The most delicious Chocolate Chip Granola Bars made from leftover almond pulp! Or you can just use blanched almond flour if you prefer. These are full of flavor, are vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free and oil-free and only 8 ingredients! SO much better than store-bought!
I make my own homemade almond milk. It’s ridiculously easy and SO MUCH better than store bought. Honestly, I make mine on the thick side, so it is almost like cream. I use organic almonds as well, and I swear that increases the clean smell and flavor of the milk as well. It smells just like pure sweet almond oil.
Anyways, the only issue I have had when making almond milk is what to do with the leftover almond pulp. I hate to admit, I’ve thrown it away too many times. I have made a few recipes with it and haven’t been pleased with how they’ve turned out….typically too soggy of results. The almond pulp has tons of moisture in it, so it doesn’t work exactly the same as almond flour in every recipe. But for these bars specifically, the almond pulp finally worked well….without having to dry/dehydrate it first. Score.
So, I finally came up with these amazingly, delicious chocolate chip bars. The almond pulp makes them so moist and chewy. These have a slight crisp on the outside, but soft and chewy on the inside. These almond chocolate chip bars are only 8 ingredients, vegan, gluten-free and oil-free!
A lot of sites/blogs are copying/stealing this recipe and posting it on their site as their own, without ANY CREDIT. It’s shameful and disgusting behavior. Please have respect to my hard work, create your OWN RECIPES and do not repost my recipe on your site, if you are inspired, link and give credit properly, but do not post my recipe on your site.
Almond Pulp Makes The Best Chocolate Chip Bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup (107g) almond pulp or 1 cup (112g) blanched almond flour
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons( 200g) pure maple syrup, room temperature (or agave)
- 1/4 cup (32g) ground flaxseed
- 1 cup (100g) gluten-free whole rolled oats, NOT quick oats
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 cup (120g) mini dairy-free chocolate chips (I use Enjoy Life)
- 1/2 cup (128g) creamy roasted almond butter
- 2 teaspoons (10g) vanilla extract
Note
- This recipe does not require you to use a dehydrator or "cook" your almond pulp before using it! But because of this, there is more moisture in it than almond flour. You can use regular blanched almond flour as well for this recipe, just note that the baking times below are slightly different. They are delicious either way.
NOTE
- I always recommend to use a scale for accuracy when baking, following MY gram weights listed, since we all measure differently. Please understand that using your measuring cups and comparing them to the weights I have listed will likely vary. In fact, you don't even need to get out the cups to do this, it is not needed if you just follow my weights listed. I always test my recipes specifically using the WEIGHT LISTED. Keep in mind, so many measuring cups, even if they all state 1/2 cup, for example, will still slightly vary in size. I've noticed this myself with several different measuring cups I own! This is also why your measurements will vary. For this reason, weighing is the only TRUE way to get the exact result. Just use the scale and bowl and make sure to zero out in between each ingredient.
- I use this scale.
Instructions
- Before following the recipe, if you are using homemade almond pulp, make sure you have squeezed out the excess moisture out really well, from preparing the almond milk. Papertowel dry it and store in the fridge overnight, as this helps to dry it out some. You do not need a dehydrator or to bake it to dry it out, but you also don't want it too wet or to use it immediately after making your almond milk, because it could make the bars too wet.
- Preheat an oven to 350 degrees and line a 9X5 loaf pan with parchment paper hanging over the sides for easy removal later. Do you use a different size or bigger pan, otherwise the bars will be too thin and not bind well or hold their shape. They are meant to be thick bars like in the photos.
- Mix the syrup and flaxseed in a cup well with a fork and set aside for 10 minutes to gel up. Do not skip this step, as it is what acts as the "egg" and binds the bars to hold their shape.
- In a large bowl, combine the almond pulp (or almond flour), oats, cinnamon and salt and whisk well. Stir in the chocolate chips. I prefer mini because they disburse well and stay in tact better.
- After the 10 minutes is up for the syrup and flaxseed mixture, stir in the almond butter and vanilla until very smooth. Pour over the dry ingredients and stir for a couple of minutes until very sticky and absorbed, pressing with the back of your spoon to help mix.
- Add the dough to the loaf pan and spread out evenly and flat with a rubber spatula. You can slightly dampen your fingers to help press it down around the edges, as it will be sticky.
- For dough using almond pulp, bake for 30-32 minutes until very golden brown and firm on top. For dough using almond flour, bake about 27-30 minutes until very golden brown and firm on top.
