These clean eating, energy packed Gluten-Free Vegan Almond Power Bars with Chocolate Topping are not only a nutrient-dense snack, but are made even more irresistible with a thick, healthy chocolate topping.
It's a simple recipe made with a nut combination of almonds, sunflower seeds and hazelnuts and can be ready in less than 10 minutes.
Most store-bough granola bars are highly processed and can contain lots of unhealthy ingredients like these:
S.A.D. (Standard American Diet) Planter's Big Nut Bars, Chewy Triple Nuts Ingredients:
Ingredients: Peanuts, Corn Syrup, Crisped Rice [Rice Flour, Sugar, Malt Extract, Salt, Caramel Color, Mixed Tocopherols (To Help Protect Flavor)], Peanut Butter (Roasted Ground Peanuts), Evaporated Cane Juice Invert Syrup, Sugar, Whole Grain Rolled Oats, Almonds, Cashews, Contains Less than 1.5% of Whey (from milk), Soy Lecithin, Honey, Vegetable Oil (Peanut and/or Cottonseed Oil), Resistant Corn Dextrins, Granola (Whole Grain Rolled Oats, Brown Sugar, Whole Grain Rolled Wheat, Coconut, Canola Oil, Wheat Bran), Xanthan Gum, TBHQ (Preserves Freshness)
Many are not vegan and contain GMO ingredients (corn syrup, soy lecithin, canola oil), artificial coloring, preservatives and refined salt and sugar.
This healthier version is made with clean, real food ingredients and is raw, vegan, gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, no-bake, paleo-friend and contains no refined sugar.
Want more healthy dessert recipes? Check out Gluten-Free Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal No-Bake Cookies, Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cookies, Flourless Chocolate Fudge Mint Cookies or my Clean Eating Cookbook with an entire chapter of 20 healthy, clean eating dessert recipes just like this one that you will love!
5 Fast Facts About Almonds:*
- helps to regulate cholesterol and blood pressure
- energy booster
- loaded with calcium and fiber
- 1/4 cup contains 8 grams of vegan protein
- high in anti-oxidants
5 Fast Facts About Hazelnuts:*
- one cup contains 86% RDA of vitamin E
- rich in heart healthy unsaturated fats
- super high in B-vitamins: B1, B3, B5, B6 and B9
- one ounce has 2.7 g of dietary fiber
- one serving contains 90% RDA of manganese and 65% RDA of copper
5 Fast Facts About Sunflower Seeds:*
- rich source of vitamin E
- finest source of B complex group vitamins
- incredible source of folic acid
- rich in magnesium
- provides anti-inflammatory benefits
5 Fast Facts About Coconut Oil:*
- super high in lauric acid
- rich in antioxidants
- contains natural microbial and anti-bacterial agents
- helps to improve metabolism
- improves cholesterol levels
5 Fast Facts About Maple Syrup:*
- contains manganese and zinc
- super high in anti-oxidants
- helps with inflammation
- 1/4 cup contains more calcium than the same amount of milk
- 1/4 cup contains more potassium than a banana
5 Fast Facts About Raw Cacao Powder:*
- contains over 300 compounds including protein, calcium, copper, zinc and iron
- super high in anti-oxidants
- promotes cardiovascular health
- contains essential fats
- can help to decrease blood pressure
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Tip #1: This would be an excellent recipe to use homemade almond butter with made with your Vitamix!
Tip #2: You can use many different variations with this recipe...use your favorite sweetener, change up the nuts and even use organic peanut butter instead of organic almond butter.
Tip #3: If you want to reduce the amount of sweetener in the recipe, just use 2 tablespoons of sweetener for the nut mixture instead of 3. I only used 2 tablespoons but if you want a sweeter bar, just increase it to 3 tablespoons.
Gluten-Free Vegan Almond Power Bars with Chocolate Topping
Prep
Inactive
Total
Yield 8 -16 servings
Raw / Vegan / Gluten-Free / Dairy-Free / Grain-Free / Flourless / Egg-Free / No Bake / Paleo-Friendly / No Refined Sugar
Ingredients
For the bar:
- 2 cups organic raw almonds
- 1/2 cup organic raw sunflower seeds
- 1/2 cup organic raw hazelnuts
- 1/2 cup organic almond butter
- 1/2 cup organic coconut oil
- 2 - 3 tablespoons organic maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon organic vanilla bean powder
For the chocolate topping:
- 1/2 cup organic raw cacao powder
- 6 tablespoons organic coconut oil (melted/liquid)
- 1 tablespoon organic maple syrup
Instructions
For the bar:
- Add the almonds, sunflower seeds, hazelnuts and almond butter to a food processor and process for approximately 10 seconds for a "chunkier" nut texture or approximately 20 seconds for a "finer" nut texture.
- Transfer the nut mixture to a medium-sized mixing bowl and add the coconut oil, maple syrup and vanilla bean powder. Stir until everything is blended well.
- Transfer the mixture to an 8 x 8 baking dish lined with parchment paper and press the mixture down firmly.
- Put in the freezer for approximately 30 minutes, or until firm.
For the chocolate topping:
- Add the raw cacao powder, coconut oil (melted) and maple syrup to a small bowl and stir until smooth.
