Almond Butter Dark Brown Sugar Chocolate Chip Bars

Chocolate Chip Almond Butter Bars — Soft, chewy, and flourless so the creamy almond butter shines through with chocolate chips in every bite!! Easy, no-mixer peanut-free dessert recipe that’s a guaranteed hit!!

Best Ever Almond Butter Dessert

I’ve made a ton of bars with peanut butter but it’s been years since I’ve baked with almond butter.

These easy, one-bowl, no-mixer bars were worth the wait.

They’re similar to my Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies in that there’s no flour but I swapped peanut butter for almond butter. The result is a soft, perfectly chewy bar, minus any gluten.

The interaction of the almond butter and egg creates enough for structure that they don’t fall apart but if you love soft bars, these are for you.

Almond Butter Bars Ingredients

To make the chocolate chip almond butter blondies, you’ll need the following basic ingredients:

• Almond butter
• Dark brown sugar
• Egg
• Vanilla extract
• Salt
• Baking soda
• Semi-sweet chocolate chips

How to Make Chocolate Chip Almond Butter Bars

These peanut-free and accidentally gluten-free almond butter bars are very easy to prepare! Here’s an overview of the recipe:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8-by-8-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, spray with cooking spray; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine the almond butter and dark brown sugar. Whisk until smooth and combined.  
3. Add the egg, vanilla, salt, baking soda, and stir until combined.
4. Add 1/2 cup chocolate chips and stir to combine.
5. Turn the batter out into prepared pan, packing it with a spatula to form an even, smooth, flat layer.
6. Evenly sprinkle with about 2 tablespoons chocolate chips on top of the bars.
7. Bake until the top is set in the center and done; don’t overbake or bars will turn crumbly and not hold together.

Can the Brown Sugar Be Substituted?

You can use all granulated (white) sugar, if that’s what you have on hand. However, dark brown sugar adds a very rich depth of flavor.

Plus, it has double the molasses of light brown sugar, which plays perfectly with the almond butter. Brown sugar also lends moisture to baked goods.

So, yes. You can swap the brown sugar for granulated sugar if needed but note that the bars won’t have the same depth of flavor nor will they quite as moist.

What Type of Almond Butter Should I Use?

I used a raw, no-salt almond butter from Trader Joe’s. I wanted the bars to have a slightly salty-sweet quality so I added enough salt given my almond butter to achieve it.

If your almond butter is already salted, scale back on the added salt.

Tips for Baking with Almond Butter

Bake time: All almond butters vary in their consistency and therefore baking times will vary. 13 to 14 minutes is perfect in my oven and climate with my almond butter, but bake until your bars have set up.

Additional mix-ins: I love the combination of almond butter and chocolate, but you may substitute 1/2 cup mix-ins of your choice. Chopped nuts, dried fruit, or another flavor of baking chip may all be used.

Nut butter swap: If you only have peanut butter on hand, try making my Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars instead. They’re the sister to this recipe! Or, simply substitute the almond butter for peanut butter or another nut / seed butter and follow this recipe as written.

More Flourless Desserts:

The Best Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies –  Soft, chewy and they’ll be your new fave PB cookies! One bowl, no mixer, no butter, naturally gluten-free! Love it when something so easy tastes so amazing!

The Fudgiest Flourless Brownies — No flour, no problem! Chocolate and peanut butter (or almond butter) are all you need for super fudgy flourless brownies!

Flourless Chocolate Cake — A classy, elegant cake that’s ultra rich, fudgy, and tastes better than what you’d get in a fancy restaurant and it’s so EASY!! Your friends and family will think you slaved over it and be so impressed!!

Flourless Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies — These peanut butter chocolate chip cookies are hands down the best peanut butter cookies I’ve ever made. Know that I don’t say that lightly!

Flourless Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cake — The cake is soft, extremely moist, dense but not heavy, and has bold peanut butter flavor that’s complemented by chocolate.

Peanut Butter Toffee Bit Cookies — You need just 6 simple ingredients to make these toffee cookies! The peanut butter cookie dough is accidentally gluten-free and packed with toffee bits!