Important
- Cool 1 hour before cutting, or they will fall apart. They firm up a lot as they cool. If desired, melt some chocolate chips and drizzle the tops for added sweetness or for presentation purposes. Honestly, they are plenty delicious without it, I just did it more for looks. Slice very carefully into 8 bars. Wrap each individually in plastic wrap and store in the fridge. They will hold their shape very well this way and it makes for an easy grab-and-go snack!
A note from the blog author on why she puts a copyright notice on her site:
“Glad you love the recipe! Thank you!
Thank you for your comment. I’m not sure if you are a blogger or not, but the reason I have added that on my blog was after I came across people taking my photos repeatedly and actually removing my watermark off of my photos and adding their own. Not to mention, downright copying and pasting my own recipes on their blogs. The notice isn’t intended to be bothersome, but simply asking others to be respectful. I spend hours and hours writing recipes and taking photographs and editing them all to share freely, so I simply ask for respect to people before using my content. So, it is very disheartening to have people use your material, with no regard, when they simply could have just asked first.
I absolutely do the blog and started it because I love it and want to help people make better choices. However, I have read that it is important to have it on there, so I’d rather have it there, then not. I know it won’t completely keep all thieves at bay, however, there have been numerous people who see it and are respectful and contact me asking permission to use or reprint a recipe and photo. I receive those requests weekly and believe without the notice, I probably wouldn’t get asked as much beforehand. I appreciate those people, which is the only reason it is there.
Brandi”
Renee, you emailed me telling me that my copyright notice made you “cringe”. I’m not entirely sure what kind of response you expected from me after that. It is a very common thing for many bloggers to have copyright notice just like it. Since I choose to respond to all of my readers emails, I was trying to be kind and explain thoroughly why I have it on there. I guess my response in detail bothered you, because you’ve chosen to post it on a recipe comment??
These are amazingly yummy! Thanks for the weight measurements for the pulp and oats. I used 107g of almond flour and they came out great. Omnivore husband can’t believe they are vegan:)
Wonderful Marlene!! Thank you so much for making them and giving feedback, I really appreciate it! So glad they are husband approved too, yippee! Ha!
Hi there. Is there a way to make these without the oats? Or sub the oats for something else? I can’t have oats they don’t agree with me.
Hi Elizabeth! You can try using brown rice puff cereal or maybe even quinoa flakes (if you can find them), but I’m not sure how well they will hold together since oats help bind them and are a main ingredient and I just can’t say what the results would be since I only used oats. You could also try subbing in some brown rice flour maybe…you will be looking for a thick, wet dough. Let me know if you try any subs!
Hi Brandi, I just made these and did not grind my flax seeds!!!! just cut one and they are still delicious.
Next time will grind. Thank you for the recipe. Just started making almond milk and love it and already have extra pulp!!!!
Imagine they will be fluffier with the grinding.
Thank you again!!!!
Wonderful Anne! Thanks so much, I’m so glad you enjoyed them so much! Yes, try the ground next time, they will be fuller 🙂 Thank you for making them!
Hi there – these bars look great – my daughter will love them! I wonder if I could subsitute the flaxsse with chiaseeds (they are less bitter). Thanks and greetings from Switzerland 🙂
Hi Andrea! You can try, just make sure to use ground chia seed. If you are concerned about the taste of the flaxseed, you cannot taste it at all. In fact, that is one reason I use flaxseed over chia seed because I don’t like the taste chia seed leaves and flaxseed tends to make things a little more fluffy. You can still try it if you like, please let me know how the chia seed works if you use it. I’m assuming it would still make the bars hold well, I just haven’t try it yet. Thank you! 🙂
Hi there – these bars look great – my daughter will love them! I wonder if I could subsitute the flaxsse with chiaseeds (they are less bitter). Thanks and greetings from Switzerland
O. M. G. So fudging delicious!!! I didn’t have almond butter on hand so I used my freshly made peanut butter instead and I also cut down on the maple syrup (excluded 2 tbsp) since I usually like it less sweet. They turned out great! I couldn’t wait more than 30 min before cutting the first bar, and that worked fine. The Perfect Bar! Almond milk making yields a lot of pulp and I also hate throwing real good food away so this was perfect. Have made almond butter, cookies, pasta sauce and granola before with the pulp – its so versatile!
