Low Carb Snack Bars Recipe
These low-carb snack bars are a delicious option when you’re on the go!
Whether you follow a keto diet or not, having healthy snacks around the house is never a bad idea. Bonus points if they’re yummy! And they are wonderfully different than those highly processed low-carb granola bars that leave you feeling more hungry than before you ate them.
Many of you know that I tried to eat low-carb for a while and I have many low-carb recipes here as a result.
Why Are Snack Bars So Popular
Mostly because they are so easy to take with you. They are fast to eat on a break and tide you over until your next big meal. And if they are keto bars, they become even more popular with so many folks following a keto eating plan these days.
The Problem With Store-Bought Snack Bars
Aside from the fact that mass-produced snack bars are jam-packed with processed sugar, even a keto snack bar or keto protein bar can be a minefield of garbage ingredients. If your goal is healthy, you want real food ingredients in pretty much everything you eat. Keto granola bars and other mass-produced snacks are anything but natural. And even though some of them claim to be sugar-free, they have ingredients that, while technically sugar-free, will spike your insulin more than regular sugar! (It’s called maltodextrin.) So skip the store-bought sugar-free granola bars and other supposedly “healthy” bars. Nutrition is important, no matter what your approach to it is. So choose your snacks carefully. Artificial sweeteners can negate some of your best intentions.
These Low Carb Snack Bars Are:
- Gluten-free
- Sugar-free
- Dairy-free
- Grain-free
- Soy-free
- Free of sugar alcohols
- Made with natural flavoring. Nothing artificial here!
Note that you could probably even make this vegan if you use an egg replacement, but I haven’t tried it myself.
Whole-Food Ingredients
These snack bars are made with real food, natural ingredients, taste great, and are very versatile. They are a perfect keto-friendly snack or work well with a regular low-carb diet as well. You can even change the flavor easily with some of the suggestions below.
While I wouldn’t call these protein bars, they are definitely low carb. Total carbs are 4 grams, or 2 grams of net carbs, depending on how you manage your carbs.
Recipe Variations
- Peanut Butter Flavor – Use peanut butter instead of almond butter (though this will raise the carb count slightly). You can even toss in a few chopped peanuts (or hazelnuts or cashews) for texture.
- Nutty Flavor – Use other types of nut butter to get those flavors instead.
- Almond Flavor – Add a teaspoon of almond extract to the batter for a nice, strong almond flavor.
- Chocolate Flavor – Dip these in low carb, melted, sugar-free chocolate, or toss in a few low carb chocolate chips.
- More Chocolate Flavor – Add about 1 tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder to flavor the whole bar.
- Citrus Flavor – Add 1 tablespoon of citrus extract (such as orange or lemon) and 1 tablespoon of the corresponding citrus zest.
- Extra Protein – Add some extra protein by adding a tablespoon or so of pea protein powder (or any protein powder you prefer). You could even try a tablespoon of grass-fed collagen.
The Sweeteners
I used pure liquid stevia which gave me a very mild sweetness. You can use other sweeteners in moderation.
While this recipe is formulated for the limited use of stevia, you can use other sweeteners if you prefer. I recommend a liquid sweetener, but in a pinch, you can use a dry sweetener as well. You’ll need to play around with the consistency of the batter a bit, depending on the sweetener you use. A great option here is monk fruit extract.
The Pan
I know people will ask about the pan. It’s something I picked up on clearance at Williams Sonoma. However, when I looked at their website, it said it had been discontinued. But here are a couple of pans you can use instead. I have and use the one on the right. You can see it in the video and process photos. It works quite well and I love how easy the bars pop out.
Low Carb Snack Bar Ingredients
¼ cup virgin coconut oil – in a liquid state.
3 large eggs
2 tsp. pure liquid stevia
¼ cup unsalted almond butter – no sugar added
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 cup almond flour
2 tbsp. chia seeds
¼ tsp. baking soda
1½ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground allspice
How To Make Low Carb Snack Bars
Preheat oven to 350° F.
Mix all the wet and dry ingredients together in a medium to large mixing bowl.
Spoon the mixture into an oiled bar pan or into an oiled baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes or until the logs are baked through.
Remove from oven and cool enough to handle. Remove from bar pan and allow to cool fully on a wire cooling rack. Transfer to an airtight storage container. Store in the fridge.
How To Store Low Carb Snack Bars
Keep these in an airtight container and store them in the fridge for up to 3 days.
You can freeze these, if wrapped well, for up to 4 months.
How To Serve Low Carb Snack Bars
These are perfect for dunking or just enjoying with a cup of tea or coffee.
More Healthy Low Carb Recipes
Low Carb Almond Snack Bars
CLICK TO WATCH THIS RECIPE IN ACTION!
Equipment
- 1 bar pan
Ingredients
- ¼ cup virgin coconut oil (in liquid state)
- 3 large eggs
- 2 tsp. pure liquid stevia
- ¼ cup unsalted almond butter (no sugar added)
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup almond flour
- 2 tbsp. chia seeds
- ¼ tsp. baking soda
- 1½ tsp. ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp. ground allspice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F.
- Mix all ingredients together in a medium to large mixing bowl.
- Spoon the mixture into an oiled bar pan or into an oiled baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes or until the logs are baked through.
- Remove from oven and cool enough to handle. Remove from bar pan and allow to cool fully on a wire cooling rack. Transfer to an airtight storage container. Store in the fridge.
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe from the Gracious Pantry archives, originally posted 5/15/16.
would you use a 8X8 baking pan?
Kat – That should work! 🙂
What are the calorie and carb counts for the low carb almond bars?
Wanda – You would have to enter the recipe in an online recipe calculator. MyFitnessPal.com is a very easy one to use.
Hi
I’ve just found this recipe, which looks great! I have two questions, please:
I don’t have liquid stevia, can I use the same amount of granulated stevia?
What’s the difference between lchf (which is what we try to do) and clean?
Kia ora!!
Pauline – I’m sure the dry stuff would work just as well. The only thing I don’t know is if there is any type of conversion needed when going from liquid to powder. You would need to go on the website for the brand of stevia you have and either ask them or find that info on their website.
Clean eating, in general terms, is all about eating real food and avoiding the processed stuff. That being said, most folks have applied traditional dietary standards to clean eating. So most clean eaters will tell you that you can’t eat all that fat and still be eating clean.
I take a different stance. I really focus on the “real food” aspect. How I manage my macronutrients (fat, protein, carbs) is something that I personally don’t associate with clean eating in that way. I figure, as long as the foods (including fats) are real, unprocessed food, that I’m still eating clean.
The balance in how you eat clean is typically up to the individual anyway. Like many “diets” or eating plans out there, there are a million different ways to approach them and everyone will believe that their way is the right way. I say do what works best for your body.
P.S. – If you want to follow a LCHF eating plan, follow my SkinnyCarb.com blog. 🙂
Just made these with a couple of substitutions…. honey instead of Stevia and peanut butter versus almond butter…. altogether they are delicious and my son loves them!
Allison – Fantastic! Nice variation! 🙂
I was thinking of using honey or maple syrup in place of stevia too. How much honey did you use?