So here’s the thing. I finally discovered how to bake with coconut flour. I experimented with it once before but after that I sort of gave up because I kept having recipe testing failures. Whomp, whomp.
Then a few weeks ago I spotted coconut flour on the shelves at Trader Joe’s and decided to pick it up and do some experimenting. And guess what? I’m completely head over heels obsessed! I’ve made pancakes, waffles, cookies, and BARS. Last week I bought four bags. GET AT ME TJ’S.
Ingredients in coconut flour bars
Typically with coconut flour you need to use several eggs because the coconut flour holds an insane amount of moisture. When I say several, it means 4-6 per recipe; that’s a lot of eggs and I didn’t want these bars tasting like an omelet. For these paleo coconut flour bars I opted to use only three eggs plus a little coconut oil and honey (or maple syrup) to help bind the bars and keep them super moist. Here’s everything you need:
- Coconut oil: you’ll use a bit of coconut oil to give these bars the perfect amount of moisture.
- Honey: these healthy coconut flour bars are naturally sweetened with honey!
- Vanilla extract: a touch of vanilla makes these extra delicious.
- Eggs: as I mentioned, we’re using just 3 eggs in this recipe instead of 4-6 to help them stay together.
- Coconut flour: you’ll only need 3/4 cup coconut flour to give these bars the perfect texture while keeping them gluten free, grain free & paleo.
- Baking soda & salt: to help these bars bake up properly.
- Almond or coconut milk: I like to keep these bars dairy free by using almond or coconut milk, but you can use any milk you’d like.
- Dark chocolate: I love using a dark chocolate bar, but feel free to use dark chocolate chips (dairy free if desired).
And after the third round of testing, they came out just perfect!
Benefits of baking with coconut flour
- It’s low in carbs. Coconut flour is lower in carbs than regular flour and it packs some serious fiber.
- You don’t need to use as much. Since coconut flour is super absorbent, you won’t need to use as much. This recipe only calls for 3/4 cup.
- It’s great for the paleo diet and it’s gluten free.
- It’s fun to experiment with! Check out my other delicious coconut flour recipes.
How to make coconut flour bars
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 8×8 inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk together coconut oil, honey, vanilla and eggs.
- In a separate medium bowl whisk together coconut flour, baking soda, and salt. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until combined and batter is completely smooth.
- Stir in almond milk. Fold in chopped chocolate, reserved a few tablespoons for sprinkling on top if desired.
- Bake for 17-22 minutes or until edges are golden brown and knife comes out with a few crumbs attached. Cool bars on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes so that they settle a bit, then cut into 16 squares.
Tips for making coconut flour bars
- Make sure your eggs are at room temperature so that they don’t cause the coconut oil to congeal.
- Don’t pack your coconut flour. This will cause the bars to become super dense.
- DO NOT OVER BAKE or it will result in dried out bars and no one likes that! The batter may look like it’s not all the way cooked but it will be. I always bake mine for 18-20 minutes and don’t have any problems.
How to store & freeze coconut flour bars
To store: these gluten free coconut flour bars should be kept well-covered in foil or plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 3 days, then I recommend transferring to the fridge or freezer.
To freeze: you can easily freeze these healthy coconut flour bars! Allow the bars to cool completely, then cut the them as directed. Wrap individual bars in plastic wrap, then in foil or a reusable bag such as Stasher bags. Freeze for up to 3 months. Simply allow them to thaw at room temp when you’re ready to eat.
The best part is that now you totally have a reason to go out and buy coconut flour. This recipe is completely easy to make. The bars are more cake-like, fairly soft, but the perfect indulgence without guilt.
More coconut flour recipes to try:
Fluffy Coconut Flour Pancakes with Wild Blueberry Maple Syrup
Chocolate Chip Coconut Flour Pumpkin Bars
The Best Paleo Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Vegan Paleo Banana Muffins with Chocolate Chips
If you make these coconut flour chocolate chunk bars, be sure to leave a comment below and rate the recipe! You can also snap and picture and post it on Instagram using the hashtag #ambitiouskitchen. And of course be sure to follow Ambitious Kitchen on Instagram. xo!
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
The Best Coconut Flour Chocolate Chunk Bars (paleo, gluten free)
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 eggs, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup coconut flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup unsweetened almond milk or coconut milk
- 3 oz your favorite dairy free dark chocolate bar, coarsely chopped (or 1/2 cup chocolate chips)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 8x8 inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk together coconut oil, honey, vanilla and eggs. It is important your eggs are at room temperature.
