No-Bake Cookie Dough Bars Recipe

No-Bake Cookie Dough Bars

Original Recipe: theconsciousplantkitchen.com

INGREDIENTS:

Cookie Dough Bars

• 1 cup peanut butter –  unsalted, no sugar added, fresh runny jar
• ½ cup  Maple syrup (or choose a low-carb version of your choice)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 cup almond flour
• ¼ cup coconut flour
• ½ cup dark chocolate chips of your choice

Chocolate ganache layer

• 3.5 oz  dark chocolate of your choice
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil – melted

DIRECTIONS:

• Line a 9-inch x 5-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, add peanut butter, maple syrup, salt, and vanilla.
• Combine with a spatula until creamy and evenly combined.
• Stir in almond flour and coconut flour with a spatula. When it starts to be difficult to stir, add the chocolate chips and knead the dough with your hands.
• Transfer the cookie dough into the prepared pan and press the dough all over the pan to form an even layer.
• Freeze for 10 minutes while you are making the chocolate layer
• In a small saucepan, add dark chocolate and coconut oil. Melt them on medium heat, stirring all the time to prevent the chocolate from burning. You can also melt the mixture in the microwave using a glass bowl. Microwave for 1 minute, stir, and repeat in 30-second bursts until the chocolate is fully melted.
• Remove the bar from the freezer and pour the melted chocolate onto the cookie dough bar.
• Spread the chocolate evenly, then bring the pan back to the freezer for 5-8 minutes until the chocolate layer is set.

PRO-TIPS:

• Maple syrup swap: use any liquid sweetener you like, same amount. The best vegan options are brown rice syrup, agave syrup, coconut nectar, or date syrup.
• Coconut flour swap: can be replaced by the same amount of vanilla pea protein powder for a protein boost.
• Peanut butter swap: you can use almond butter, cashew butter, or sunflower seed butter. Make sure the nut butter is fresh, runny, with oil on top, or the bars would be dry.
• Add a pinch of sea salt to the top to serve
• To store, cut into 16 small bars and store bars in an airtight box in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
• You can also freeze the bars in a zip-lock bag. Defrost on the counter for 2 hours before eating or enjoy half frozen.