like dates and honey. We even topped them with a layer of dark chocolate so each bite tastes like an amazing Almond Joy!

These delicious bars have no corn syrup, flour, eggs, preservatives, or mystery ingredients like most granola bars you’ll find on the grocery store shelf. We use whole ingredients to get amazing flavor, no almond extract needed. It can be so difficult to find healthy, portable snacks (especially when living a gluten-free or paleo life), but these tasty almond bars fit the bill!

You’ll love that this almond and coconut recipe is filling enough to stop a growling stomach but sweet enough to satisfy a sweet tooth. These bars are the perfect power snack to get you through your work out, morning routine, or your afternoon slump… And you won’t even need an oven!

More no-bake snacks you’ll love: Peanut Butter Chocolate Fat Bombs, Coconut Mocha Almond Butter Espresso Balls, and Grain Free Granola with Cranberries

a hand holding a chocolate almond bar with a plate of no bake almond bars in the background

Ingredients for No Bake Coconut Granola Bars

Here’s a quick overview of what you’ll need for this healthy, no-cook recipe. Find exact measurements in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.

  • Whole almonds: You can use roasted or raw, salted or unsalted. You could even swap these out for cashews, peanuts, or another nut if you would like.
  • Shredded coconut: Use unsweetened if you’re paleo. If you’re not, feel free to use sweetened coconut if you prefer.
  • Medjool dates: Make sure to take the pits out before using. These dates are softer and sweeter than Deglet Noor dates, so I wouldn’t recommend substituting these.
  • Almond butter: I just used a regular, creamy almond butter. You could also use a flavored or crunchy variety if you prefer, though.
  • Maple syrup: Honey also works great in this recipe if you prefer. I’ve not tried this with any sugar-free substitutes.
  • Dark chocolate chips: You could swap these out with semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips if you prefer.

Note: You may need to add water to the almond mixture if your food processor is struggling. This will depend on the type of almond butter you’re using and the power your food processor has.

How to make No-Bake Almond Bars

This easy no-bake snack recipe is great for beginners. Here’s a quick step-by-step guide:

almonds, dates, almond butter, coconut, and maple syrup in a food processor
almond bar mixture in a food processor

Process almond mixture

Combine the almonds, almond butter, shredded coconut, pitted dates, and maple syrup or honey in the food processor. Pulse until the ingredients become a thick, course mixture. If your almond butter is super thick or if your food processor isn’t very powerful, this may be difficult. If so, just add a tablespoon of water and pulse. You can continue adding a tablespoon at a time until the mixture comes together like in the photo above.

almond butter mixture pressed into an 8x8 dish lined with foil

Chill

Line an 8×8 pan with foil, wax paper, or parchment paper and fill with your granola bar base. Chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. This gives the mixture time to set so that they stay together better when you slice them into bars.

chocolate melted in a glass bowl
melted chocolate poured over the almond mixture in a pan

Top with chocolate

After 30 minutes have passed, place your chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl and warm in 30 second increments until melted and smooth. Evenly spread the chocolate over your bars. Allow your bars to chill a second time. Keep them in the fridge for at least an hour to ensure that the chocolate is completely set.

NOTE: In these photos, I melted and used 1 1/2 cups of chocolate chips for this thick layer. After eating these, though, I believe only 1 cup of chocolate chips is best. The thicker layer is very difficult to bite into, so the recipe below recommends 1 cup of chocolate for a thinner, easier-to-eat layer.

How to Store No-Bake Protein Bars

These granola bars will need to be stored in the fridge. They will stay fresh for up to one week if kept in a container with an airtight lid. To help make transport easier, I personally cut up my bars and wrapped them individually in wax paper. This made the grab-and-go process a breeze. If packing in a lunch box, store with an ice pack to keep the right texture.

stack of no bake almond bars topped with a layer of chocolate

If you like these easy snack bars, you have to try these no-bake treats!

  • Grain Free Granola (Keto + Low Carb) – This is the perfect snack to meal prep, store in baggies, and toss in your bag. No refrigeration necessary, and it stays fresh for a couple weeks!
  • Mocha Chia Pudding – SO chocolatey, full of coffee flavor, and easy to eat. We love storing these in handy little jars that are easy to grab and go.
  • Keto Lemon Cheesecake Parfait – It tastes like dessert but keeps you full like a healthy snack! The chia pudding adds loads of nutrition.
  • Peanut Butter Granola Bars – This tasty snack bar includes coconut oil, oats, and pecans for healthy fats and fiber! Add in some protein powder to make these even more filling.
  • Keto Strawberry Cheesecake Truffles – These are SO tasty… They’re the perfect low-carb dessert or after school snack!

