10 Minute Magical Chocolate Almond Butter Superfood Seed Bars.
Let me just put this out there, I strongly dislike FaceTime.

Like, is it just me or does everyone look really, well, not cute, over the phone? Maybe it’s just me, but oh my gosh, FaceTime is so not a fun thing. I look at myself in that little box and think “man, I am SO white”.
UGH.
And then I start thinking, well, if it wasn’t snowing and twenty degrees outside, maybe I wouldn’t be so white in the middle of May.
Again, UGH. Remind me to never FaceTime again…or well, at least not to accept a FaceTime call again.


So why all the chatter about FaceTime? Long story short is that my younger brother Malachi (Kai) is in Cleveland for the summer and since I was lame this Mother’s Day I needed a last-minute gift for my grandma (because she is extra special and needs a grandma/Mother’s Day combo!). This is where Kai enters in. Originally, I asked Kai if he would get me flowers + a card and give them to my grandma for me (she lives in Cleveland too), but then we got to thinking, that’s pretty unoriginal. So, I told Kai he should make her a dessert. Who would not love dessert (I made my mom this cake and I am pretty positive it was her most favorite part of her day…maybe even her week)? Especially, Special K-Bars because everyone LOVES Special K-Bars and they could not be easier…
Or well, that’s what I thought anyway. This whole experience with trying to walk Kai through (via FaceTime) making one of the simplest desserts on this planet made me rethink all those recipes I went and called “idiot proof“. Let’s just say that from now on, before I go calling anything idiot proof I am having my brothers test out the recipe. I feel like there could not be a better TRUE tester than the brothers.

Anyway, I ended up having a 30-minute FaceTime call with my brother, my cousin and my aunt + uncle since he is staying at their house. It was fun to get to see those guys and everything, but man, it was just weird seeing myself in that little box.
I do realize I sound semi-crazy. I can accept that.


And now I bet you are wondering how the heck this all ties into these AMAZING MAGICAL bars. And I use magical in a serious way here guys. No messing around.
These bars are actually inspired my Nonnie’s recipe for Special K-Bars, only I went ahead and made them health bars that taste like dessert…maybe even something better, if that is possible. My mom says to add that these are honestly one of her top five recipes on the blog.
Seriously.

And they are no bake, no fuss + minimal mess and cleanup. Promise I am not messing with you. This is all true.
This also makes them perfect for upcoming hot summer days, quick last-minute picnics, perfect pick up party dessert or just for snacking on all summer long, cause like I said, these are health bars. Say hello to that bathing suite with a big side of chocolate. Oh yeah.

So here are all the details. The chocolate almond butter superfood seed bars are gluten-free, vegan (swap maple syrup if you are vegan and do not use honey), almost completely raw (and easily made raw if that’s your thing) and full of seeds, nuts and sweetness that will leave you feeling amazing… and even make your skin just a little prettier too!!
See, I told you, these bars are magical.


Oh and if you are wondering, Kai’s bars turned out awesome and I hear they were a hit. Pat on the back for some serious brother sister team work there!


Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
10 Minute Magical Chocolate Almond Butter Super Food Seed Bars.
By halfbakedharvest
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: almond, butter, chocolate bar, simple
These bars are actually inspired my Nonnie's recipe for Special K-Bars, only I went ahead and made them health bars that taste like dessert...maybe even something better, if that is possible. My mom says to add that these are honestly one of her top five recipes on the blog.
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw buckwheat I like using Bobs Red Mill
- 1 cup raw or roasted pistachios if using raw, add 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
- 1 cup sliced almonds
- 1/2 cup chia seeds
- 1/2 cup cocoa nibs
- 1/2 cup hemp seeds
- 1 cup + 1 heaping tablespoon creamy almond butter divided
- 1 cup honey use maple syrup if vegan
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar * may sub granulated sugar
- 3 cups dark chocolate chips use vegan chocolate if needed
Instructions
-
Rub a 9x13 inch baking dish with coconut or olive oil.
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In a medium bowl, combine the buckwheat, pistachios, coconut, slivered almonds, chia seeds, cocoa nibs and hemp seeds. Add a pinch of salt if using raw pistachios.
-
In a large pot, add the almond butter, honey and coconut sugar. Set the pot over medium heat, stirring often until melted and smooth. Once the mixture starts to bubble, let it cook 1 minute and then immediately remove from the heat.
-
Working quickly, add the seed/nut mix to the almond butter mixture and stir until combined. Press into the prepared the pan.
-
Melt the chocolate chips with 1 heaping tablespoon almond butter in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds until melted and smooth or melt over low heat on the stove. Pour the melted chocolate/almond butter over the bars and spread in an even layer. Sprinkle the top with cocoa nibs if desired, cover and place in the fridge for 1-2 hours or until firm.
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Cut into 18-24 bars. Store for up to 1 week in the fridge or 4 days on the counter in a cool place. My family personally loves these straight from the fridge!
Recipe Notes
*I purchase my coconut sugar (along with pretty much all the nuts/seeds listed here) from [Amazon | http://www.amazon.com/Nutiva-Organic-Sugar-Coconut-Count/dp/B009324C0U/ref=sr_1_2?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1431304135&sr=1-2&keywords=coconut+sugar].

