Raspberry Almond Butter Bars (Paleo, Gluten-free & Refined Sugar-free)

These healthy raspberry almond butter bars are absolute heaven! A no-fuss gluten-free crust and sweet refined sugar-free raspberry topping turn these vegan bars into a quick raspberry dessert that is perfect as a sweet snack or even for breakfast.

Those of you who are regulars here on NEC know that I L-O-V-E raspberry desserts. Especially ones involving raspberry jam and cinnamon, like this Paleo Raspberry Tart.  I figured it was about time to share a new one!

While I do realize that not everyone gets as excited by certain food the way I do, I’m pretty sure you’ll find these Gluten-free Raspberry Almond Butter Bars pretty delicious as well. It's a bit like a Peanut Butter and Jelly Bar. But you know, made with almond butter because it's delish, too, and that way, we also keep these paleo.

Why you will love these Raspberry Almond Butter Bars

Raspberry Almond Butter Bars start with a simple gluten-free almond flour crust which is absolutely fool-proof and comes together in a jiffy! Now comes the good stuff –>  a layer of creamy dreamy almond butter and a quick refined sugar-free raspberry jam!

And no baking - you heard me, girlfriend! As the crust is already pre-baked, we simply pop these beauties in the fridge for 3 hours and BAM: You’ve got yourself a super-pretty and healthy feel-good treat that is gluten-free, refined sugar-free, vegan and paleo!

Perfect for breakfast but these also make a great post-lunch snack or a sneaky pre-dinner treat. Trust me, these vegan raspberry bars are ideal for whenever you feel you need a lil' something sweet.

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Why I love baking with coconut sugar:

My paleo almond butter bars are naturally sweetened as we are only using coconut sugar and maple syrup in crust and filling.

If you’re not familiar with coconut sugar, it’s a golden brown unrefined sugar made from the sap of the cut flower buds of coconut palm trees. It does not taste like coconut, more like brown sugar, and compared to refined sugar, it has a low glycemic index, which helps maintain blood sugar levels.

I use coconut sugar in many of my healthy dessert recipes and have actually dedicated a whole blog post to this alternative baking ingredient (See Everything you Need to Know About Coconut Sugar).

Those of you who have experimented with natural sweeteners know that baking with those sugar alternatives can be tricky. This made me really appreciate how well coconut sugar plays with others. It dissolves easily into simple syrups or jams and effortlessly creams into butter and eggs.

However, you shouldn’t expect a crust using coconut sugar to behave exactly like a shortbread crust made with refined sugar.

Besides all those culinary aspects, I would also like to point out that coconut sugar is produced without cutting down trees, and is usually harvested by small-scale producers.  WIN! Make sure to purchase sustainably harvested coconut sugar and look for fair-trade and organic brands like this one.

How to make Healthy Raspberry Almond Butter Bars

Make the gluten-free almond butter shortbread crust:

Step 1 - In a large mixing bowl, stir together almond flour, arrowroot, coconut sugar, and sea salt.

Step 2 & 3 -  Stir in the coconut oil along with the maple syrup and mix everything with a fork until well combined.

Step 4 - Gather the dough into a ball and chill for 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 350F / 175C degrees. Line a 9x9 baking dish with parchment paper. You can put a little bit of melted coconut oil in the pan to help the paper stick

Step 5 & 6 - Transfer the dough to the baking dish. Use your hands to press dough mixture in one even layer. Bake for 20-25 minutes until center is dry to the touch and edges are browned. Set aside to cool.

Make the refined sugar-free raspberry filling: 

Step 7 - Place the raspberries, coconut sugar and cinnamon in a medium saucepan. Cook for about 15 to 20 minutes on medium heat, mixing from time to time until it has the consistency of a runny jam with no large chunks of raspberries left.  Taste the jam (careful, HOT!) to see if it's sweet enough to your taste. If not, add more coconut sugar and cook a few additional minutes to make sure the sugar is fully dissolved.

Step 8  & 9 -  Dissolve the arrowroot in 1.5 tablespoons of water and add to the raspberry mixture in a steady stream, stirring immediately to avoid the arrowroot clumping. Stir well to fully incorporate. Cook on a gentle boil for an additional minute then turn off the heat. TIP: If your crust isn’t ready yet, keep the raspberry mixture on very low heat to keep it warm so it doesn’t start setting in the pot. 

Step 10 & 11 - Microwave almond butter for 30 seconds to 1 minute to make it spreadable.  Now, pour almond butter on the cooled crust and spread it evenly with a spoon.

Step 12 - Pour warm raspberry mixture on top, making sure it’s well distributed. Let it cool completely and then place in the fridge for at least 3 hours or until ready to eat so the raspberry filling is set.

Now, cut your paleo raspberry almond butter bars into neat little squares (3x3) and enjoy. Keep leftovers in the fridge.