More almond desserts: Almond Butter Brownies, Almond Butter Cookies, Sugar-Free Almond Butter Cups

a stack of three no bake almond bars with thick chocolate layers

Substitutions for No Bake Chocolate Bars

This recipe has a lot of ways it can be customized to fit your personal preferences.  Let’s explore some possibilities:

  • Nuts– I chose to use almonds, but you could also use cashews, peanuts, pistachios or walnuts. You could also use a combination of two or more nuts. You could also try gluten free oats. If you’re looking for an extra dose of fiber, throw some chia seeds in your mix!
  • Dates– I LOVE dates- they are nature’s super sweetener. It’s important to choose Medjool dates specifically because that have that sweet, caramely flavor. They’re also nice and soft, perfect for blending into the bar. If you are not a fan, you could try prunes, cranberries, or raisins.
  • Sweetener– if you aren’t a huge fan of either honey or maple syrup, you could make these bars a little sweeter by adding in brown sugar, vanilla extract or chocolate chips. I would recommend retaining some of the honey or maple syrup, because it does help to bind the bars together.
  • Butter– I used almond butter in my recipe, but you can certainly use any kind you like. Peanut butter, sunflower butter, cashew butter… All would be great in this recipe.
  • Toppings– If you aren’t interested in adding more coconut on top of your bars, get creative! Sea salt, sliced almonds or nut of your choice, raisins, cranberries, sunflower seeds or even banana chips would be a tasty addition to this recipe. You could even spread a thin layer of raspberry jam over the top of the dough before the first chilling step for a fruity twist!
easy almond bars with chocolate stacked on a plate

No-Bake Almond Bar Tips:

  • Give these bars enough time to set in the fridge so they are easy for you to cut and transport later. If you cut them before they’ve had time to set, they will crumble.
  • Press the base of your bars into the foil/paper lining in your pan. This helps bind the mixture together, keeping the ingredients stuck together instead of falling apart. You can just peel the liner away, and the oils from the mixture help it to not stick.
  • Don’t overmix your ingredients. You want everything to just come together. Also, don’t skimp on your honey or maple syrup… It’s a big factor in holding your bars together.
no bake almond bars in a pile on a plate

Get the Recipe: No Bake Almond Bars

Prep: 15 minutes
Refrigerator Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total: 1 hour 45 minutes
Yield: 12 bars
Author: Annie Holmes
These six-ingredient Almond Bars are super simple to make! This no-bake, gluten-free protein bar will be your new favorite recipe!
5 from 1 rating
Print Leave a Review Pin Recipe

Ingredients
 

  • 2 cups Blue Diamond Whole Natural Almonds, 2 containers
  • 1 cup shredded coconut, sweetened and unsweetened work, use your preference
  • 3 pitted medjool dates
  • 1 cup almond butter, melted
  • 1-2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup, depending on how sweet you like it
  • 1 cup dark chocolate chips, *see notes if you want a thick layer

Equipment

Instructions
 

  • Combine all ingredients except chocolate in a food processor. Pulse until the mixture becomes a thick, course batter. If necessary, add 1 tablespoon of water at a time to thin out the mixture if your food processor is struggling.
  • Press the mixture into an 8×8 pan lined with aluminum foil or wax paper. Place the pan in the firdge to chill for at least 30 minutes.
  • After 30 minutes, place the chocolate chips in a microwave proof bowl and heat 30 seconds at a time until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Evenly spread the chocolate over the bars and refrigerate at least one hour until firm.
  • Once set, carefully slice the bars into 12 2"x2.3" sections. For the cleanest slices, first lift the bars out of the pan using the liner. Run your knife under hot water, then dry with a towel before slicing.

Notes

*In these photos, I melted 1 1/2 cups of chocolate chips for the top layer. While this looks nice, it was actually very difficult to bite into. I recommend using 1 cup instead–This will create a thinner chocolate layer that is easy to eat.
Serving: 1 bar, Calories: 415kcal, Carbohydrates: 24.2g, Protein: 10.8g, Fat: 33.2g, Cholesterol: 0.9mg, Sodium: 5.9mg, Fiber: 7.7g, Sugar: 13.1g
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