But really, you see that thick layer of chocolate?? It’s all dark – and all goodness!
These look amazing! Love your recipes, also hate face time with a passion 😉
Thank you so much, Michelle! So glad I am not the only facetime hater!
These look AMAZING – and they’re healthy?? I’m pretty sure you’re some kind of kitchen goddess. Totally annoying question, but do you have a suggestion as to an alternative to hemp seeds? They’re actually illegal here, which is a super bummer. :'(
Hey Rachel,
They are illegal where you live?? That’s so weird! Just use double the amount of chia seeds or sunflower seeds. No big deal! Hope you love these!
Haha yep, hemp seeds are illegal in Australia and New Zealand. It sucks 🙁 But hey, more chance for those yummy chia and sunflower seeds! 😀
These sound DIVINE !!! So nice to have a healthy snack attack around 🙂
Thanks Lynne!! 🙂
Loved this story Tieghan (grew up with three brothers)! These look amazing and just found a store that has a huge selections of Bob’s so I am thrilled! Can’t wait to make these.
Thank you so much, Kathy! Glad you enjoy the story today!! 🙂
Uhm, yea. AMAZING! And I love that they’re magical. I could really go for something magical right now 🙂
Thanks Heather!! 🙂
Hilarious Tieghan! I have two boys and Sean my older one would attempt these, but Casey my younger one have to be walked through making them just like Kai!
Haha! BOYS!! 🙂
Thanks Mary Ann!
These look amazing! I’m always on the hunt for a healthy sweet treat for my after dinner munchies 🙂
Thank you so much, Claire!!
Buckwheeeeeeeeeat FTW! These look awesome!
Thanks Cassie!!!
I know exactly how you feel! It feels weird when I see myself on screen in FaceTime or Skype!
These look so delicious, Tieghan! Love how thick these bars are!
Thank Lisa!!
Oh my goodness these look so good! I am a little on the fence with the hemp seeds (taste wise) but I would for sure give these a try!
You really do not taste the hemp seeds, but you sub equal amounts of sunflower seeds or chia seeds. Hope you love these!
I never know where to look when FaceTiming! I think you’re supposed to look at the camera, but then you can’t see who you’re talking to, and I usually just end up getting distracted by myself! These look soooo good. Can’t wait to make them and share with friends!
I know, I was lost! LOL!
Thank you!
I love this idea! These bars look perfect for a texture fiend like me!
Thanks Alexa!! 🙂
I am always looking for recipes like this. Reasonably healthy and idiot proof. I appreciate your trying the recipes out on your brothers first…. that way I don’t have to be the idiot. Great job, T. Keep up the awesome work!
Wow, these look awesome! Love that there have been more and more vegan options on here recently. Sounds like an awesome Mother’s Day!
Thanks so much!! 🙂
Wow these look amazing and they’re healthy too so I can eat 12 of them and not feel guilty right?! 😉 As always your photography is beautiful! I keep meaning to ask you if you have ever considered writing a post featuring some food photography tips and tricks, I would love hear some of your secrets in styling and what photo editing tools/equipment you prefer.
Yes, 12!! 🙂
I honestly am not sure I could write a post on my photography. I am not sure I am good enough! Thinking about it though! 🙂
Believe me lol, you’re good enough! Thanks for considering it though! 🙂
Magical indeed, that top layer of chocolate is just too good! I love that you walked your brother through a recipe – what a great idea to have them test out future recipes. If they can do it, anyone can ;).
Haha! I know, right? It is so thick!
Thanks Laura!!
Should we use slivered or sliced almonds? The recipe says slivered, but the photo shows sliced… thanks.
Either will will work, but I used sliced.
Hope you love these, thanks!!
These look awesome, but as I’m on a prot
Thanks Cathy!
I love love love these so much!! I just did a mental tally of my kitchen to see if i had everything to make them right now. Also love your comment re: FaceTime…. the same thought always goes through my head!! Big love. xo
Thank you so much, Lynsey!! Glad to know I am not the only re the whole facetime thing! Hope you love the bars!
i can definitely admire them from here. 🙂
Thank you!
This bars looks extremely delicious! And photos are beautiful 🙂
Thank you SO much!! 🙂
This recipe is right up my alley, I love, love, love everything in it. I have been adding buckwheat to everything lately and eat almond butter, chia seeds and hemp seeds nearly daily and chocolate, well of course who doesn’t?
Your pictures are absolutely gorgeous and I love the little pink flowers on top. So yummy and beautiful!
Thank you so much, Jen!!! 🙂 Have a great Friday and weekend!
Fellow ex-Ohioan by way of Cleveland. I am going to try to make these, but I can’t find raw buckwheat. I found buckwheat flour and roasted buckwheat. Any suggestions or substitutions? Thank you. Your photographs are simply beautiful and your recipes/food delicious!
I am sure roasted buckwheat would be fine, but you can just double the amount of pistachios, coconut or triple the amount of chia seeds. Does that help??
