Keto Almond Joy Bars

KETO ALMOND JOY BARS

FOOD AS MEDICINE

Once you’ve found your groove in keto and are seeing signs of fat adaptation, it may be reasonable to bring in small amounts of natural sweeteners from time to time. While we don’t advise this become a daily occurrence, there is a time and a place to bring them in and we 100% prefer these REAL FOOD options over non-caloric sweeteners like Swerve or Stevia and other “Frankenfoods!” Remember, keto is a metabolic state, NOT a YES/NO food list! Read more here on how non-caloric sweeteners like stevia, swerve or erythritol can wreak metabolic havoc and prevent you from breaking up with sugar in the first place! These almond joy bars use a small amount of maple syrup to tie together the naturally sweet flavors found in coconut, vanilla and almond while the macros remain very keto-friendly and totally fat dominant. These are a great treat for a Halloween party or to keep kiddos away from the high fructose corn syrup and artificial colorants that are so pervasive this time of year. Note that the first 2 layers should freeze for at least 4 hours before getting to the chocolate step, so you may want to make the night ahead of when you actually want to serve them. These bars can also be frozen indefinitely in a glass container and allowed to thaw before enjoying as a treat!

INGREDIENTS

2 cups shredded unsweetened coconut
2 Tbsp dark amber maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
4 Tbsp coconut oil, softened
pinch sea salt

1 cup grind your own almond butter (no added oils or sweeteners)

1/4 cup dry roasted almonds

1 10-oz bag bittersweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

Prepare an 8×8 baking dish or quarter size sheet pan with unbleached parchment paper. Place the coconut shreds, maple, vanilla and almond extracts, coconut oil and a pinch of salt in a medium bowl. Stir until well combined and uniform throughout. Spread on the parchment paper and press down with fingertips or a rubber spatula. Place in the freezer and freeze at least 1 hour.

Once frozen (no longer sticky to the touch), remove the pan from the freezer and spread the almond butter in a thin layer over all of the coconut. Place in the freezer at least 4 hours or overnight. Once frozen and almond butter is no longer sticky, remove from the freezer and lift the parchment paper out of the pan. Cut into 20 squares. Place a single almond into the center of each square and press down.

To temper the chocolate, place chocolate chips in the bowl of a double boiler on simmer. Stir constantly with a rubber spatula until the chocolate reaches about 115 degrees or is fully melted and shiny. Remove from heat.

Working one at a time, dip the coconut and almond squares in the melted chocolate and use a spoon to cover fully. Place on parchment paper to cool. Repeat with remaining bars, working quickly so they do not melt. Transfer to the refrigerator for at least 1 hour to set.