Peanut Butter Cookie Bars

Peanut Butter Cookie bars are soft and gooey bars that have the taste and texture of soft peanut butter cookies! Loaded with peanut butter flavor and full of chocolate chips, this peanut butter cookie bars recipe is secretly healthy! 

Is there anything better than recipes using chocolate chips and peanut butter? We love peanut butter cookies, chocolate peanut butter balls and these incredible peanut butter chocolate chip bars.

Have you ever made cookie bars before? Cookie bars are all the best parts of cookies, but prepared in a much easier and simple to prepare!

These peanut butter cookie bars will be a new favorite recipe of yours! Unlike traditional cookie bar recipes, these are secretly healthy! These are made without eggs, without refined sugar and dairy!

Taste wise, they are full of a delicious chocolate and peanut butter flavor, mostly sweet but the subtle hints of saltiness we adore. Texture wise, they are soft, chewy and gooey. Every mouthful will be filled with melted chocolate. 

Naturally low carb and keto, these peanut butter chocolate chip cookie bars recipe is also completely vegan and gluten free!

How to make peanut butter cookie bars

The Ingredients

• Almond flour– Blanched almond flour keeps the peanut butter cookie bars light instead of dense. You can use almond meal, but it will be a heavier texture.
• Coconut Flour– Works well with the almond flour to give a soft, cake-like texture. Do not omit or substitute this for something else. 
• Granulated sweetener of choice– Either erythritol or monk fruit sweetener will work. If you don’t follow any specific diet, you can use any granulated sweetener of choice.
• Peanut Butter– Smooth and drippy peanut butter is a must. Crunchy or all natural will be difficult to mix into the dough. 
• Milk of choice– Any milk of choice will work. I used unsweetened coconut milk.
• Flax egg OR whole egg– If you follow a vegan diet, use a flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons water). If not, a large, room temperature egg is best. 
• Vanilla extract– A must for any cookie or baked good recipe!
• Chocolate Chips– Any chocolate chips of choice will work. For ultra gooey chocolate, use a chopped up chocolate bar. 

The Instructions

1. Prepare the flax egg first so it has time to set and form a gel. 
2. Bake the cookie bars in an 8 x 8-inch pan, so the bars will be nice and thick.
3. Combine your dry ingredients and your wet ingredients separately, before combining them together. 
4. Fold in your chocolate chips, along with reserving a few to top the cookie bars with.
5. Bake the cookie bars until golden on the outside and a toothpick comes out ‘just’ clean from the center.
6. Allow the cookie bars to cool completely in the pan, before slicing up into bars

Can I substitute the peanut butter?

To make these cookie bars without peanut butter (necessary to ensure this is paleo friendly), you can substitute it with another nut butter or a nut-free spread.

Alternative nut butter options include almond butter (smooth) and cashew butter.

Nut-free alternatives include sunflower seed butter, wow butter and smooth tahini. 

Storing and Freezing Tips

• To store: These peanut butter chocolate chip bars can be stored at room temperature. Ensure they are either in a sealed container or on a plate covered in plastic wrap. They will keep at room temperature for up to 5 days. They can also be refrigerated, and will keep well for up to 2 weeks. 
• To freeze: Peanut Butter Cookie bars are freezer friendly and can be stored in the freezer. Wrap each cookie bar individually in parchment paper and place in a ziplock or freezer bag. 

Serving tips

For thick and chewy peanut butter chocolate chip cookie bars- Enjoy either directly from the fridge. 

For soft and gooey cookie bars- Enjoy at room temperature, or heat up in the microwave or oven until warm and gooey. 

These chocolate chip cookie bars would also be perfect with a scoop of keto vanilla ice cream or keto chocolate ice cream or even crumbled over some keto oatmeal!

More Easy Desserts you’ll enjoy

• No Bake Cheesecake
• Chocolate cheesecake
• 4 Ingredient Chocolate Tart
• Coconut Cream Pie
• Homemade Star Crunch 

Peanut Butter Cookie Bars (Secretly Healthy!)

5 from 252 votes

These peanut butter cookie bars are a soft, chewy and gooey dessert made secretly healthy! Loaded with peanut butter and chocolate chips, these peanut butter chocolate chip bars are keto and low carb, but you'd never tell!

Servings: 12 Bars

Prep: 5 mins

Cook: 25 mins

Total: 30 mins

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Ingredients  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 flax egg can use a large egg
• ▢ 1 cup blanched almond flour
• ▢ 2 tablespoon coconut flour
• ▢ 1 cup granulated sweetener of choice
• ▢ 1/2 cup peanut butter can sub for any nut or seed butter of choice
• ▢ 1/4 cup coconut milk
• ▢ 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ 1/4-1/2 cup chocolate chips of choice

Instructions 

• Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Line an 8 x 8-inch pan with parchment paper and set aside.
• Prepare your flax egg by combining 1 tablespoons ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons of water. Allow sitting for 10 minutes, until a gel is formed. 
• In a large mixing bowl, combine your dry ingredients and mix well. In a seperate small bowl, combine your flax egg, peanut butter, coconut milk, and vanilla extract and mix very well. 
• Combine your wet mixture into the dry mixture and mix well, until fully combined. Fold through your chocolate chips, reserving a few to top the cookie bars with. 
• Pour the cookie bar batter into the lined pan and spread out evenly. Top with chocolate chips and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and a toothpick comes out the center 'just' clean. 
• Remove cookie bars from the oven and allow to cool in the pan completely, before slicing into bars. 

Notes

For ultra gooey bars, remove from the oven around the 20-minute mark. 

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars can be stored at room temperature and will keep for 5 days, covered. They are best stored in the fridge, and can be stored in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1BarCalories: 135kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 5gFat: 12gSodium: 53mgPotassium: 87mgFiber: 2gCalcium: 27mgIron: 1mgNET CARBS: 3g

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Author: Arman

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