Liv, you are the best!! I’m so happy to hear you loved the bars so much and thank you so much for making them and sharing your photo on instagram!!:)
My vegan son made chocolate almond milk yesterday morning and wondered what we could do with the pulp. I searched on Pinterest and came across your recipe for Chocolate Chip Bars and we were in! I have to say that the recipe was easy to follow and yielded wonderful results! Thank you so much for this great recipe, the bars are so yummy! Next time we are going to add dates and coconut for even more chew!
That is so wonderful to hear Cindy!! Thank you so much for letting me know and I’m so glad you found the recipe both easy and delicious, thank you for the feedback!
I made these tasty beauties today & waw, brandi! They are awesomely delicious!!!! xxxx
They are excellent with my midday almond cafe latte! xxx
Oh I forgot to tell you that when i made those bars, i double the recipe cause i just knew in my heart of hearts that they would taste awesome….i was TOTALLY right….i just cut mine in small squares and they are thick too….they were chewy and perfect for snacks….
All i am gonna say is: OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That’s the best compliment ever! Thank you so much for posting the picture of the bars on Facebook. They looked perfect and I’m so happy you love them, haha! 🙂
These looks great, love that they are a way to use up leftover almond pulp.
Thank you!
Omg!! I luv Chocolate! ! Girl these were so scrumptious! Everyone devoured these in one day!!
Oh my word, these look fabulous!! Yum, yum, yum!!
Yum, these look great and I love how you wrapped them!
Thank you very much Megan…makes for easy grab-and-go snacks!
Flax Seed Rules!!!
And those ribbons are just adorable 😉
Thank you Angela!
You should see my freezer…bags of almond pulp :-)! These look so decadent, Brandi!
FYI sometimes when I’m feeling industrious, I put a tray of almond pulp in the dehydrator for a few hours (probably would work in a low oven, too) to dry out. Then a quick buzz in a food processor breaks down any clumps and makes a beautiful meal.
Thank you so much Annie! Yes, I’ve read that you can do that with the almond pulp, I’ve yet to do it though. I have so much almond flour already and wanted a recipe that didn’t require dehydrated pulp, but it’s so good to know that is an option too 🙂
You are my hero! I can completely relate to the leftover almond pulp. I usually just store it in the freezer and then six months later end up throwing it all out as I weep 🙁 I’ve also many a few things with it, neither of which I care to share, blech! But these bars look incredible! 😀
I hear you girl! I made about 5 different attempted recipes with almond pulp before these and they all pretty much sucked. I didn’t want to have to dehydrate them to have a successful recipe, that was my goal. Thank God, this one worked and it also works with regular almond flour too. They are super yummy 🙂
I always have tons of almond pulp around and use it in granola but love this recipe, it sounds really good and a great way to use up that pulp. I think having one of these bars with a creamy glass of almond milk sounds really really good!
Oh yes, with almond milk makes it even more better. Thanks Suzanne!
I never buy chocolate chip cookies (especially not the hard as cardboard, processed, packaged stuff) because home made is the best. Even better? Healthy CCCs made with almond pulp! What a fantastic discovery you’ve made, Brandi! They look super ooey gooey (which is what a perfect CCC should be) and that chocolate drizzle on top is making my mouth water. Lovely!
Thank you so much Nancy! They really are so moist and delicious…I just devoured them!
These look better than store bought! Such a great idea – but then you always have great ideas.
Keep on developing recipes – I’m loving them
You are so sweet, thank you Cindy!!! xx
What a great experiment my friend, and obviously it worked well 😀
These bars look so soft and tender, I want to devour them!!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Oh man! I can’t believe you’ve thrown some of your almond pulp away–I’ve been dying to experiment with it! Also, I’m jealous of your almond milk. Where do you buy your organic almonds?? You’re making me want to make my own almond milk right now! How long does yours typically last for?
These bars look so soft + gooey + irresistible!!! I can almost taste them…and am sad that I can’t 🙁 Must. Make. Almond milk + pulp.
I know! Thank God I don’t need to throw it away anymore, haha! I actually order them from nuts.com, but they are VERY expensive, so I’m actively looking for a less expensive brand. Seriously, I make my almond milk on the thick side and after straining it, it is almost like cream. It’s amazing! The bars are delicious, addictive really. You don’t have to have almond pulp to make them…you can use almond flour…just note the baking time difference! 🙂
Have you found a better place to buy almonds?
Oh and the milk should be used within 3-4 days…which is never a problem for me because I use it in ice creams, cereal, etc. 🙂