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These Chocolate Berry Bars have an almond flour crust topped with vegan chocolate ganache and fresh raspberries and blueberries. These dessert bars are beautiful, delicious, and better for you – they’re gluten-free, vegan, refined sugar-free, and Paleo.
I have exciting news: I got a new camera, and these gorgeous vegan berry bars were my first star in front of the lens! What do you think?!
I bought myself the Canon 6D and the 100mm f/2.8L Macro Lens. It cost a whole lot of money, but I was due for an upgrade, and I’m glad I splurged. Of course, I barely know how to use it, but since I’m coming from another Canon (the Rebel T3 – here’s the newer version and 50mm f/1.8 lens), the learning curve isn’t too steep…and I’ll have lots of delicious dishes coming out of my kitchen to practice photographing.
I was struggling when I was trying to photograph with the new camera at my dad’s in San Diego, but once I got home and back to my setup, I was able to figure it all out pretty quickly.
These vegan Chocolate Berry Bars are also such a beautiful subject, so it was hard to do them wrong. I just had to capture the natural beauty of those berries! As much as I love sprinkles, some of the most beautiful desserts I’ve posted have raspberries as the star. Case in point: no-bake chocolate raspberry tart, chocolate berry tart + mocha raspberry cake.
Why are these chocolate berry bars such a standout?
These bars are as delicious as they are beautiful! The bottom layer is an almond flour crust that is lightly crunchy. It’s just lightly sweetened, enough to complete the bittersweet chocolate. To make the chocolate layer, we use canned coconut milk.
The coconut milk makes such a luscious vegan chocolate ganache, and helps keep it soft and creamy. And on top of all of it, we arrange fresh berries over the chocolate ganache! They add a delicious, fresh flavor, but that helps cut through the rich chocolate.
I opted to use raspberries and blueberries. However, if you have another favorite, any other kind of berry would be great. After letting the bars set in the fridge for about an hour, cut them into sixteen squares and enjoy! These will satisfy any chocolate craving, and you can enjoy them pretty guilt-free, because these are all the things:
- gluten-free
- vegan
- refined sugar-free
- paleo
- easy to make
- only 10 ingredients
- easily customizable
- simple to make ahead of time
Whip up a batch of these and keep them stored in your fridge or freezer. You’ll be happy to have them when a late-night chocolate craving hits. Enjoy :D
Want more chocolate berry dessert recipes?
- Chocolate Strawberry Tart
- Chocolate Covered Strawberry Brownies
- No-Bake Chocolate Raspberry Tart
- Chocolate Strawberry Oatmeal
Chocolate Berry Bars (Paleo + Vegan)
Ingredients
- 1 cup blanched almond flour
- 1 teaspoon coconut flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons coconut sugar
- ¼ cup coconut oil, melted
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
For the chocolate layer
- ½ cup canned full-fat coconut milk
- 5 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 1 cup assorted fresh berries, I used raspberries and blueberries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8×8-inch pan with parchment paper or foil and grease lightly.
- In large bowl, combine the almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda, salt, and coconut sugar. Whisk to combine. Add the coconut oil and maple syrup and toss to combine until the mixture sticks together.1 cup blanched almond flour, 1 teaspoon coconut flour, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon salt, 2 tablespoons coconut sugar, ¼ cup coconut oil, 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- Press the crumb mixture evenly into the bottom of greased pan. Bake at 350°F for 11-13 minutes, or until golden brown around the edges. Let cool completely.
- Place finely chopped chocolate in a large bowl. In a small saucepan or in the microwave, just bring coconut milk to a boil (took about 30 seconds in my microwave). Pour hot coconut milk over chocolate and let stand 1 minute, then stir until smooth and creamy.5 oz. bittersweet chocolate, ½ cup canned full-fat coconut milk
- Pour warm chocolate mixture over cooled crust. Arrange the berries on top as desired. Chill for at least one hour. Cut into 16 squares with a sharp knife.1 cup assorted fresh berries
I’ve always thought your photos were beautiful, but these are looking extra pretty! Congrats on the new camera! I am still getting the hang of my Rebel. And these bars are gorgeous! I want to eat them right now. Pinning!
Thanks so much for love and the pin, Meghan!!
What a lovely recipe. Very impressed by your rows of berries – they’re perfect! Well done.
These look gorgeous and OMG that camera is awesome Rachel! You must be having so much fun using it!
Thank you Shadi!! I am :) I’ll let you try it at the photography workshop!
Wonderful!! Can’t wait!
These berry bars are gorgeous! How do you like the Canon 6D? I really want to upgrade my camera (currently shooting with a 60D) but the cost of upgrading is just so painful! I’ve had mine for 6-7 years now and I’ve been thinking about upgrading for a while now. Have fun with the new camera!
Hi Genevieve! I’ve only shot two shoots so far with my new camera (this being one of them) but so far, I LOVE it! The pictures are just so clear and have such a high resolution, I feel like I barely had to edit at all. The cost definitely hurt but I just went with the camera/lens combo I had been dreaming of for years and figure I probably won’t have to upgrade again for a WHILE. As bloggers, we can also write off the cost as a business expense, which helps :) thanks so much!!
These bars are gorgeous, Rachel, and once again you’ve made healthy look insanely delicious! Pinning to try!
I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything so gorgeous in my life! I will DEFINITELY be making these – how could I not?? YUM! :)
I wouldn’t imagine that these bars are paleo and vegan at first glance, they look too good to be true! I need to make them asap! Love me some chocolate and berries:)
Yay for a new camera! These bars look gorgeous and I always love your photos! :) The chocolate and berry combo sound SO delicious!
Oh my, I’m hooked on these gorgeous looking bars – great photos! I want to make some but I don’t want to buy a whole packet as it will probably not be used. Is there a substitute I could try for the 1 teaspoon of coconut flour? (Yes, I know I could use it for lots of other recipes, but I’m being realistic here!!)
Hi Judith, thanks for asking! I totally get that, and honestly, you could probably just leave it out with little consequence – the crust will just be a bit softer. If you want a crunchier crust you can sub the maple syrup for more coconut sugar. Hope this helps! Enjoy :)
Congrats on the new camera! I would LOVE to own a 6D :) I also love this recipe and am excited to make it. Healthy, easy, and delicious means it’s a definite keeper :)