During the end of March when I walked out to the street to wheel in my trash and recycle bins in the evening, I spotted my neighbor and her little daughter sitting on the curb. We waved, and the girl ran over to give me a huge hug.
I asked about their recent trip to Arizona to visit family, and the mom shared that while they had a great time visiting with her in-laws, her daughter actually felt pretty homesick for their house and her toys by the end of their stay (hence the huge hug—she was thrilled to see everyone and anything familiar!).
Always polite, the mom then inquired about my week, and I mentioned that I had flown home for 24 hours just to go to the Oakland A’s opening day baseball game with my parents. She smiled and said she had grown up an A’s fan too and went to games all the time with her dad during her childhood—and her hometown was barely half an hour away from mine!
The following week, her spouse texted me and revealed they had a little surprise for me. When I stopped by, they handed me a small wooden sign with a message painted on the front: In baseball, as in life, the important things happen at home.
How sweet is that?? It’s now sitting right next to my desk!
Of course, I immediately wanted to share something with them in return… And since they’re chocolate fans (especially their daughter!), I brought over this Healthy Almond Joy Brownie Bark as a thank you! It tastes really rich and chocolaty, and the shredded coconut and sliced almonds make it taste like the popular candy bars.
Yet this healthy dessert contains no artificial ingredients, refined flour or sugar—and only 69 calories!
Let’s go over how to make this healthy homemade brownie bark!
You’ll start with white whole wheat flour (like this!) and cocoa powder (like this!). White whole wheat flour is made by finely grinding a special type of soft white wheat (hence the name!), whereas regular whole wheat flour comes from a heartier variety of red wheat. They both have the same health benefits, but white whole wheat flour has a lighter taste and texture—which lets the rich chocolate flavor in this healthy dessert really shine!
You just need regular unsweetened cocoa powder, like this! I don’t recommend Dutched or special dark cocoa powder in this recipe. Both of those have duller, more muted flavors, which means your brownie bark won’t taste as rich and decadent. This is the cocoa powder that I use!
Remember to measure the flour and cocoa powder correctly, using this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I have!) Too much of either will make your brownie batter dry, and too much cocoa powder will also make your brownie thins taste bitter.
This healthy brownie bark uses a lot less butter or oil than traditional recipes: only 1 teaspoon! The rest of the pieces’ fudgy texture comes from Greek yogurt. If you’ve read my blog before, you know how much I love incorporating Greek yogurt into my healthy baking recipes! It adds the same moisture as extra butter or oil for a fraction of the calories, and it gives your treats a big protein boost, too.
You’ll skip the refined sugar and sweeten your healthy brownie thins with pure maple syrup instead. Use the real kind, like this, that comes directly from maple trees! Skip the pancake syrup and sugar-free syrup; those usually contain artificial ingredients and don’t produce the same texture.
Now that your brownie batter is done, it’s time to spread it on a silicone baking mat (like this). I use an offset spatula (like this!) because it makes the process easier than using a regular spatula or knife… And it creates a more even layer too!
Ready for the almond joy toppings? You’ll sprinkle on sliced almonds (like these), mini chocolate chips (these are my favorite!), and shredded unsweetened coconut (like this!). All of those candy bar flavors + brownie bark = a match made in heaven!
Wait until your brownie bark completely cools to room temperature to slice it! I know it’s really hard to wait that long, but it allows the brownie layer to turn fudgy instead of cakey. You can cut the brownie bark into regular ol’ squares or fun shapes—it’s totally up to you!
How tempting does this healthy homemade brownie bark look?? And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! ?) I’d love to see your brownie bark!
| Healthy Almond Joy Brownie Bark | | Print |
- ½ cup (60g) white whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
- ½ cup (40g) unsweetened cocoa powder (measured like this)
- ⅛ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
- 1 large egg white, room temperature
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp (30g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup (60mL) pure maple syrup
- ¼ cup (60mL) nonfat milk
- 2 tbsp (10g) sliced almonds
- 2 tbsp (28g) miniature chocolate chips
- 1 tbsp (5g) shredded unsweetened coconut
- Preheat the oven to 300°F, and line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat (highly preferred!) or parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter, egg, and vanilla. Stir in the Greek yogurt, mixing until no large lumps remain. Stir in the maple syrup. Alternate between adding in the flour mixture and the milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, and stirring just until incorporated. (For best results, add the flour mixture in 3 equal parts.)
