Gluten-free Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Healthy, insanely delicious chocolate chip cookie bars made with gluten-free ingredients that can easily be made vegan with one simple swap.

...because who doesn't love chocolate chip cookies—especially when they're made with better-for-you ingredients than most other recipes and still just as delicious...possibly even MORE delicious!

These cookie bars are crispy along the edges WITHOUT using any butter, and are super soft and moist in the center. You & whoever you share with (if you do have the strength to share these) will LOVE them!

Gluten-free Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

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Ingredients:

· 1 ½ cups almond flour (or 1 cup almond flour + ½ cup coconut flour)

· ¾ cup coconut sugar (can sub light brown sugar)

· 1 egg (or flax egg for dairy-free)

· ½ cup creamy peanut butter (or nut butter of choice...linked to my favorite creamy cashew butter!)

· ¼ cup unsweetened almond milk

· 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract

· 1 tsp baking powder

· ¼ tsp cinnamon

· 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (linked to the dairy-free ones I use!)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, line an 8x8 baking dish with parchment paper to grease & set aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the egg, coconut sugar, and vanilla until fluffy. Then add the peanut butter and stir until well combined.

3. In a separate, medium-size bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and cinnamon. Stir well.

4. Add half of the flour mixture to the wet mixture and stir well. Then add the remaining flour mixture and the milk, stirring until fully combined and forms into a dough (it will be slightly more ‘wet’/moist than typical cookie dough). Lastly, fold in the chocolate chips.

5. Transfer the mixture to the baking dish, using a spatula to spread and create an even surface. Bake for 25 minutes or until you can stick a toothpick all the way through the middle and it comes out clean.

6. Let cool for at least 15 minutes before cutting into 12 or 9 bars (depending on how big or small ya desire them to be). ENJOY!

Notes:

*I’ve made these bars using 1 cup of almond flour & ½ cup coconut flour (I was short on almond flour) and it worked perfectly!

*You can use chunky peanut butter if you prefer a little extra crunch.

*Leftover bars stay good in an airtight container kept at room temperature for up to 4 days.

xo Mackenzie.