Almond Cookie Bars (with Coconut)

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.

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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.

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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!