Healthy Almond Joys

Almond Joys 

With 5x the protein

I used to give all my Almond Joys to my parents after sorting my Halloween candy. But as my taste buds matured, I see why they were so fired up when I gifted them the nutty chocolate bars. The problem is, Almond Joys are loaded and sugar and have minimal protein & fiber (they are candy after all, so this makes sense). 

Almond joys (per 130 calories, roughly two miniatures) have 1g of protein, 16g carbohydrates, 7g of fat, 13g of added sugar and less than a gram of fiber.

My healthier take (per 135 calories) has 5g of protein, 10g carbohydrates, 9g of fat, 6g of added sugar, and 2g of fiber.

The bottom line:  my version won't spike your blood sugar as much as a normal candy bar would, and deliver satiating nutrients in the form of protein and fiber.

So, let's make em!

Ingredients

• 100g vanilla Oikos Triple Zero yogurt
• 40g vanilla whey protein powder
• 15ml maple syrup
• 4g vanilla extract
• 25g water
• 70g unsweetened shredded coconut
• 30g almond flour
• 24g almonds, roughly chopped
• 100g chocolate chips
• 12ml coconut oil
• 3 dashes salt

Directions

1. Start by toasting your shredded coconut until golden brown (roughly 3-5 minutes at 350). 
2. While the coconut is cooling, mix together the yogurt, maple syrup, and vanilla extract in a large bowl.
3. Add the whey protein powder, and stir that in until the mixture is smooth. Add the salt, almond flour, and shredded coconut. Stir until a thick paste forms.
4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and with wet hands, form your mounds. The mixture should be thick, slightly sticky, and easy to scoop. The water will minimize the paste from sticking to your hands. Form into bars with your fingers, spoon or spatula. There should be enough "batter" to make 12 mounds.
5. Place two almonds on top of each mound, and freeze the baking sheet for an hour.
6. In a medium bowl, add the chocolate chips, coconut oil, and water. Melt over a boiling pot of water (or you can microwave, stirring every 20-30 seconds until smooth).
7. Once set, add the frozen coconut/almond mounds to the chocolate. Using a spoon or fork, cover both sides. Tap the excess chocolate off before placing the mound back on the parchment lined baking sheet. Repeat until all mounds are covered in chocolate.
8. Freeze for another 30 minutes minimum to set. Store in an airtight container.
   

Nutrition (Per bar, makes 12)

• Calories: 135
• Protein: 5g
• Carbs: 10g
• Fat: 9g
• Fiber: 2g
• Sugar: 6g