- Spread the batter onto the prepared baking sheet in an even layer ⅛” thick. (An offset spatula like this really helps!) Sprinkle the sliced almonds on top first, followed by the miniature chocolate chips, and ending with the coconut. Gently press the toppings into the brownie batter with your hands.
- Bake at 300°F for 11-13 minutes. Cool completely to room temperature on the baking sheet, and let the brownie bark sit for at least 3 hours at room temperature before slicing.
Regular whole wheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the white whole wheat flour. Oat flour (gluten-free, if necessary!) may be substituted as well, but be extremely careful when measuring it!
I don’t recommend using Dutched or special dark cocoa powder. The brownie bark already tastes very rich and dark chocolaty without it! Make sure you measure the cocoa powder correctly using this method or a kitchen scale (← that’s the one I own and love!); too much will make this brownie bark taste bitter.
Honey or agave may be substituted for the maple syrup.
Any milk may be substituted for the nonfat milk.
These are the sliced almonds that I used.
Shredded sweetened coconut may be substituted for the shredded unsweetened coconut.
You can easily add more of the toppings if you’d like!
{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat}
View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡ Healthy Chocolate Chunk Brownie Bark
♡ Healthy Almond Joy Oatmeal Cookies
♡ Healthy Almond Joy Scones
♡ Healthy Almond Joy Granola
♡ Healthy Fudgy Dark Chocolate Frosted Brownies
♡ Healthy Brownie Bark Ice Cream Sandwiches
These look so cute! And I love almond joy everything. I just made gluten-free almond joy scones that turned out so well. Will have to try these, partly for the cute factor! haha
Thanks so much! It sounds like you and my mom would definitely get along — or fight over all of the Almond Joys at Halloween! 😉 She’s obsessed with Almond Joys too!
I really want to try these! One question-you describe them as fudgy, but most brownie bark is crisp… So are these crisp too? Sorry if that seems like a dumb question! My hubby is a BIG fan of fudgy brownies only!
Not a dumb question at all Jessica! This brownie bark is chewy and fudgy — not one bit crisp or crunchy! 🙂 I’d love to hear what you and your husband think if you try this brownie bar!
Hi Amy, for how long can these brownies be stored outside refrigerator?
Because of the yogurt, they typically only keep for 2 or 3 days if stored in an airtight container at room temperature. I’d love to hear what you think if you try this brownie bark Asmia! 🙂
Hi Amy. I am really interested in trying out this recipe. Is there any replacement for the egg white? I know it’s for binding but I don’t eat egg or egg products. Would a flax gel work? Thanks
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Pooja! I don’t have much experience with flax eggs. However, my brother is actually allergic to eggs, and Ener-G is my favorite substitute. Ener-G is a shelf-stable powder that keeps for ages. It works perfectly as an egg replacer in nearly all of my recipes, including this one! For my recipes, use 1 ½ teaspoons Ener-G + 2 tablespoons warm water for each egg white (and you’ll need an additional ½ tablespoon of butter or coconut oil {or Earth Balance, if you’re vegan!} for each egg yolk, although that doesn’t apply to this particular recipe!). I can’t wait to hear what you think of this brownie bark! 🙂
Hi Amy, Happy New Year!
Always stopping by your website to check on your delicious recipes. I am looking to bake this recipe but I wonder how to turn this brittle into a crisp one?. Such as Sheila’s brownie brittle store bought version?. I love that your recipe is so low fat and low sugar but I really need to bite into a crunchy brittle!, hehe. Please let me know!, Thanks!
I’m so honored that you browse through my recipes so often Lilie! That means the world to me — you just made my day! 🙂 I haven’t tried making a crunchy version of this brownie bark, but I think you may be able to make it crispier if you bake it longer. I’d recommend starting to check on it after about 18 minutes. It may need more time to feel completely firm and crisp, but I don’t want you to burn it! 😉 I’d love to hear how that goes if you end up trying it!
Hi Amy!. Yes, I love your recipes and your positive, wonderful vibe!. I will try it the way you suggested and will be letting you know how it turns out!. Thanks!
Aww you’re just the sweetest!! Thank you Lilie! ♡ I’m really excited to hear how your brownie bark turns out!
It was delicious. We tried it right out of the oven. Thanks will definitely make again. Taking it to dinner party tonight.
I’m so glad you enjoyed this brownie bark, Elaine! That’s the highest kind of compliment, if you’d rate the recipe so highly and already think you’ll make it again. Thank you for taking the time to let me know — and I hope you have a wonderful dinner party this evening too!