Almond Roca Bars

A close-up of a chocolate-topped bar cookie garnished with sliced almonds. One bar in the foreground has a bite taken out, revealing a soft, golden interior. Other bars and scattered almond slices are in the background.

5 from 6 votes

These Almond Roca Bars are famous in our family! They are the easiest dessert to whip up and can be done in 20 minutes flat (yes I have timed it!) They are soft and chewy, with a buttery brown sugar shortbread spiked with almond extract, then sprinkled with chocolate chips that melt into a gorgeous top layer!

Prep Time5

Cook Time15

Total Time20

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: Servings

Calories: 249kcal

Author: The Food Charlatan

Ingredients

1 cup butter 2 sticks, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar packed
1 large egg
1 teaspoon almond extract or 1.5 teaspoons
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt sometimes I use up to 1/2 teaspoon kosher
2 cups all purpose flour spooned and leveled
1 and 1/2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup sliced almonds toasted, optional

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9x13 inch pan with parchment paper, or spray with nonstick spray.
Make the dough. In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat the butter* until fluffy, about 1 minute. Remember to scrape the sides.
Add 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1/2 cup packed brown sugar. Beat another 1 minute, until fluffy, scraping the sides of the bowl halfway.
Add 1 egg, 1 teaspoon almond extract, and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Beat well until smooth, scraping down the bowl as you go.
Add 2 cups of flour. Use a spoon to add flour to the measuring cup, then level it off. You don't want to pack your flour in, or your bars won't be fudgy.
Spread in the prepared 9x13 pan. Use a spatula to scrape the (very wet) dough into the pan. Then get your hand wet, shake them off, and use your hands to press the dough into the pan evenly.
Bake at 350 for 13-15 minutes, or until it is set on the edges and turning golden. A little bit of golden browning in the center is okay, but just a few spots, (not brown across the whole top; that's over baked).
Immediately sprinkle the bars with 1 and 1/2 cups chocolate chips. (You can add a few more if you like...)
Let the chocolate sit undisturbed for 2-5 minutes to let the chocolate chips melt. (This is hard.)**
Use an offset spatula to spread the chocolate chips around to all the corners when they have melted.
If you love nuts, add 3/4 cup TOASTED sliced almonds on top of the melty chocolate.
Let cool, if you have a will of steel. Or just slice it up hot and serve on a plate with a fork...or with your hand over the kitchen sink.
Don't eat all at one time.
Storage: Cover the pan tightly and store it on the counter. Leave a butter knife in the pan for easy sneaking.
Freezing: you can freeze these bars! Wait for the pan to cool completely. For individual pieces, add cut pieces to a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet and flash freeze for 30-45 minutes, then transfer the pieces to a freezer ziplock bag. To freeze the whole pan, wrap it really well in 2 layers of plastic wrap, and then a layer or two of foil.
Frozen bars will last in the freezer for 4-6 weeks. After that, they may start to dry out and lose quality. To thaw, you can set the pan on the counter for several hours or until the chocolate is soft enough to cut through. An individual piece can be put on a plate and warmed with a cover over it in the microwave at 50% power for a minute or two, until it's as warm as you like it.

Notes

*BUTTER: If you have a stand mixer, you can start with cold butter and just beat and scrape the sides until it's creamy. If you are using an electric mixer, let your butter soften on the counter for at least a few minutes.

Or live dangerously and try my trick: put the butter in the microwave for one minute on power level ONE. I do this all the time. Who remembers to soften butter?? Not this girl.

*Melting the chocolate chips: If you waited too long to add the chocolate chips after baking, and the chips are not melting, stick the pan back in the still-warm oven for about 1 minute, then try spreading again. Your chocolate will start to seize up if you leave it in the too-hot oven for more than a minute or two, so don't go crazy.

Nutrition facts do not include the almonds.

Nutrition