Buttery almond cookie bars are EASY, gluten free and are made with just seven ingredients!

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Easy recipes are my jam and cookie bars just fit that bill so perfectly! I don't know about you, but in the summer months I just want EASY {okay, I really want this all the time}! I don't want to be slaving over dessert recipes, but I do want them to taste delicious.
This cookie recipe is made without flour, making it gluten free. It's not quite an almond joy {make my almond joy pie for that}, but it's made with almond flour, coconut, chocolate and more chopped almonds and coconut.

how to make cookie bars with almond flour
This buttery cookie is made much like shortbread. Except we are using almond flour instead of all-purpose flour. Bob's Red Mill Super-Fine Almond Flour is my favorite {not sponsored, just a big fan}.
Baking with almond flour is very common in gluten free baking. You use it much like regular flour, but the two can't usually be swapped for one another without making additional recipe changes. Almond flour is made of finely ground almonds so it reacts differently from regular flour made of wheat.

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ingredients for this gluten free recipe

- Almond flour ~ I used Bob's Red Mill Super-Fine Almond Flour
- Confectioners' sugar ~ adds softness and some sweetness
- Kosher salt ~ if using table salt, use a little less
- Coconut ~ use flaked or shredded, the kind that looks like shredded cheese. If you don't want long strands in the cookie bars, give it a little chop before adding to the recipe.
- Unsalted butter ~ because this is a shortbread like base, I recommend a good quality European butter such as Plugra or Kerrygold.
- Chocolate ~ I used a chopped milk chocolate bar {I always have Trader Joe's Pound Plus bars in my baking cabinet}, but you could use chocolate chips and dark chocolate, if preferred.
- Almonds ~ dry roasted almonds were chopped for the topping, but you could also use sliced or slivered almonds.
how to make almond cookie bars with coconut and chocolate
Start by preparing an 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper. This is the USA Pan that I use and love.
Then add the almond flour, confectioners' sugar, coconut and kosher salt in a bowl and mix to combine. I use my pastry cutter for this {less dishes to wash!}. Next add the unsalted butter and use a pastry cutter or fork to cut the butter into the dry ingredients until a soft dough forms.
Now press the cookie dough evenly into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 12 minutes, until the edges are set and lightly browned. Remember your oven is different than mine and our baking times might be slightly different.

When the cookie is baked, remove it from the oven and immediately sprinkle the chocolate over the hot bars. Allow it to sit for three minutes, then use an off-set spatula to smooth the melted chocolate over the almond cookie.
Sprinkle coconut and chopped almonds over the top of the melted chocolate. Then use clean hands to lightly press the coconut and almonds in to the melted chocolate.
Now comes the hard part, waiting for them to cool! It takes about an hour for the cookies to be cool enough to slice them into bars without them falling apart. You can speed this process up by placing the pan in the refrigerator once it is cool enough to handle with bare hands.

why you will love this cookie bar recipe
- It's EASY! Active time is 10-15 minutes.
- No chill time.
- Uses cold butter.
- Creates soft and chewy almond cookie bars, with almond joy like flavors.
- A great cookie bar for those needing a dessert without flour.

Remember to snap a picture and tag me on Instagram if you make these Almond Cookie Bars with Coconut. It warms my heart to see you bring these recipes to life! Thank you for being here and happy baking!
more gluten free dessert recipes
- Almond Flour Skillet Cookie
- Lemon Almond Cookie Bars
- Soft Amaretti Cookies
- Flourless Monster Cookies
- Raspberry Hazelnut Cookies
If you make this recipe {or any recipe!} from two sugar bugs please come back and leave a review and a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating. I read every comment, and I LOVE hearing from you!
Almond Cookie Bars (with Coconut)

These buttery almond bars are EASY, gluten free and are made with just seven ingredients!
Ingredients
- 2 cups almond flour (200g)
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar (120g)
- ½ cup shredded coconut*, packed (50g)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, cubed** (113g)
- 3 ounces milk chocolate baking bar, chopped small*** (86g)
- ¼ cup almonds, chopped (30g)
- ¼ cup sweetened shredded coconut*, packed (25g)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F and line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a little overhang.
- In a medium to large bowl, combine the almond flour, confectioners’ sugar, coconut and kosher salt.
- Then using a pastry cutter (or fork), cut in the cold butter until a dough is formed. Press the dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for about 12 minutes, until the edges have set and are lightly browned.
- Remove the bars from the oven and immediately spread the chopped chocolate over the hot cookie bars. Allow to sit for 3 minutes, then use an off-set spatula to smooth the melted chocolate over the top of the cookie bars. Sprinkle with the chopped almonds and coconut and allow to cool completely, about 1 hour. You can speed this process up by letting the bars cool on a wire rack until the pan has cooled enough to pick it up, then place in the refrigerator.
- Cut into the desired size bars and enjoy!
Notes
*If you don’t want long strands of coconut in the bars, chop the coconut into small pieces before using.
**Use the best butter you can afford, I like using Plugra or Kerrygold for this recipe.
***I like using a milk chocolate baking bar, but chocolate chips will work here as well.
Store cookie bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days or covered in the refrigerator. The bars also freeze well for up to three months.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
16Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 216Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 16mgSodium: 65mgCarbohydrates: 16gFiber: 3gSugar: 12gProtein: 4g
The nutrition information is an estimate and may not be entirely accurate.
Kathleen Pope
YAY! I was just looking for a yummy GF dessert to bring to a friend and this is it! Looks so delicious, might make two!
Tasia
Aww, I would be honored Kathleen. I hope you and your friend enjoy this recipe!
Ben | Havocinthekitchen
I love using almond flour (as well as coconut) in baking as it introduces a nice, chewy texture. These bars look and sound splendid - loving all these flavours going on!
Tasia
Thank you Ben! I agree, almond flour and coconut both add so much wonderful chewiness to baked treats!
Michelle
I love all these flavours together -- kinda like an almond coconut frangipane bar! Yum! Love the tip about chopping the coconut into smaller pieces 🙂
Tasia
Yay! Thank you Michelle, I hope you get to try them!
Patricia
These bars look delicious! Are you using sweetened or unsweetened coconut? Looking forward to making these this week.
Thank you for sharing all these wonderful recipes🌻
Tasia
Hi Patricia, thank you for letting me know I forgot to specify that in the recipe card, I have now updated it. I use sweetened coconut.😊
Kim
Can I use monk fruit sweetener instead? That’s a lot of sugar in this recipe.
Tasia
Hi Kim, I haven't tested this recipe with monk fruit sweetener, but it's worth a try! I would probably try half the amount as I find sugar alternatives to be a lot sweeter than sugar. Please let me know how it turns out.
Gillian
Hi,
Can I use coconut oil instead of butter?
Thanks in advance.
Gill
Tasia
Hi Gill, I haven't tried substituting coconut oil for butter in this recipe so I'm not sure. I suspect it would work, but I would reduce the amount of coconut oil. Maybe try 75-80%. If you give this a go, I would love to know how it works out for you!