I finally made some time to play in the kitchen with a new baked good recipe and boy am I glad I did. I have been craving chocolate chip cookies like crazy lately but rather than another cookie recipe, which there are a ton of all over the internet, I wanted to make cookie bars. These tasty beauties are soft and chewy and the chocolate just melts in your mouth. They satisfy that craving for chocolate chip cookies, and then some.
I made these with coconut oil, since that is what I had on hand, but I cannot wait to try it with palm shortening, since whenever I have made cookies with it they are always extra incredible. But, these are definitely not lacking in any way! These bars would be great with other goodies added like dried cherries, chopped walnuts, coconut, etc.
I cannot wait to share these with my parent’s tonight after dinner. I made these last night and I couldn’t try them until today after I took photos and the anticipation was killing me. As much as I don’t necessarily want to share these, I am quite happy to not only have other recipe testers around, but also a few more mouths to eat my creations, to save me from sitting down and eating ALL of them! Also two more people to judge me if I am a pig and eat ALL of them in one day. Ooh it’s so tempting.
[print_this]Grain-Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars – Gluten-Free + Dairy-Free
- 2 1/2 cups blanched almond flour (I use Honeyville)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/3 cup honey
- 2 extra-large local farm fresh brown eggs
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted (grass-fed butter, palm shortening or ghee will also work)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened non-dairy milk (I used almond)
- 3/4 cup dairy-free gluten-free semi-sweet chocolate chips (I like Chocolate Dream or Enjoy Life)
- 1/4 cup walnuts (optional)
Preheat the oven to 350º F and lightly grease the bottom and sides of an 8″ square baking pan with coconut oil.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all of the dry ingredients. In a smaller bowl, add all of the wet ingredients. Mix well with a hand mixer or a whisk. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix very well with a hand mixer. Then fold in the chocolate chips and nuts (if you are including) with a spatula.
Pour all of the batter into the greased pan and spread evenly with a spatula or your hands, gently press in.
Bake for 20 – 25 minutes until the top is nice and golden brown and the center is no longer doughy. Allow to cool 10-15 minutes before cutting into bars or they could fall apart.
*These keep best in an air-tight container in the fridge. You could put these in the microwave for a few seconds when serving to take the chill off or to get them slightly warm. [/print_this]
79 Responses
Mmmmm these look yum. Could imagine these going down well with a cold glass of almond milk.
You have no idea how excited I am to try this recipe! I am trying to go gluten free so I have basics (almond flour, coconut flour etc) so I don’t have all the “special mix” of flour. When I read the recipe I was exstatic to see that it was only blanched almond flour! I have that! Woohoo! My mouth waters with every recipe you put up but this basic chocolate chip cookie just got me so excited because this is such a comfort food and it is a “light at the end of the tunnel” so to speak. Thank you so much Beth!
You are so welcome Joanna and I hope you really enjoy these. Thanks so much for taking time to comment! xo
I am allergic to eggs and almonds…do you think it would work with coconut flour and an egg replacer?
Sarah coconut flour and almond flour are definitely not interchangeable, they behave completely differently in recipes, so no it would definitely not work. Other nut or seeds flours would likely work but other than that I cannot make any suggestions for substitutions. I haven’t made these with an egg replacer or any kind, so I cannot say for sure on that. I would likely try a flax seed or chia seed replacer, but I cannot promise anything as I haven’t tried it. If you do try it, please respond back with your results. Thanks.
I tried these last night using chia seed eggs and pumpkin seeds instead of almond flour. I just whipped the pumpkin seeds up in my food processor, so they were not a fine flour. Also, I mistakenly put in peppermint instead of vanilla! I cooked them for 30 minutes at 350 and they still were very gooey, so I set the oven at 375 and baked them for about 10 more minutes. They are still pretty gooey this morning but they hold together. Next time I might just try a gluten free grain flour. I am allergic to almonds. 🙁
Thanks again for a great recipe!