These look amazing! I’m curious though, how much do the ingredients cost roughly? Maybe these things are just pricey where I live but I wonder where I could find a cup of almond butter, for example, for less than $10.
Hi! Yes, these items are surely a bit pricey, for a cheaper version you can use peanut butter in place of almond butter. Sorry if these are a bit out of your price range.
Don’t be sorry! I love the stuff. I just try to calculate if some things are cheaper to buy as a ready made product. Student living. 🙂
Hi – Almond butter is way overpriced IMHO! I now make my own regularly and it is actually easy. Because I am not using organic almonds (too expensive for me) I can buy bulk almonds for 4.99/lb. At that price, a batch of almond butter costs me approx $5.50. 4 cups of almonds yields almost 3 cups of butter. With no sugar or other nasty additives! Yeah!! Love it –
And these bars are truly amazing, Tieghan! My friends inhaled them over Memorial day and really raved. And it is a huge batch, I froze some so I don’t eat all the rest at once! Another keeper, really delish!
Hi Tieghan, these look delicious!
I love that Kai rolled with your Mothers/Grandmothers day idea! Your writing is beautifully descriptive and having two brothers, I can so relate. Your photo’s are gorgeous too.
Thank you for the ideas on substituting the buckwheat 🙂
1. Your blog is incredible
2. I love the names of your food and that they are soooo long:)
3. I love sun and summer, and feel awful for you and the weather you are enduring
4. Your photography skills are phenomenal
5. I currently have 6 tabs open to pages on your site of recipes to import, and I just imported several others…
6. I made these bars last week. I was super doubtful using uncooked buckwheat. Which I only had kasha (toasted buckwheat?) on hand and it has a really strong distinct flavor that made me even more skeptical to make them. I also didn’t have hemp seeds so I used sesame seeds instead-THEY WERE FABULOUS! Except I’d line the dish with parchment paper because they stuck to my greased glass Pyrex like crazy.
7. Keep up the incredible work Tieghan!
OH MY GOSH!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH!! This is such a beyond sweet comment, I am flattered! I hope you love everything you try and thanks again!
any idea of calorie/nutritional count? Thanks!
I am sorry, I don’t have that, but it can be calculated online.
Hey lady!
I just found your gorgeous website. Super excited to make these someday soon. I have a background in nutrition & baking and these are definitely going to be a hit with my friends and family. Quick question, what would you suggest for flavor/texture to replace the buckwheat? I’ve been grain-free these days. 1/2 C. pistachios + 1/2 C. coconut? Or more almonds, possibly make almond meal to add to it?
I look forward to browsing all these great recipes (and beautiful photography!).
All the best,
Allison
Hey Allison!!
Thank you so much for your kind words!! So flattered!
I would just go with 1/2 cup pistachios and 1/2 cup coconut, that sounds perfect to me! Really hope you love the bars and anything else you try! 🙂
Wow these are awesome! Super yummy! Really easy to make and healthy too. Tastes kind of like a snickers bar 😮 (yay). Next time i will lessen the amount of honey/sugar because it was a little too sweet for my liking, but still super super awesome. Chocolaty, sweet, crunchy, chewy….. love it <3
Btw i really love your photography, omg!
These do look delicious, but i think it would be nice to be made aware of the calorie content in these- much as they contain nutritious ingredients, after adding up the calorie content of the bars (if you divide into 24) it comes to about 245 per bar!
Sometimes its difficult to tell when things are called ‘healthy’ that although they are better than processed/ junk food they can still contain a lot of calories.
great recipe! I am trying to watch sugar though and wanted something healthy and chocolate to go with my coffee!
These bars are so easy!! I made them with half of the honey, sugar, and almond Butter… Too keep cals and sugar down. And did only one cup of chips on the top. Obviously mine probably aren’t as decadent but they Are still very tasty!! Thank you!
SO happy you loved the bars! THANK YOU!
I have made quite a few dishes from your lovely blog and have been totally impressed by the presentation and care you take with your pictures and recipes and completely blown away by how delicious each dish I’ve made turned out (the Mango Berry Dream Salad is my current fave). I was wondering if you have to cook the buckwheat that this recipe calls for. The only buckwheat I found looked like it was supposed to be cooked. I bought Buckwheat Groats from Bob’s Red Mill but am not totally sure that’s the raw buckwheat I should be using.
Thank you for creating such a gorgeous site!
-Geniene
Hi Geniene!!
Thank you so much for you kind words, I am so flattered!!
You bought the right buckwheat, that is exactly what I use! I do not cook it, but if you wanted extra flavor you can toast the buckwheat on a baking sheet in a single layer in a 300 degree oven for 10-15 minutes. Either way is great! Let me know if you have any other questions. THANKS!!
