And so the battle began! 😀 The hubs is a “Mounds” hound, and though I like both, I’m all smiles for an “Almond Joy”! (Hey, sometimes I feel like a nut! Sorry. I’m so ashamed for that.) You sang their jingle, too, didn’t you. My apologies for the earworm!

But these bars came out just right and made us BOTH happy!

A little gooey, a little chewy, just enough coconut without being dry, and coarse chopped toasted almonds on my side!

These come with a warning, though – – they’re VERY rich!! NOT complaining, OH my gawd no. These were KILLER good. But what you probably should do is cut them into small little squares and then top half with a whole toasted almond. I cut them into bars, and we needed tall glasses of milk to cure the sugar shock afterwards!! But soooo totally worth it!! 😀

I make about 6 different versions of these beloved classic bars, and these are one of my favorites of the bunch that actually have the fewest ingredients!

They’re quick as a SNAP of a finger to put together, and could not be more simple. But the flavor is anything but!

Do they really taste like the candy bars, though?

Yep. Yep they sure do!

Think classic Mounds and Almond Joy candy bars on top of a buttery, graham cracker crust!

OH YEA. 😉

Come to mama.

And since a whole pan goes so far and only uses one bag of chocolate chips, do “splurge” on real chocolate chips! I use Ghirardelli and I wouldn’t ever make them with a lesser quality chocolate chip! Since there are such few ingredients, each one needs to pack a nice punch! I used milk chocolate ones for this batch, but you can also use semi-sweet or even dark chocolate ones if you prefer.

Also, don’t use “el cheapo” sweetened coconut, either. No no-name brands to ruin the experience! Go for the good stuff! And always, always, always use a fresh bag! Coconut can stale and dry out quickly, and that also ruins the whole point and fun of it! 😉

Same goes for nuts. If at all possible, store them in a very air-tight container or freezer bag in the freezer. Or just buy a smaller amount at a time. Nuts can go rancid quickly and have a terrible aftertaste in no time once the package is opened, especially.

Not because I’m lazy, I have a mini chopper as well as a food processor that I wouldn’t part with for my life, but I do go ahead and buy the graham cracker crumbs in a box versus grinding the crackers myself. The crumbs are nicely fine and even, so I use what gives me the best results. If you prefer to grind them yourself, just make sure you get them very fine is all.

If you haven’t already finalized what treats you’re making this holiday season, or need “that one last one” in a hurry that uses minimal ingredients and comes together fast, you might want to save, Pin or print out these “Almond Joy vs. Mounds Magic Bars” so you have the recipe right on hand when you need them!

These bars are a huge hit, very rich so they go a long way, and really do taste just like the candy bars! I was sad to see this pan disappear! 😉 😀 Enjoy and Happy Baking! 😀

24 servings

Gooey Chewy Almond Joy vs. Mounds Magic Bars!

Ingredients

1 stick real butter, salted or unsalted
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk, I only use Eagle brand
1 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut
1 (11.5 oz.) bag quality milk chocolate, semi-sweet, or dark chocolate chips such as Ghirardelli
1 cup chopped toasted almonds (as desired) *or one whole toasted almond per square, optional - for Almond Joy lovers!

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325º.

When oven is heated, melt butter in a glass 13x9 baking dish in oven. Remove and swirl to coat bottom evenly.

Sprinkle top evenly with graham cracker crumbs.

Evenly sprinkle with coconut, then chocolate chips, *and almonds if desired.

Lightly press top with a fork.

Bake at 325º for 25 minutes.

Remove and cool. Chill if desired.

Cut into 24 bars. (6 longways and 4 short ways.)

Notes

*If using an old metal 13x9 cake pan, you'll want to heat your oven to 350º. Baking time is the same.