I just took these out of the pan after cooling 15 mins as suggested. When I was mixing them I thought…”I don’t see this recipe working” as the mixture was just too dry and crumbly. The only diversion I made (obviously huge) was to use coconut flour instead of the almond flour. This has to be the reason. They are so dry and crumbly you could not possibly eat them unless you used a spoon. I wanted them for my Dad who is late stage Parkinsons with significant swallowing problems and a HUGE fan of the Bounty Coconut Chocolate bar. There is no way Dad could eat this. It would choke him so I will try it again with the almond flour but in the mean time my dilema is how to use up and not waste this pan full of coconut/chocolate crumbs:( Any ideas? I am listening.
Linda
Linda – OK so yes you made a HUGE substitution, in using coconut flour instead of almond flour. There is absolutely NO way that would ever work in this recipe. Coconut flour is much much more absorbent than almond flour and calls for a far different ratio than the almond flour in recipes. If you wish to make this recipe with something other than almond flour, like another nut flour or possibly a seed flour, that would work, but I would never recommend using coconut flour. If you wish to use coconut flour when baking, I suggest you stick to recipes that are developed specially for only using coconut flour. It is definitely it’s own beast.
As far as what to do with the leftovers, without know what it tastes like or the consistency I cannot make too many recommendations, but maybe crumble it up and toast it, adding in some nuts and seeds and turn it into a granola that you could eat as a cereal or over yogurt or ice cream?
Thanks.
Thanks Beth. Never again will I use coconut flour in the wrong way. I have found a no bake chocolate peanut butter cup (dad loves both) on pinterest and instead of the graham crackers used in the peanut butter…guess what I’ll be using:) (one use for these dried out coconut squares). Thanks for the granola tip.
sarah, you can use rice flour and arrowroot or tapioca as well. And flax instead of enerG replacer. I have used the land o lakes gluten free toll house recipe as my base and modified as needed. I dont use dairy eggs or sugar even heh so it is defiantly a good base recipe. Check it out.
)
Thanks you guys for these tips! I will try and make these this weekend and report back. Sarah, I will check out that land o lakes GF toll house recipe. thank you!!
Boyoyboy, Beth, these look scrumptious! And I even have all the ingredients. Sounds like the right karma to get busy in the kitchen 😉 Thanks lots for sharing. Hope everything is going ok with the move. xLinda
Thanks so much Linda, I hope you enjoy these if you make them. Yes everything is moving right along with the move. Flying out to Cali in less than 2 weeks to search for our home, hope to be out there by March 1. We cannot wait.
You could almost call these blondies. They look really unctuous and I can’t wait to try one with a cup of tea. Thanks for sharing this delicious looking recipe 🙂
Ooh I never thought of that on the blondies. I am not sure if I have ever had a proper blondie to be honest! I just know these taste like a yummy square of chocolate chip cookie dough goodness!! Thanks so much!
You are my favorite person right now. I totally can’t wait to get home and make these!!!!!
haha!! Yay. I hope you like these Alissa. I had to share the leftovers with the whole family last night and now they are gone, so I am already thinking about making them again this weekend.
Beth,
Thanks for sharing your recipe! These look amazing!! Do you think 2 (or 3) regular “large” eggs would work instead of 2 “extra large” eggs?
Thanks!
Megan
I think two large, would probably work just fine. To be honest, I always say “Large eggs” in my recipes since that is what I thought I was buying from our local co-op, but when I looked at the carton this time I noticed it said “extra-large”. I put it next to one of my mom’s regular large eggs and it wasn’t noticeably larger. So I say go with two 🙂
Ok, will do, thanks Beth! 🙂
They were AWESOME!!!
Thanks so much Kerry! I am so glad you enjoyed them. I wish I had more right now 😉
Gluten free and dairy free Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars recipes sounds awesome. I just wanted to try. Pictures are making my mouth watering. Thank you for the recipe.