Tips for making Raspberry Almond Butter Bars:

• Make sure your almond butter does not have any refined sugar added to it and your frozen berries are unsweetened
• You can bake these almond butter bars in a 9x13 dish. All you have to do is multiply all ingredients by 1.5.
• Not a fan of raspberry seeds?  Buzz the raspberries in the food processor and then put them through a fine sieve after step 1.

Variations on this paleo dessert recipe:

• You can use brown sugar instead of coconut sugar.
• These paleo almond butter bars would also work with frozen blueberries or a frozen berry mix.
• Feel free to use honey instead of maple syrup in the crust.
• Turn these into PB&J Bars by using peanut butter instead of almond butter.

5 from 4 votes

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Healthy Raspberry Almond Butter Bars

These healthy raspberry almond butter bars are absolute heaven! A no-fuss gluten-free crust and sweet refined sugar-free raspberry filling are turned into a quick raspberry dessert that is perfect for breakfast or as a sweet snack.

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American, Gluten-free, Healthy

Keyword almond butter bars, paleo almond butter bars, paleo raspberry bars

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Resting time 3 hours

Total Time 40 minutes

Servings 9 squares

Calories 340 kcal

Author Marie

Ingredients

Crust

• 1 cup almond flour
• ⅓ cup + 2 tbsp arrowroot
• 1.5 tablespoons coconut sugar or brown sugar
• ¼ tsp sea salt
• ¼ cup + 1.5 tbsp coconut oil melted (use refined coconut oil to no coconut taste)
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup

Filling

• 4  cups  frozen raspberries unsweetened, 430 g
• ¾  cup  coconut sugar  or brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 tbsp  arrowroot or cornstarch, mixed with 1 tbsp water
• ⅓ cup + 1 tbsp almond butter

Instructions

For the crust

1. In a large mixing bowl, mix together almond flour, arrowroot, coconut sugar, and sea salt.
2. Stir in coconut oil and maple syrup. Mix with a fork until well combined. Gather the dough into a ball and chill for 15 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 350F / 175C degrees. Line a 9x9 baking dish with parchment paper. You can put a little bit of melted coconut oil in the pan to help the paper stick.
4. Transfer the dough to the baking dish. Use your hands to press dough mixture in one even layer. Bake for 20-25 minutes until center is dry to the touch and edges are browned. Set aside to cool.

Filling

1. Place the raspberries, coconut sugar and cinnamon in a medium saucepan. Cook for about 15 to 20 minutes on medium heat, mixing from time to time, until it has the consistency of a runny jam with no large chunks of raspberries left (they should break down easily as you stir)
2. At this point, taste the mixture to see if it's sweet enough to your taste - if not, add more coconut sugar and cook a few additional minutes to make sure it's dissolved.
3. Dissolve arrowroot in 1.5 tablespoons of water and add to the raspberry mixture in a steady stream, stirring immediately to avoid the arrowroot clumping. Stir until well distributed. Cook on a gentle boil for an additional minute then turn off the heat. (If your crust isn’t ready yet, keep the raspberry mixture on very low heat to keep it warm so it doesn’t start setting in the pot)
4. Microwave almond butter for 30 seconds to 1 minute to make it spreadable. Pour almond butter on the cooled crust and spread it evenly with a spoon.
5. Pour warm raspberry mixture on top, making sure it’s well distributed.
6. Let it cool completely and then place in the fridge for at least 3 hours or until ready to eat so the filling is set.
7. Cut into squares (3x3) and enjoy. Keep leftovers in the fridge.

Recipe Notes

Tips:

• Make sure your almond butter does not have any refined sugar added to it and your frozen berries are unsweetened
• You can bake these almond butter bars in a 9x13 dish. All you have to do is multiply all ingredients by 1.5.
• Not a fan of raspberry seeds?  Buzz the raspberries in the food processor and then put them through a fine sieve after step 1. 

Variations: 

• You can use brown sugar instead of coconut sugar. 
• These paleo almond butter bars would also work with frozen blueberries or a frozen berry mix.
• Feel free to use honey instead of maple syrup in the crust.
• Turn these into PB&J Bars by using peanut butter instead of almond butter.

Nutrition Facts

Healthy Raspberry Almond Butter Bars

Amount Per Serving (1 square)

Calories 340 Calories from Fat 162

% Daily Value*

Fat 18g28%

Saturated Fat 6g38%

Sodium 109mg5%

Potassium 233mg7%

Carbohydrates 44g15%

Fiber 9g38%

Sugar 21g23%

Protein 5g10%

Vitamin A 35IU1%

Vitamin C 27.6mg33%

Calcium 90mg9%

Iron 1.5mg8%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

If you tried this Healthy Paleo Raspberry Almond Butter Bars Recipe, don’t forget to rate the recipe below and let me know how it went in the comments – I love hearing from you! You can also follow me on Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook for more deliciousness and behind-the-scenes!

More healthy raspberry desserts you would love:

• Peanut Butter & Jelly Overnight Oats 
• Skinny Raspberry Lemon Curd Popsicles
• Gluten-free Almond Raspberry Muffins 
• Refined Sugar-free Raspberry Coconut Macaroons