Almond Butter Bars 5 Ingredients

Love dessert bars? Try my chocolate chip cookie bars, oatmeal chocolate chip bars, and carrot cake bars next. Craving the flavor of almond butter but need an easy one-bowl dessert? You’ll love my almond butter bars. Inspired by my peanut butter cookie bars, I swapped the peanut butter for almond butter, giving cookies a more subtle nutty flavor and, to be quite honest, making them even sweeter.

Why I love this recipe

A healthy dessert. These bars are naturally gluten-free, oil-free, dairy-free, and they’re easy to make vegan with one simple swap. No special kitchen gear. Just one bowl and a baking dish are all you need. 5 ingredients. Nothing complicated here. Just basic kitchen staples you probably have on hand already. Baked in 20 minutes. From prep to plate, these bars take no time at all. Seriously, there is a reason why my family request this almost weekly.

Ingredients needed

Almond butter. Smooth and creamy almond butter, with no added sugar. If you have a pack of almonds at home, you can easily make your own with my almond butter recipe. Maple syrup OR honey. Gives the bars sweetness, along with an extra gooey texture. Eggs OR flax eggs. Either eggs or flax eggs can be used. To make a flax egg, combine 3 tablespoons of water with 1 tablespoon of flax seeds. Baking soda. Gives the bars some stability and a tiny bit of rising. Chocolate. I used a chopped-up bar of dark chocolate, so there are pools of half-melted chocolate throughout.

How to make almond butter bars

I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post. “Hi! These are terrific! The batter was very thick and I was not sure how they would be, but I am totally pleased. I have gluten-free and sugar-free people, and these hit both marks. I even used sugar-free chocolate chips, and they are fantastic! Thanks!” – Joan Step 1- Prep. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F and line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Step 2- Make the dough. In a mixing bowl, add the ingredients, except for the chocolate, and whisk until combined. Fold in the chopped chocolate. Step 3- Bake. Transfer the mixture to the lined pan and bake for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out mostly clean. Step 4- Cool and slice. Remove the bars from the oven and let them cool completely before slicing.

Arman’s recipe tips

Swap the nut butter. While I prefer these bars as is, you can use other types of nut butter, like cashew butter or pecan butter, depending on what you have on hand. Know when they’re done baking. Since we want them to remain fudgy and gooey in the center, they should be pulled from the oven as soon as the edges turn golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out just barely clean. Use a warm, sharp knife to slice the bars. Dip the knife in warm water, then carefully dry it and slice the bars. It’ll make less of a mess and help guarantee clean, even cuts.

Storage instructions

To store: These bars can be stored in the refrigerator, covered. The bars will keep well for at least 4 weeks.

Make them nut-free. When I need a bar recipe for a friend with nut allergies, I’ll swap the almond butter for sunflower seed butter or tahini. Let me tell you, they still taste delicious! Add a chocolate layer. When I really want to take these bars over the top, I’ll microwave chocolate chips with heavy cream and drizzle the mixture over them after they’ve cooled. Enhance the bars’ flavor. Add a dash of cinnamon, a teaspoon of vanilla extract, or a sprinkle of sea salt for a salty-sweet flavor combo.

To freeze: Place leftover bars in a shallow container and store them in the freezer for up to 6 months.