Ooooh wow, those look crazy delicious. Give me a glass of milk and some of these babies and I’m sold :)! Also I agree with Jessy, your photos cause some tummy rumbles.
I tried these tonight and unfortunately they came out terribly 🙁
I followed the recipe to a T with the exception of using Red Mill Almond flour/meal. Otherwise everything else was the same. It came out the consistency of a cake and all the chocolate chips had sunk to the bottom of the pan and kind of burnt. The texture was grainy also…I just didn’t imagine the change in flour brand would make that much of a difference. Not sure what happened. I’ll keep trying other recipes though! If you have any insight let me know (I’ve never baked with almond meal/flour before).
Hi Shannon, sorry to hear this. I’ve actually stopped baking with Bob’s Red Mill Almond Flour. It just doesn’t behave the same in recipes as other almond flours and this tends to be true across the board. Many people have found this to be true too as I see it mentioned on other blogs all the time.
I guess I tend to forget this and/or assume most people know and I didn’t post about it, but I used to whenever I shared a recipe with almond flour.
Quite a few people have tested this recipe and it turned out great so it has to be the Bob’s Red Mill flour for you. Sorry again.
Thanks for your response.
You are my favorite person!! These came out amazing. Its interesting because I just read the above comment, I used Bob’s almond flour and I thought they were incredible, and didn’t have an issue. I am going to try a new almond flour though, see how that works (I didn’t know it reacts differently than other brands!). I went with butter instead of coconut oil, and swapped the honey for maple. I am going to make these all the time, they came out sooooo good!! Hubby was obsessed too!! Thanks again!! <3
I stumbled across your blog and made these yesterday. My family loved them and next time I want to make them with chia egg replacers. I used homemade almond flour and it turned out a little cakie but I expected that. Thanks again they were a big hit!
These were SOOOOOOOOOO amazing. I could have eaten the whole pan. I may or may not have eaten half of it. Oh. my. goodness. I used three large eggs instead of two extra large and a tablespoon of coconut milk instead of almond just to use what I had on hand, and they were absolutely delicious! My apartment has never smelled so good!
I love the look of these cookie bars, I’ve just bought some coconut oil as well, so will be giving these a go 🙂
These are delicious!!! Thanks for the recipe. I used palm shortening and it turned out great. Oh, and Bob’s almond flour. They’re great!
So glad you enjoyed Christina! I need to make these again, they are my favorite!
[…] I made these Chocolate Chip Bars on the weekend and they were SO good!! http://tasty-yummies.com/2013/01/22/grain-free-chocolate-chip-cookie-bars-gluten-free-dairy-free/ […]
These were amazing! I added coconut as I didn’t have any walnuts and they were so good! Thanks for the recipe.
There is no nutritional difference (or any other real difference) between brown or white eggs, as different breeds of chickens lay different colored eggs. Truly free-ranging hens will make a huge difference in the taste/quality of eggs, though. Or duck eggs are actually more nutritious and great for baking, if you can find them 🙂
This is correct Julie. Which is why I never say that there is any difference. I just try to be as clear as I can be with exactly what ingredients I am using so other folks know exactly how I make it. Thanks for sharing.
Can these be made with coconut flour instead of almond flour?
[…] http://tasty-yummies.com/2013/01/22/grain-free-chocolate-chip-cookie-bars-gluten-free-dairy-free/ […]
[…] 6. Grain-Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars Getting the grains out is a great step towards making these Paleo friendly chocolate chip cookies. There’s something about chocolate chip cookies in bar form that just makes them taste better, it’s like they’re brownies but they have the flavor of cookies. […]
These look amazing! My kind of recipe for sure. Love the ingredient list and they look like they have a great texture. Definitely going to try at some point! 🙂
[…] Grain Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars | Tasty Yummies […]
I made these this weekend and they were so yummy!!! I used ghee and it was delish! I also added a lil bit of cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice as I’m a obsessed with them both right now, and it made them even more yummy- unthinkable since they are so yum on their own!
