Want a dessert that is super chocolatey as is made of multiple tasty layers? These vegan Nutella bars might just be what you've been looking for. They're made from a healthier and soft almond base and a creamy and silky smooth dairy-free 'Nutella' filling which is filled with fresh raspberries.
These bars are rich, hazel-nutty and completely gluten-free. If you love treats that require just a little bit of baking, then much more chilling time inside the fridge, this might be the dessert for you!
The recipe is so simple and easy to follow. I love to serve it with fresh vegan double cream as it compliments both the almond base and the chocolate layer deliciously. However, it still tastes absolutely amazing on it's own!
Some other chocolate recipes that I know you'll love are my vegan chocolate peanut butter almond bars, vegan flourless almond chocolate cake and vegan double chocolate mousse cake recipes which are all so yummy in their own ways. Another raspberry recipe that you should try is my vegan raspberry crumble oatmeal bars.
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Why You Will Love These Bars
- Copycat Nutella - The filling in this recipe is completely free of any dairy, yet it resembles the flavor of original Nutella very accurately. My version is a little creamier, richer and less thick, but it retains the heavenly combination that is hazelnut and chocolate due to the hazelnut butter and the melted chocolate, which taste great together. I also used this legendary combination for my vegan chocolate ganache filled cupcakes and vegan ferrero rocher truffles and they both have that delicious flavor vibe.
- Visually Appealing - These bars are very nice to look at due to the layers that they're made from. Although there are only two layers, the chocolate layer sits so gracefully on top of the almond layer. It glistens on top and the bright pink raspberries also look extra-delicious in contrast to the darker chocolate.
- Almost Completely No-Bake - There isn't too much that you'll have to do when making this recipe. The only baking you'll need to do is when you're making the almond layer. This goes into the oven for 10 minutes. Then you can simply make the chocolate filling and let it set inside the fridge.
- Allergy Friendly & Plant Based - This vegan almond raspberry Nutella bars recipe is completely vegan, dairy free and gluten free.
Ingredient Notes
- Almond meal - This is the same thing as almond meal. I haven't tested out almond flour for this recipe yet, but I would imagine that it would have quite a similar effect to the ground almonds when used as part of a base.
- Maple syrup - I decided to use this as the main sweetener for this recipe instead of granulated sugar as it is much healthier and it still works great. If you're on the look out for some other healthy treats that use it as the primary sweetener, see my vegan bounty bars and vegan single serve double chocolate chip cookie recipes.
- Dark baking chocolate - If you can, try to use a baking-specific vegan dark chocolate as these melt better than many ordinary vegan chocolate in a smoother fashion. Using things such as, dairy-free chocolate chips makes your life harder, as they become clumpy when heated.
- Vegan double (whipping) cream - I love to use the Emlea plant-based double cream or for this recipe as it gives the filling that perfect smoothness and creaminess.
- Hazelnut butter - This is arguably the most important ingredient as it gives the bars the 'Nutella' vibes that we all want. Without this, these bars would simply be 'almond chocolate slices'.
- Fresh raspberries - For ease, I don't recommend using frozen raspberries for this recipe. If you do you'd have to let them thaw first and this can make the raspberries mushy. Add them fresh while they're looking their best.
See recipe card for full information on individual ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- You can make the bars a little less rich by using a vegan milk baking chocolate for this recipe, instead of the dark chocolate that I recommend. This will give them a much creamier taste, if that is what you prefer. I personally, love using dark chocolate for the bars are I feel it makes them taste more luxurious.
- I love using fresh raspberries for these 'Nutella bars' but you can substitute them out for a different kind of fruit such as, fresh cherries (pitted) and fresh blueberries. Both options are delicious. I used fresh strawberries for my vegan strawberry cheesecake bars and I think they could also work really well in this recipe.
How To Make Vegan 'Nutella' Bars
For the full method, please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
1. Line a square baking tin with parchment paper.
2. Combine the base ingredients.
3. Press the base into the lined tin and bake.
4. Make the chocolate 'Nutella' filling.
5. Stir in the raspberries.
6. Pour the filling over the base. Refrigerate.
7. Slice and serve.
Expert Tips
Don't over-chill the bars - Once the recommended chilling time is over, make sure that you take the bars put from the fridge and slice. If you happen to accidentally leave it in the fridge to chill all day, it will be harder to slice through the base. Once the bars are sliced, you can leave them in the fridge for much longer.
Add extra hazelnut butter - If you want increased vegan 'Nutella' flavors, you can add a little more hazelnut butter to the chocolate mixture. I'm a big hazelnut fan, so I love to add extra hazelnut butter one teaspoon at a time. However, I advise that you only add a maximum of a further 2-3 teaspoons.
Recipe FAQs
Store these bars inside the fridge for up to 4 days. Make sure that they are inside an airtight container too.
Vegan products are completely plant-based and never derived from animal products. The classic non-vegan Nutella contains skimmed milk powder and is therefore, unsuitable for vegans.
There are many brands these days which are trying to emulate the taste of Nutella. Some are better than others for sure. The likelihood of you finding one of these copycat recipes will depend on which country you live in. If you are from the United States, United Kingdom, Australia or Canada, you should be able to find one in a large grocery store or superstore.
More Fruity Vegan Treats
If you tried this Vegan Almond Raspberry Nutella Bars Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you!
Almond Raspberry Nutella Bars (Vegan & Gluten Free)
Ingredients
Almond base:
- 200 g almond meal
- 40 g cocoa powder
- 80 g vegan butter block melted
- 2 Tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Vegan Nutella Filling:
- 250 g dark baking chocolate finely chopped
- 350 ml vegan double whipping cream
- 0.25 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- 150 g hazelnut butter smooth or crunchy
- 280 g fresh raspberries
Instructions
Preparation:
- Preheat your oven to 177 Celsius (350F).
- Line a square, 8-inch baking tin with parchment paper. Set aside.
Make the base:
- In a large bowl, mix all the base ingredients.
- When they are fully combined, press them into the bottom of your lined baking tin. Make sure that it is pressed in firmly. You can use the bottom of a glass if that helps you.
- Place your base into the oven and bake for 10 minutes while you begin to prepare the chocolate “Nutella” filling.
Make the “Nutella” filling:
- Add the chopped chocolate to a heatproof bowl and place it over a pan of boiling water (bain-marie) on the stove over a medium heat.
- When the chocolate is about half-melted, pour in the dairy-free double cream. Stir continuously until the chocolate is silky smooth.
- Once there are no more chocolate lumps, pour in the vanilla, maple syrup and hazelnut butter. Stir to combine again.
- Fold in half the raspberries then pour the mixture on top of the almond base. Level the chocolate filling out so that is smooth. Then scatter the remaining raspberries on top.
Set the bars:
- Place them into fridge for 2 hour 45 minutes. Slice with a sharp knife and serve.
Video
Notes
- Once the recommended chilling time is over, make sure that you take the bars put from the fridge and slice. If you happen to accidentally leave it in the fridge to chill all day, it will be harder to slice through the base. Once the bars are sliced, you can leave them in the fridge for much longer.
- If you want increased vegan 'Nutella' flavors, you can add a little more hazelnut butter to the chocolate mixture. I'm a big hazelnut fan, so I love to add extra hazelnut butter one teaspoon at a time. However, I advise that you only add a maximum of a further 2-3 teaspoons.
Mandy Fernández says
Made these with my daughter and they were a joy to eat.