Assembly:
- Remove the bars from the freezer.
- Pour the chocolate mixture over the top of the bars and VERY QUICKLY spread in a thin layer. The chocolate will start to harden as soon as it touches the frozen bars and will be difficult to spread.
- Return the bars back to the freezer for approximately 15-30 minutes to allow the chocolate topping to harden.
- Transfer them to the refrigerator about 15-30 minutes prior to cutting and serving to soften them slightly.
- Store in an air-tight BPA-free container in the refrigerator or freezer because they will get soft and lose their shape if left out at room temperature.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Recipe adapted from: https://elanaspantry.com/power-bars/
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The recipe adaptations and photographs for "Gluten-Free Vegan Almond Power Bars with Chocolate Topping" by Karielyn Tillman of The Healthy Family and Home website are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives 4.0 International License and cannot be used without my written permission.
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Hi, I'm Karielyn! I'm the published cookbook author of CLEAN DESSERTS and content creator of The Healthy Family and Home™ website since 2012. I specialize in creating easy, healthy plant-based and Medical Medium® compliant recipes that are gluten-free + vegan and made with clean, real food ingredients that you can feel good about eating.
leigh says
Absolutely delicious! Thanks! Would it be very naughty to suggest just the tiniest pinch of sea salt in the mix?
Karielyn says
Hi there Leigh! Yes, you could absolutely add a pinch of sea salt and I think that would be a great idea!
Thanks for the question and I hope you enjoy the recipe 🙂
cindy says
OMG, i made these last night while prepping dinner and WHOA! so amazing! i love the combination of nuts & seeds and the cacao topping really helps curb my cravings for dark chocolate! TFS recipe!
Karielyn says
Hi there Cindy! I'm so excited to hear you enjoyed the bars! The good thing is not only will it satisfy your cravings for chocolate, but you are also giving your body nutrient-dense ingredients too...yay!
Thanks for trying out the recipe and for taking the time to let me know you enjoyed it...I really appreciate it 😉
heather says
Hi Karielyn!
I am so excited to try this recipe! How long will these stay good in the fridge? What is the best way to store them if keeping them in the Freezer?
Thanks!
Heather
Karielyn says
Hi there Heather! They should stay good in the fridge for 1 - 2 weeks (in an air-tight container).
I've never had enough leftover to freeze but I would store them in an airtight container (glass if possible) in the freezer.
Thank you for your question and I hope you enjoy the recipe if you decide to give it a try 😉
marre says
hello there, looks awesome!! can I soak the seeds and nuts before hand?
Thanks
Céline
Karielyn says
Hi there Marre! Yes, you certainly can soak/dehydrate the nuts ahead of time. In fact, I always soak/dehydrate all my nuts and seeds when I get them home and then they're ready to go when I need them for a recipe.
That's probably why I forgot to add that step, but it is an important one. Although I've never soaked my hazelnuts before.
Thanks for the question and I hope you enjoy the recipe if you give it a try 😉
Sako from Japan says
Hi I was woundering I need to soak nuts as well. I do not have dehydrator, Can I dry Almond with Oven ? How many days I can keep nuts after soaking in the water.
Karielyn says
Hi there Sako! It is not 100% necessary to soak the almonds, but it does make them easier to digest and a little more nutrient-dense.
When I soak mine, I add organic, raw, unpasteurized almonds to large bowl of purified/filtered water with a couple of pinches of Himalayan pink salt and let them sit overnight. The next morning, I rinse them in purified/filtered water and spread them out onto the trays of my dehydrator and dehydrate them until they are completely dry. Since you don't have a dehydrator, could can dry them in the oven on the very lowest setting. Make sure they are completely dry to prevent mold and then they can be stored in an air-tight container. My are usually used up within a week or so and then I soak/dry another batch.
Thanks for your question and I hope you enjoy the recipe 🙂
throwingwordsdown says
Delish!- made these today. Next time, and there will definitely be a next time, I might add a little more almond butter or coconut oil to help the nut mixture hold together just a touch more. or, maybe blend a bit longer in food processor...anyway, they are fantastic and nice for a post workout, or mid day pick me up. I also added falx seed and sprinkled coconut on top while cacao topping was warm.
Thanks!
Karielyn says
Hi there! I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed them and oh my...I love the idea of the added flax seeds and coconut!! Especially while the cacao was still warm....mmmm what a great idea!
Thanks for trying out the recipe and for taking the time to let me know you enjoyed it...I really appreciate it 😉
Vanessa says
So stinkin' good!!!! Thank goodness they are healthy because I CAN'T stop eating them! I didn't have hazelnuts so I did pumpkin seeds instead - and added flax seeds. Also peanut butter instead of almond butter as that's what I have on hand. These will be a new staple in my freezer. Thank you!
Karielyn says
Hi Vanessa! I'm so glad to hear that you liked them! One of the great things about this recipe is that it's pretty versatile as far as the types of nuts and nut butters you can use.
I love the combinations you came up with!
And girl, there would be no freezer situation with me because mine wouldn't last long enough to make it to the freezer lol!
Thank you for trying out the recipe and letting me know that you enjoyed it 😉