- In a separate medium bowl whisk together coconut flour, baking soda, and salt. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until combined and batter is completely smooth. Stir in almond milk. Fold in chopped chocolate, reserved a few tablespoons for sprinkling on top if desired.
- Bake for 17-22 minutes or until edges are golden brown and knife comes out with a few crumbs attached. The batter may look like it's not all the way cooked but it will be. DO NOT OVERBAKE or it will result in dried out bars and no one likes that! I always bake mine for 18-20 minutes and don't have any problems. Cool bars on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes so that they settle a bit, then cut into 16 squares. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
How much protein are in these per bar?
Just made those and they were a hit wi th the fam. Served it warm with some vanilla ice cream yum! Going to be our healthy treat from now on!
Love that!
sooooo good
I really found this recipe easy and I don’t cook as a rule. I thought at first that the amounts would make only a small number of slices but I was pleasantly surprised.
Each bite was delicious. I put the rest in the fridge so the slices would harden up.
Not sure who TRADER JOES are, I am assuming it is a grocery store in USA, I live in AUSTRALIA and use the McKenzie brand of various flours.
I look forward to trying out more recipes from this website
Made these using raw A2 milk and blueberries instead of chocolate chips for breakfast bars. I did need to bake them an extra 15 minutes but they are a hit! Definitely a keeper recipe. My 5 yr old twins and hubby are wowed by them, still warm and almost gone!
Hi, can I use sugar instead of honey. If I do, will the bars be less sweet.
I haven’t tried that, so I’m not really sure, sorry! I think it might change the texture and flavor a little bit.
I love these and have made them 3 times in the past 3 weeks!
I’m SO glad you’re loving them, Kalera!
I made these for Passover because everyone complains about traditional Passover recipes. I’ve had to make a new batch every day for 3 days because everyone loves it and it’s Kosher for Passover.
Amazing! So glad they were a hit!
My sister made some for the weekend and they tasted absolutely amazing! She added some walnuts which added a nice crunch and balanced well with he sweetness if the chocolate 😋
Love that! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
The bars ended up tasting like coconut oil! The taste is very strong and almost ruins the bars. The rest of the bar tastes very good though. Is there a better substitute?
You could use melted butter if you prefer!
This is my go to recipe if I feel like snacking at night without guilt ,I love love love it ! It’s absolutely delish and now I’ll be buying lots of coconut flour
I’m so glad! Such a great snack.
For some reason is the worst banana bread recipe ever. I did everything according to recipe and it’s disgusting….. tastes like a sponge…..
Sorry to hear that, Magdalena! I wish I could help troubleshoot for you – I might suggest double checking your ingredient ratios?
I have lots of coconut flour to use up and this looks like the perfect recipe for it, but I am a little bit confused… Should I use 3 eggs (as stated in the list of ingredients) or 2 eggs (as mentioned in the main text, and in several comments)? Mine are large eggs. Thank you!
Apologies for the confusion! The recipe is correct as-written — you’ll use 3 eggs. I’ve updated the post as well. Enjoy!
I love how light these are! They are delicious! I added some cinnamon for a little extra flavor. These were a big hit with the whole family. Thank you!
Perfect! So happy everyone loved them!
Serving size 1?? I definitely had multiple times of that! Love this recipe, thank you. Easy to find ingredients and real simple to make. Its delicious and guilt free because of the lightness of the coconut flour
I’m sorry, but is there a typo somewhere? I have made this recipe twice with two different amounts of coconut flour (because there are inconsistent weights in grams for 1 cup of coconut flour on the internet). The first time I used 83 grams and the second time 92 grams and both times utter failure – there is simply not enough moisture for this recipe. I did not achieve a “smooth” batter either time, just clumpy dough-like batter.
I have never had an issue but the batter should not be clumpy however it should be thick. Perhaps it’s the coconut flour you are using? all brands tend to be a little different. Feel free to add extra milk if necessary.
So happy you loved them!
Hi! I know this is an older recipe, but I just want to clarify how much coconut flour before I make them….1/2 cup or 3/4 cup? The recipe and what you say in the blog post say two different things. Thank you in advance!
Hi! Thanks for the catch. It’s 3/4 cup— just be sure not to pack the coconut flour.
I’ve had this recipe bookmarked for some time and yesterday was the day to make them. Wow! absolutely delicious! Miraculously stopped myself from eating the whole pan!!