I opted out of the frosting and tossed in a handful of the dark chocolate chips I had bought to make it. I also used half the almond butter and honey and these still turned out tasty and sweet (but not too sweet 🙂 ). I also added dried blueberries and cherries for an extra nutritional boost. These are awesome and I can’t wait to play around with different add ins.
It appears that there are sunflower seeds in the first picture but you did not mention them in the ingredients list. Am I missing something?
Hello
These look great! Would you have the nutritional value available please?
Thanks
Thank you! I am sorry, I do not. If you are interest you can calculate it online, but this is just not something I do. Sorry I could not help. Thanks again!
I stumbled across your site and this recipe completely by accident the other night during one of my nine month old’s sleepless nights..I just HAD to try it! AND I did! WOW!!! My new favorite go to breakfast, since I also have a 2 yr old and they don’t let me even drink my coffee!! (Mommy problems!! LOL) I make a lot of raw bars and like to keep them in the fridge so I can just pull it out and eat while chasing the kids…but THESE also give me a much needed boost and taste amazing!! I did cut out the sugar tho, and they still tasted amazing! Thank you! 🙂 I’ll be visiting your site more often! 🙂
awe! THANK YOU!! Thrilled you loved these!! 🙂
AHH So happy you found my site and like it! Thank you so much!! Excited to hear from you more often (:
Im so happy you found me!! I hope you enjoy all the posts!!
Can flour be used in place of the buckwheat?
I’m interested in making this, but I usually use buckwheat after the groats are boiled. How do you keep raw groats in this without them destroying your teeth? They’re really hard grains so I’m wondering how they work in this, much appreciated if you could explain!
Hi Elsie!
So for me personally, I like to leave the groats raw in these bars. They provide great crunch, but are not overwhelming when mixed with the other ingredients. If you would prefer, you can soak the groats overnight to help soften them. Let me know if you have any other questions. Hope you love these. Thanks! 🙂
That is a bit to much sugar forme could I cut down or leve the sugar out ?
Hi Christine! Sure, you can omit the sugar, but just know that these will not be very sweet. Let me know of you have questions. Thanks so much! ?
Love these!! Do you have a nutritional run down on these?
Thank you! I am sorry, but I do not have the Nutrition for these bars. If you are interested you can calculate them online. Sorry I could not help more!!
Hi. I made these but, upon eating them, found them ‘way too sweet. Next time I will try them with no sugar and 1/2 c of honey and see how they go. I loved the texture.
Sorry they were to sweet!! I think that should help! Hope they are better next time! Thanks Val!
Awesome article. I read your posts pretty regularly and you always do a good
job articulating the whatever topic you’re writing about.
Btw, I shared this on Twitter and my followers loved
it. Keep up the great work!
Thanks! So nice of you to share!
Thanks so much!! Happy to hear you like the content!! Thanks a ton for sharing!!
Enjoy your recipes. Made these and they are big! Want to cut into smaller pieces. Can they be frozen so I can enjoy them longer?
I made these and they were a hit with everyone I shared them with!!! I was initially a bit scared of all the ingredients that were new to me (like buckwheat and hemp seeds) because I didn’t know what it would taste like but actually it all tasted amazing! I had to leave out the almonds because the package of almonds exploded all over my kitchen when I tried to open it, but they were still amazing! I especially loved the texture the coconut provided and btw didn’t think they were too sweet at all, like other commenters! Exactly the right amount.
Almond butter is so expensive though! I bought a jar and it wasn’t enough so I just filled the rest in with peanut butter.
I am thrilled you loved this Cati! Thank you so much! I know, almond butter can get super expensive.. If you happen to have a Trader Joe’s near you I think their raw almond butter is less expensive than a lot of other stores! Hope that helps!
Any substitute for Buckwheat that may work just as well?
HI! You can swap the buckwheat for an equal amount of raw rolled oats or additional nuts. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much! x Tieghan
What % dark chocolate do you use?
I like to use 92% dark. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
What gluten free option could be substituted for the buckwheat?
Hi Stephany! Despite its name, buckwheat actually is naturally gluten free! And has tons of protein… win win! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Hi Stephany! I would use an equal amount of cooked quinoa or toasted sunflower seeds. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
These are so good! I accidentally used hemp seeds instead of hearts, but they turned out great. A little more crunchy than the original recipe probably, but still so good! 🙂
Well I am really glad they still turned out so well for you Rachel! Thank you for trying these! xTieghan