When I first started transitioning to a Keto lifestyle, I found it really difficult to stay full all day, or even just find healthy options beyond eating bacon and avocados (that’s not exactly a balanced diet!). Discovering Perfect Keto Bars saved me, and now that I’ve been successfully Keto for a year, I eat them in the mornings for breakfast on-the-go. It’s part of what makes Keto work for me: being able to reach for something I don’t have to meal prep the night before that will keep me energized and in ketosis.
I miss baking, so I decided to challenge myself to recreate my favorite flavor of the Perfect Keto bars, Almond Butter Brownie, at home. Taking a look at the wrapper, the ingredient list is basically a recipe itself (always a good sign when you recognize every ingredient as a good-for-you, whole food). They have just ten ingredients, so it was easy to gather everything I need from my local organic grocery. Then I estimated how much of each ingredient to use, and created instructions based on some of my other favorite no-bake dessert or breakfast bar recipes. So, while they aren’t exactly the same, they’re pretty darn close! Here’s how to make your own Keto-Friendly Almond Butter Brownie Bars, filled with natural ingredients and good fats. But the best part is that these bars will not only keep you in ketosis, the MCT Oil Powder from Perfect Keto will also boost your metabolism.
Ingredients
- Soluble tapioca fiber
- Cacao butter
- Collagen protein
- Perfect Keto MCT Oil powder
- Organic cocoa
- Almonds
- Sunflower Lecithin
- Organic Coconut Oil
- Sea Salt
- Natural Flavors
- Stevia
- Organic Almond Butter
Perfect Keto’s website was totally transparent that the “natural flavor” is powdered milk chocolate, which the FDA says is best to call “natural flavor”. I bought a generic brand of milk chocolate powder and used ½ a cup for my 12-bar batch. I also added 1 teaspoon of almond extract to my recipe, to add flavor and make up for the fact that my ingredients probably aren’t as high quality as Perfect Keto’s are.
Instructions
- Crush 1 cup of almonds into chunky pieces by placing them in a large sandwich bag and using a rolling pin, apply pressure to the almonds until they break into medium sized pieces.
- In a large pan, melt 2 cups cocoa butter on low heat. Add 1 tbsp of MCT oil powder. I use Perfect Keto’s MCT oil powder in all my baking. It comes from coconut oil, so it adds a nice flavor and consistency, plus it contains pure MCTs to support mental clarity, metabolic function, and digestive health!
- Keeping the heat on very low, mix in the following ingredients one by one: 1 cup tapioca fiber, 1 ½ cups cacao butter, ¼ cup powdered collagen protein, ½ cup powdered cocoa (or substitute crushed cacao beans), two tablespoons of sunflower lecithin, ½ cup of coconut oil, ½ cup of chocolate powder, a teaspoon of almond extract and ¼ cup of stevia.
- Blend by hand, until the batter is smooth and has a consistent brown color.
- Turn off the heat. Using a spatula, gently fold 2.5 cups of almond butter and the crushed almonds into the batter.
- Line a large baking sheet (with edges, not flat! A cake pan could also work) about 26” by 18′ with parchment paper.
- Using your spatula, gently pour the batter onto the baking sheet, smoothing it out so it reaches the edges.
- Sprinkle sea salt (3 tablespoons) on top.
- Refrigerate overnight. After 10-12 hours of refrigeration, use a large cutting knife to cut your bars into the desired size. Enjoy!
This home-made, no-bake version of the Perfect Keto Almond Butter Brownie bar is my new go-to whenever there’s a situation that calls for baked goods. They’re a really healthy but delicious alternative to brownies, and I feel good bringing them to bake sales at my daughter’s school, knowing I’m giving the kids low-sugar, high protein snacks that will keep them satiated without a blood sugar crash. But when it comes to breakfast in the morning or grabbing a post-run snack, I still stock up on Perfect Keto. They have other amazing flavors, like lemon poppyseed and cookie dough, each with 19 grams of fat and under 3 grams of carbs. For about $3 each, they’re the way I feel like I’m cheating while staying in ketosis.