The recipe came together easily, baked up fine, and I will make again with the addition of cinnamon and less chocolate chips (for my personal taste).
Thank you for sharing!
Perfect! I’m glad you loved these!
Made these following the recipe exactly and they were absolutely delicious.
Despite coconut flour dishes drying out very easily I found these to be a bit over squidgy in the middle after 20 in the oven so baked for 24 minutes and they were just perfect! Thanks for a super recipe.
Hello! I don’t have milk of any kind in the house. Do you think this will work if I water down some 2% greek yogurt? Thank you!!
Hi! You could try it, otherwise I suggest making these when you get some milk!
I made this recipe a couple times because I made a mistake with the first batch. I followed the recipe exactly because it was the first time using coconut flour. I really wanted to give a five star rating but couldn’t.
First, I made it in the bar form and then cookie form. The taste and flavours were good. However, the texture and consistency was as if it was undercooked. I nearly choked on it when I swallowed it. You definitely needed a glass of milk to wash it down.
Sorry to hear that! I’m not sure how they turned out so dry – I would double check your liquid ratios here and keep them as bar form.
I have made these several times and they are so good. But I can’t seem to make them so they don’t fall apart. They crumble when I cut them. Any suggestions?
That’s strange! Maybe try using 1/2 mashed banana in the batter.
This recipe is amazing, Monique! What I like about this is that is not overwhelmed with almond/peanut butter. After a while these tend to overwhelm the taste and this was just so so perfect. Out of all the recipes I’ve made on your site, this is the best. Please suggest more coconut flour recipes that don’t use nut butters… or at least very little nut butter.
I AM MAKING THIS AGAIN AND AGAIN!
Delicious! So glad you loved this one. Try these coconut flour recipes next!
the best way to use coconut flour!!
Hello
I have done this recipe several time and it always taste nice.I have one issue though it never fill a 8*8inch pan…not sure what i am doing funnily but i had to use smaller pan. Any suggesttion?
But thanks for an amazing tasty recipe.
Hi! You really do have to spread them quite thin, but they’ll bake up nice and fluffy. Another option is to bake them in a muffin tin with liners!
Tried these today. Very new to using coconut flour. Mixed exactly with fresh ingredients. I let them go past 20 minutes about 4 more minutes. Would NOT solidify in the center. The edges looked great. Been sitting for an hour still not solid. Not sure where went wrong.
Hi John! Coconut flour can be tricky, sorry to hear you had an issue. As long as the center comes out clean then the recipe is done. Sometimes coconut flour gives the appearance that its not all the way done in baking, but often if is!
First off, let me say I’m not a baker so went into this with some trepidation. I had a bag of coconut flour and needed a recipe that I felt comfortable with. This one looked easy enough that even I could make it. I am pleased to say the recipe turned out great and I most certainly will be making it again. Next time I will let the squares cool fully before trying to do anything with them. Once they were in the fridge overnight they held together beautifully. Thank you!! These are amazingly scrumptious!!
Perfect! I’m so glad you found these. Try these coconut flour recipes next, too 🙂
Sooooo gooooooood. Yum! I’ve been wanting to use the coconut flour in my pantry for months – thank you!
Perfect! You’ll have to give some of these recipes a try next 🙂
Absolutely delish!!! I replaced some of the honey with 2/3 of a banana and the recipe in general was PERFECT. Thank you for posting! Addicted!
Glad that swap worked out for you! Perfect treat.
Love!!! So happy I found a purely coconut flour recipe that I enjoy :). Really delicious. I used sugar free maple syrup and Lilly’s chocolate chips. And I did add the coconut shavings. Man. Love the texture that it adds and love how good the macros are. I like almond flour too but I just find it to be too calorie dense. Spot on, will totally make these regularly
Perfect! Glad you loved this one 🙂 Try this bread, too!
I opted for a thicker bar and doubled the recipe. Used honey. Used heavy cream instead of almond milk (due to nut allergy). Used high coco content chocolate morsels (instead of chopped chocolate). Baked as directed (lowered to 325 degrees for last 5 minutes) in 12 x 8 glazed stoneware pan sprayed with nonstick coconut spray. Cooled about 10 minutes and drizzled with a mixture of melted chocolate chips with a little heavy cream (which I ended up spreading out). Came out light and airy. Delicious!
Great! Glad those swaps worked out.
Wow..
I’m shocked. I’ve.. Well.. Never made a successful anything with coconut flour before. But these are great! Will make again!
