Almond Butter Cookie Bars
Almond Butter Cookie Bars- soft and chewy, these cookie bars are the perfect cure when you’re feeling to lazy to roll the dough into individual balls. Just 20 minutes to make! (vegan, gluten-free + refined sugar-free)
One of the most challenging parts of being a food blogger is going to write about a recipe when it’s already gone. Having to describe it and look at the pictures as your mouth waters in desperation for another bite…it’s pure torture.
I made this recipe twice before we left for Charleston and both batches disappeared within a few days. They are chewy and perfectly sweet without the need for any refined sugar, dairy or eggs. But I can’t take credit for them.
These Almond Butter Cookie Bars come straight from one of my favorite blogger’s new cookbook, Easy Flourless Muffins, Bars & Cookies: Delicious Recipes for Healthy, Portable Gluten-free Snacks.
Amanda’s blog was one of the first I started following when I discovered the blogosphere. Her photography never fails to leave me feeling inspired and, thanks to her background as a health coach, her recipes are always a perfect balance of nutrition and flavor.
To top it off, she is also one of the most genuine and humble people I know. The online world can be like high school in the worst way possible. But even when I first started this blog and had just a handful of followers, she was kind enough to befriend me. Now, over 4 years later, here she is publishing a beautiful cookbook full of drool-worthy recipes. I couldn’t be happier for her.
All of the recipes look so good and are super easy to make but in the end I decided these Almond Butter Cookie Bars had to happen. They take all of 20 minutes to make and feature a combo of almond flour and oat flour, two things I always have on hand.
As I said before, I made them twice, once with Justin’s Vanilla Almond Butter and once with natural (no oil added) peanut butter. I noticed the results varied between the two, likely because of the added oil in the almond butter. I probably could have gotten away with one tablespoon of coconut oil when using Justin’s almond butter so keep that in mind, depending on what kind of nut butter you use.
I hope you get a chance to try these delicious cookie bars and check out Amanda’s incredible book. She is the queen of gluten-free snacks and treats. I know you won’t be disappointed!
Almond Butter Cookie Bars
Yield: 12 bars
Prep Time: 5
Cook Time: 15
Total Time: 20

Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup almond butter*
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar
- 2 tablespoons brown rice syrup
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract (can also use vanilla)
- 1 cup almond flour
- 3/4 cup rolled oats (quick or old fashioned), ground into a flour
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup non-dairy chocolate chips
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare and 8 x 8-inch baking dish by lining it with parchment paper. Leave a few inches of overhang on the sides to allow for easy removal. Set aside.
In a microwave safe bowl, add the almond butter and coconut oil then heat on high for about 1-minute, or until both ingredients have melted. You could also heat them on the stovetop in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the coconut sugar, brown rice syrup, milk and almond extract. Stir to combine then set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the almond flour, oat flour, baking powder and salt. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until well combined. Fold in the chocolate chips last.
Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, making sure it’s distributed evenly and pressed down firmly. Bake for about 15 minutes, until the center is set and the edges turn golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Use a sharp knife to cut them into bars. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
*results may vary depending on what type of almond butter you use. If you use the almond butter that has oil added to it you can try reducing the coconut oil to 1 tablespoon instead of 2.
Did you try this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out by leaving a comment below or sharing a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #makingthymeforhealth. I love hearing your feedback!
These look incredible! I can’t wait to try :)
Izzy | Pinch of delight
These look so good! Do you think you could use maple syrup or honey in place of brown rice syrup? That’s just not an ingredient I keep on hand.
I think honey would work better because it’s sticky like brown rice syrup! :)
Gaaaaah Amanda’s book turned out so beautifully!! Her photography and creative recipes are definitely an inspiration. I have the same issue when I write about treats that have long-since been consumed…I always want one right there next to me to bring justice to the full experience. And of course I get that same desire as a reader too…wishing one of these beautiful squares would appear magically out of the ether ;) These bars are simply perfection!
I love Amanda’s photography! She was one of my first blogging buddies, too. These bars look amazing!
She’s the best! :)
I don’t cook with almond butter enough! These look and sound incredibly delicious!
Thanks Carrie!
These bars look perfect- I love baking with almond butter and yes, bars are totally for those lazy days when even scooping dough is just too much effort :) Pinning!
This was actually my first time making cookie bars and they really are so much easier!
yum yum yum!! her book looks beautiful.
You would love it, Hillary! It’s full of flourless muffin recipes. ;)
Can these be shaped into cookies or placed in muffin tins?
I’m not sure that they would spread as cookies but the muffin tin should work! I would just keep an eye to make sure they don’t burn.
Indeed, the trouble with food blogging :D (oh I’ll just have one more turns into another and another and ano….. ) Well hello healthy snacks! This looks right up my alley, Sarah! And YaaaS to the cookie bars – these would disappear super fast in my home too! I hope your trip to Charleston was fabulous!
Amanda’s recipes never fail me. I need to get out to the bookstore and get her cookbook – I can’t believe I don’t have it already!
I want to bake everything in it! :)
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I have made these several times and they are so so delicious!! I can not say enough good about finding not just this recipe but your website. To date I have made 4 of your recipes and they have all been 5 STARS! Thank you for providing low or no sugar delicious healthy options!! I truly appreciate it!
Full Speed Ahead to the next recipe!!
Excited from Alabama
Thank you so much, Caroline! It’s comments like yours that keep me going. I’m so happy you are enjoying my recipes! <3
These look so good! I have oat flour, would that be a 1 to 1 substitute for the oats that go into the processor? Maybe a bit less? Thanks so much for this recipe, definitely trying it.
Yes, it will be pretty close to that. You can blend the oats then remeasure out 1 cup of the flour to be sure. :)
There is 2 tablespoons of almond milk in the ingredients but not in the recipe, I assume this is added with the wet ingredients?
Made this today with Sunflower Butter (didn’t have almond butter on hand) and used 1/4 cups of chocolate chips. THEY WERE SIMPLY DIVINE!! I have been looking for a recipe for almond cookies or bars and these are wonderful! Moist, flavorful, easy to make! Even a hit with my meat and potatoes loving husband!! Thank you Sarah!
I have already left a raving comment about these…but wanted to add that since I make them frequently I started to make them the other day and realized I only have 1/2 cup of almond flour so I just finished off the cup with ground flax seeds. They turned out great and now I just make them this way all the time! Either way with 1 cup almond flour or 1/2 cup almond flour and a 1/2 cup of ground flax seeds we could not tell the difference. We love these the second day just as much!! They are awesome.
Just made these delicious bars! OMG!! I will make this recipe again as it was easy and so yummy!! Thank you Sarah!