[…] I can make these later today. I’ll be back to post a picture, but here’s a link to the recipe in the mean […]
It’s really hard for me to not change a recipe – replacing the coc oil with pasture butter was quite tempting. I resisted the urge and followed your lead to a T and it turned out great – super satisfying! This is a keeper. I will try butter next time just to assuage my curiosity. Thank you!
Made these last night because I was craving chocolate chip cookies SO BADLY! They tasted very yummy, but if I would have baked them in a loaf pan & added a mashed banana they would have been perfect banana bread! They were VERY fluffy and bready. Delicious still, but yours seem to look much more dense and cookie like. I did use palm oil and I’m wondering if that made such a huge difference! I LOVE your website! Keep up the good work! Enjoying going through & making your recipes.
[…] Lightly adapted from a recipe on the blog Tasty Yummies. […]
These look so good. I want to make them for the superbowl! Can I use almond meal instead of almond flour? If not, what is the best brand of almond flour that you recommend? Thank you.
Hi Sara, I am so sorry for the late reply, I am slowly getting caught up on comments.
Typically almond meal doesn’t react the same as blanched almond flour in baked goods. I haven’t tried it in this recipe myself, so I cannot say for sure. I prefer this brand, myself. I have never been disappointed in it, in the least.
So sorry again for the delay in responding.
I just made these. I baked them for 25 minutes and then let them cool for ten before I cut them into bars. They turned out perfect. My boyfriend and I love them. Will definitely be making more of these soon. I know this batch won’t last long. Thanks for the great recipe. It’s also good for the paleo diet which is a bonus because it can be hard to find good baking recipes that are paleo that turn out well.
Can I leave out the small amount of non-dairy milk???
I’m wondering the same thing. I wonder what the purpose of it is….just moisture?
Just a little moisture, yes! I go by feeling when I am creating a recipe and after I had added all the ingredients in when I tested the recipe, it seemed a tad dry. But, I would say, having made this many many times, I bet you could leave it out if you really wanted to. I haven’t tried it myself, but I guess it’s worth a shot if you really can’t have it in there.
I’m so happy to find this recipe! Our Super Bowl Sunday party always has Blondie Bars. NOW, I can make a paleo version for next year!
[…] these chocolate chip bars just look DELICIOUS! I’ve made them a few times and I’m obsessed. I find that I crave […]
Just made ’em! Mine turned out very big and fluffy… and delicious! I can’t wait for my boyfriend and co-workers to try them. 🙂 Thanks!
Which oil did you use- coconut??
I used Kerrygold butter. I’m a fan. 😉
Thanks Aimee for response!
Just wondering if the coconut oil in the ingredients is the oil used to grease the pan, or if you grease the pan with coconut oil, and then use the measured amount in the ingredients in the cookies as well.
Hello Beth! I REALLY LOVE your wheat-free recipes!! Was just wondering if there a substitute for honey in all your recipes? I’m thinking honey doesn’t just act as a sweetener so I can’t just leave it out yea? Does honey act as a binding agent too? Can I sub it for mashed fruit like avocado?
Great recipe, thanks! The texture of mine were more cake-like than bar-like, but the flavor was great and it satisfied my craving. I used Bob’s Red Mill almond flour (because it’s what I had) and I baked mine in a glass pan, rather than a metal pan (again, because it’s what I had). Not sure what effect those changes had on the final product. I will definitely be making these again! Looking forward to trying the Meyer lemon bars next.
Alison,
I did the same thing and my bars were a little more cake-like too. So it must be the Bob’s and maybe the glass pan. Although I used parchment paper instead of greasing the pan since I’m lazy 😉
Beth, Thank you so much for this recipe. I made ’em tonight and my husband loved loved loved them! I added shaved coconut to the chocolate chips and they were amazeballs! I’m off to look at more of your recipes.
