I love coconut, and chocolate… so naturally Almond Joy candy bars are one of my favorites. This homemade spin on the classic candy bar has all the flavors of Almond Joy candy, with an additional element… a buttery crust. The resulting combination is a rich and delicious treat!
This recipe is made in a 9″x13″ pan, and the bars are plenty rich enough that they can be served in small squares. One pan will yield about 36 bars, making this a perfect recipe to take along to a pot-luck, or large gathering. These beautiful bars would be very elegant served in mini cupcake liners (as I usually do with my Fudge Mint Brownies), as part of a dessert table.
How to Make Almond Joy Bars
Almond Joy Bars
These rich and delicious bars are sure to be popular with coconut lovers
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter 1 stick, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 14 oz sweetened condensed milk 1 can
- 14 oz shredded coconut 1 bag
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups almonds sliced
- 8 oz bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate
Instructions
- Toast the almonds by spreading them in a thin layer on a baking sheet and baking at 375*F for 5-7 minutes. Keep a close eye on them, so they don't over bake. They should be a light golden brown.
- Line a 9"x13" baking pan with foil that hangs over the edge (for easy removal). Spray the foil with a light layer of cooking spray.
Make the crust
- With a mixer, or food processor, blend the butter and sugar until smooth and fully combined. Add flour and salt, and blend lightly until almost incorporated. Add 1 cup of cooled, toasted almonds, and blend until just combined.
- Press crust into the bottom of the prepared pan.
- Bake 5-6 minutes in a pre-heated oven at 350*F.
Make the coconut filling
- In a bowl, mix the sweetened condensed milk, coconut and vanilla. Spoon the mixture onto the crust, spreading gently, so you don't distrub the crust.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the coconut is a nice golden brown.
- Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler, or in the microwave. If using a microwave, use short intervals of 30 seconds or so, stiring between intervals, and removing from microwave when the chocolate is almost, but not fully melted. Stir until fully melted.
- Spread the melted chocolate over the baked coconut bars.
- Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup toasted almonds on top chocolate.
- Place coconut bars in the refrigerator for about 1 hour, until chocolate has hardened.
- When fully chilled, remove entire dessert from the pan by pulling up on the foil liner. Slice into bars, using a sharp knife, cleaning the knife (with warm water) between cuts if you want nice, sharp bars.
- Bars may be served at room temperature, or directly from the fridge. Store remaining bars in the refrigerator, wrapped well. Can be made 2-3 days in advance.
Nutrition
Calories: 215kcalCarbohydrates: 23gProtein: 3gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 11mgSodium: 77mgPotassium: 165mgFiber: 2gSugar: 16gVitamin A: 111IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 57mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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These are DELICIOUS. Got compliments across the board. Even my husband liked them and he doesn’t particularly like coconut. THank you!! Only change is, i used a 12 oz bag of semi sweet chocolate, instead of 8 oz.
I recently made these bars and they were wonderful. The recipe is very simple and easy to follow. I will definitely make these again!
I will love to have my teaparty with my sister who have the heart warmth of a tea cup
I’m not a big fan of almonds, or most nuts for that matter, but this gives me an idea for doing something like this with a Nestle Crunch, a Kit Kat, or a Twix.
these sound like the perfect treat – almond joys are my weakness!
Thanks for making the almond joy bars receipt so easy to print! Can’t wait to try them.
Can I leave out the almonds from the crust? (Hubby loves coconut but not almonds) If so, should I replace it with some flour or should I be ok with the amount of flour that remains? Thanks!
Feel free to experiment. I think the remaining flour will be enough. You’ll lose a little texture, but feel free to give it a try. You’ll still have yummy coconut and chocolate, so they can’t be too bad, right? =)
Yaay!!! I love almond joys and this recipe looks wonderful! Can’t wait to break out the chocolate and coconut and start baking! Thanks for the recipe!
I love Almond Joys! I am definitely going to have to give these a go! Thank you so much for sharing! YUMMMMMMMMM! 😉