So happy to hear that Bethany!
Starting February, I’ve been doing low carb everything and ran into coconut flour at the grocery store. Looked up some recipes and saw this. I just tried it, and it came out wonderful!! Thanks for the recipe!
Glad you found these! Try these recipes next, too!
Delicious bars. Used brown rice syrup in place of a sweetener and cows milk as no almond milk. Yum! Was quite runny when I put in oven and even after 20 mins. Left a couple more mins in oven but I probably didn’t need to. Will def make again. Thanks! Yes please to more coconut flour recipes 🙌🏼
Glad those swaps worked out and that you loved this one!
So happy I came across your website! This is a divine recipe. And yes mine still looked batter’y after 20 minutes, I gave it a couple more minutes but possibly didn’t need to. Really yum. Will double the recipe next time 😌
These are amazing!!! My husband ate the entire batch in one day 🙂 I baked them for 20 minutes and the texture came out perfect.
Glad you both loved them! 🙂
Hi,
I tried it this morning. It is very delicious. Thanks for this recipe. The only thing is that mine was not puffy like yours. What do you think is the reason? Thanks in advance.
Hi Jade! Glad you liked these. The look of them can vary depending on oven temperature, exact measurements, etc.
Amazing. Thanks so much for these. Our 11 year old son is recently diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes and we are trying to go low carb without him missing out on normal foods. These were perfect as he can’t take nuts to school and so many low carb recipes include almond meal. And he loves them! 😍
I’m so glad you found this one! Check out these other coconut flour recipes, too 🙂 Hope you find more that he loves!
These bars were delicious!! This was only my second time working with coconut flour. The first recipe I tried didn’t turn out as I expected, so I was a bit apprehensive, but this one worked like a charm. Thank you!
I’m so glad you found this recipe! A great way to use coconut flour 🙂 Try these, too!
This was my first time using coconut flour, but I am cooking for some gluten-free friends, so I tried them! I used 2% milk instead of almond milk, because I didn’t have any, honey, sweetened flake coconut in the batter, and they turned out great – baking for 11 minutes! I love gluten, so was a bit wary, but they are yummy! Thank you!
Glad those swaps worked out! Hope your friends enjoyed them too 🙂
I have been baking with coconut flour for years…some successes, some failures. I have some AMAZING go to recipes, including a cake we use as our birthday cakes every every year.
This was a good tweakable recipe! I used 2T erythritol in place of the calorific sweeteners, and increased the nut milk by 3T. I also subbed roasted salted bashed almonds for the coconut flakes.
It worked well for me, yep it’s a little cakey and a little crumbly, but if you let it cool properly and then cut, it works well! Also the coconut oil sets when cold, like if it’s refrigerated…you lose the gooey chocolate, but it’s still good.
Great recipe! Thanks.
I’m glad those swaps worked out for you! Perfect healthy treat.
Hi Monique,
Can I omit the salt and reduce the sweetener? Are these just for taste or do these serve a function?
Thanks
Hi Tracy! Feel free to omit the salt, but the sweetener is both for taste and for holding the bars together.
Thanks..any idea what I could use in place of sweetener to hold the bars together?
I used erythritol, and upped the nut milk. The coconut oil sets the bars really well once cold/refrigerated.
Hi Tracy – you could try 3/4 cup mashed banana but you may need to add a bit more milk.
What size eggs do I use and is oat milk instead of almond milk ok, thanks.
Large eggs and oat milk should work!
these are delicious! i sprinkled the coconut on top instead of mixing in the batter…was roasted and looked beautiful. made the mistake of trying to flip them out of the pan way too early…fell apart all over the cutting board. which was fine cause i just ate it all up from there. made a double batch too, so have some pretty bars for sharing. you are so talented! all your recipes are amazing.
That toasted coconut on top sounds incredible! Glad you loved these even if they fell apart a bit 🙂 Thanks for your note Amy!
Mine are too crumbly. Tastes yummy but you can’t eat it like a bar. Any ideas what I did wrong?
These bars are meant to be a bit soft because of the coconut flour, but I would double check your liquid ratio and baking time!
I LOVE LOVE LOVE these bars and the recipe. The recipe is fool proof and so easy. My bars were so moist and tasty. I wish they rose a bit more but next time, I’m going to double the recipe and use milk chocolate vs. dark chocolate.
So happy to hear that Tanya!! With coconut flour (and most gluten free recipes) they won’t rise too much – because there’s no gluten to expand 🙂