These were great. I made them yesterday for a Memorial Day bbq because the hostess is gluten free. They were a huge hit, even people who are not gluten-free loved them and went back for seconds.
Hi, I stumbled across your site on Pinterest! Really looking forward to trying this recipe. Just curious about your use of honey, is that in place of sugar?
Marie
Hi thanks! Nope not in place of honey, just the sweetener I prefer to use here. If you opted for sugar or another granulated sweetener, you may want to add a bit more liquid (almond milk, coconut oil, or a little of both) to account for the lack of liquid when removing the honey. Hope that helps.
Hi!
I was hoping to make these for my baby’s first birthday since a few guests have food
intolerances ( and I love healthy/no sugar baking!). Do you think I could make these a few days in advance and freeze them?
Thanks!!
Gul, that’s a great question. I have never tried freezing them myself, I am not one for freezing very often, but I suppose it should work. Just wrap them up all tight before they go into the freezer!! If you do try it, please let me know how it works out for you. Thanks! Happy birthday to your little one 😉
Dear Beth, I am really excited to bake this recipe for my husband and step son. I’m very impressed with your photos, they look delicious!! I’m not very good in the kitchen, actually I’m terrible lol but you made this recipe look easy to follow. Thank you so very much for sharing it and as soon as I’m done here I plan to read the rest of your blog:):)
Can you tell me how many servings this makes?
Well that depends on how you cut the bars. It’s an 8-inch square pan that I usually cut them into 9 square bars, but it could be cut into many different sized bars so the serving size would vary.
How many servings do these make?
Well that depends on how you cut the bars. It’s an 8-inch square pan that I usually cut them into 9 square bars, but it could be cut into many different sized bars so the serving size would vary.
How many calories per bar are there? Thanks in advance!
Wow!!!!! I am paleo and this is the BEST dessert I’ve ever had! Thank you so much for sharing this is delicious!
Hi I plan to make these for a large group of people–some of whom are Paleo. I’ve been allergic to milk since birth. But, as always when I making food in large quantities, I try a test pan first. I have to admit when I first mixed these up, they looked too gooey. ThAt surprised me, as I am in the high desert above 5000 feet. (Usually stuff is too dry) I made them as directed. I baked them as directed. They pushed up and browned in the pan like a geographic cake. They smelled absolutely delicious. I waited to cut them. The result: A somewhat cake-like amazing facsimile of the Nestlé toll House pan cookie! They were beautifully brown and I didn’t have to make any high-altitude adjustments. Oh, I left the nuts out, just to see if they’d have enough flavor without. They did, but I’m sure with the nuts they be even more amazing. In case anyone is interested, my Almond flour was from vitamin cottage. I also used enjoy life mini- chips. delish! Time to go make multiple pans of the stuff 🙂
YAYYYY! this makes me so happy. I love hearing success stories like this. Thanks so much for sharing and for also including your tips. Thanks so much for reading. Be well. xo
Thank you SO much for this great recipe. I have recently started a gluten free, refined sugar free and soy free diet and this recipe was perfect! My husband doesn’t like coconut and can taste it if I put anything coconut in a recipe so I have made it both with ghee and grass-fed butter and both were delicious. I also found myself making this recipe so often that I recently decided to double it and make it in a 9×13 pan and that turned out great as well. Every time I’ve made it I have only needed to cook it for about 17 minutes, not sure why. One other tip, I find you don’t need quite as many chocolate chips if you use the Enjoy Life mini -chips since there are more chips in the same volume. Obviously the chocolate chips are delicious but it’s just one way to save a few calories. Thanks again for a great recipe!
I made these today. They are absolutely delicious! I used almond meal and it worked fine. It just needed an extra 10 minutes in the oven. I used an extra egg since all I had were large vs extra large. I accidentally added a 12oz bag of chocolate chips instead of 3/4c…. Very chocolate-y delicious, no regrets, but will stick to the recipe next time. Thank you for sharing this most delightful and decadent dessert.