These gooey, sweet, and perfectly chewy Almond Butter and Jelly Cookie Bars are a great treat to have around for a heathy snack or dessert. They’re paleo, vegan, gluten-free, easy to make and total comfort food!
I’m sure I’ve told you about my ridiculous PB&J streak? Maybe you haven’t heard. No, it’s not about me streaking with PB&J, it’s about the lunch I ate for 5 years straight somewhere between the ages of 19-24. Maybe longer, it’s so hard to remember back that long!
But anyway, I know I’ve told this story before, but Adam makes fun of me whenever he gets a chance about that lunch. You see, we worked together, LONG LONG ago, and, I brought an identical sandwich to work every day.
The sandwich was – peanut butter (creamy, lots of it) jelly (always strawberry), and sliced bananas. On some sort of multigrain bread, because I was really into “healthy” whole grain bread back in those days. Can you blame me? Saving money and eating the most delicious lunch every invented, I don’t see how any of that is funny in the least.
As it turns out – and coming from a formerly addicted PB&J’er, I mean this – you can recreate the flavor and texture of your old favorite sandwich and make it Paleo. Actually, you can make it BETTER.
Trust me, it’s true – because here we are turning them into cookie bars, which are better than a sandwich. That old whole grain bread just doesn’t do it for me the way it used to.
I had two “challenges” for this recipe. First, I wanted to make them vegan – because why not.
I become too reliant on eggs if I don’t make something vegan once in awhile. Second, I NEEDED all 3 of my kids to like these.
Because then, I’d know for sure that they legitimately taste like actual non-paleo PB&J. I only had to try twice to get my sweet success!
These are similar to traditional cookie bars in that the crust and crumb top are from the same mixture, with the filling in the middle.
The jelly is made with just 2 ingredients (strawberries and maple syrup) and seriously – who knew you could make jelly taste like this one with two ingredients?!
My kids thought it tasted like candy – not joking. See for yourself! The jelly alone might become a staple for you!
As for the almond butter – it’s no ordinary almond butter! The one I used for my cookie bars is from Naturally More – and it’s MORE than just almond butter (hehe). Their almond butter is all natural and infused with probiotics and flax. Probiotics! How cool is that?!
They use the freshest, highest quality California almonds and roast them to perfection, then tops them off with a dash of sea salt, a hint of coconut sugar (my FAVE!), and a sprinkling of heart-healthy flaxseed for some added crunch.
The flavor is just BEYOND what you’d typically expect from store bought almond butter. The probiotic are the “icing” on the almond butter cake. So to speak 🙂
These yummy almond butter and jelly cookie bars are sponsored by Naturally More – you can find more info and products on their website 🙂
Almond Butter & Jelly Cookie Bars {Paleo & Vegan}
Almond Butter & Jelly Cookie Bars {Paleo & Vegan}
Ingredients
For the cookie crust and crumble top
- 3/4 cup almond butter** Naturally More or other creamy drippy almond butter
- 3 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 3 tbsp coconut oil melted and cooled
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup blanched almond flour
- 1/4 cup coconut flour
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/8 tsp salt and tbsp extra tbsp maple if you're using unsweetened/unsalted almond butter**
- For the Jelly* -
- 3 cup strawberries frozen or fresh
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- Topping - 2-3 extra tbsp almond butter
Instructions
To Make the Jelly
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Place strawberries and maple syrup in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally to avoid the syrup from burning. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook 20-30 more minutes, stirring and scraping occasionally to prevent burning. Allow the jelly to cool and thicken in the refrigerator while you prepare the crust/topping.
To Make the Crust
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Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line an 8x8" metal baking pan with parchment paper.
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Whisk together the almond butter, 3 tbsp maple syrup, vanilla, coconut oil until smooth. Stir in the almond flour, coconut flour, and baking soda until a thick crumbly dough forms
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Press 3/4 of the dough into the prepared baking dish lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350 degrees for 7-8 minutes, then remove from oven.
To finish the bars:
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Spread 1 cup of the jelly* over the partially baked crust starting in the middle and working your way out. crumble the remaining chilled dough over the top evenly.
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Drizzle 2-3 more Tbsp of almond butter over the top as desired, then bake in the preheated oven for 25 more minutes until center is bubbling and top is turning light brown.
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Allow to cool completely before cutting into squares - you can hill in the fridge to speed up the cooling time - the longer the bars are left to cool the easier they will be to cut into neat squares.
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Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to one week. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
*This makes about 1.5 cups of jelly but you'll use 1 cup only for the recipe
**Naturally More almond butter is lightly sweetened with coconut sugar and lightly salted
Nutrition
Want more Paleo bar recipes? Try one of these!
Triple Chocolate Sweet Potato Brownies
Blueberry Muffin Breakfast Bars
Tell Me!
Did you have a PB&J streak like I did?
What’s your current nut butter crush?
Thank you for posting this recipe! My son’s baptism is next Saturday and these would be a perfect addition to the dessert table! We have some gluten free and egg free guests who will certainly appreciate this 🙂
Do these freeze well?
I haven’t tested it but I don’t see why not.
I love that almond butter but for some reason I haven’t been able to find it locally in the last 6 months or so. 🙁
Oh no! It really is so yummy 🙂
These look amazing. Sometimes I just really want a PB&J sammy – it’s gotta be a craving for the creaminess and the sweetness. Love that the almond butter has added flax! I sneak flax into a lot 🙂
Thank you! PB&J might really be my ultimate sweet comfort food!
These are excellent!
I used Costco’s organic almond butter any my own strawberry jam sweetened with a concentrated organic apple sweetner.
I threw some dried chopped mulberries on top after they were just taken out of the oven, pressing them in slightly. They added a little more crunch and texture.
I am making them again today as organic strawberries are cheap right now. Going to sub the maple syrup with date syrup to make them entire fruit sweetened and am going to freeze half a batch to see how they are after being frozen!
Even my paleo hating parents loved these!!
Ooh that sounds so good! Love it when the paleo “haters” love the recipes!!
These look so yummy! Think I will make them this weekend
Hope you like them!
I’m making the bars right now because they look so delicious and not too unhealthy but my “crumb” mixture is not very crumby or doughy. It’s more liquid. I’m using Kirklands Almond Butter. Should I add more almond flour? Or Flax meal since your almond butter has flax in it and may be thicker then mine?
Did you already add the coconut flour? The coconut flour is so dense and typically gives it more body and crumble. If so, I’d add a tbsp at a time of almond flour, giving it a minute to absorb. You want the mixture like a dough.
Thanks for the quick response! I did add the coconut flour already and still too moist I think. It’s more runny then a dough. I’ll try adding a little more almond flour. Hopefully that helps. Thanks!
I’m super excited to try this recipe. Can I use only almond flour or do I have to include the coconut flour.
One of my favorite snacks had been pb&j on sliced banana forever!
Thanks for the recipe
I’m thinking you’d have to use a total of 1 and 3/4 cups almond flour in order to omit the coconut flour, but I’m not completely sure. Coconut flour is so dense that 1/4 cup goes a long way!
Oh my days I’m actually drooling seeing the pictures of these! Having just given up dairy and being highly intolerant to sugar, this is naughty goodness for me on every level. I am definitely putting these on my new recipe list! Is it possible that you could include actual weights etc as we use in the UK in your recipes please, instead of just cup measures, as not all cup measures are the same the world over? Keep the gooey PB goodness coming ? Thanks
I hope you like these! As for including weight measurements I will definitely consider including these for future recipes as it seems it would be very helpful to many people 🙂
Have you tried adding chopped walnuts or almonds to this recipe?