I’m not playing when it comes to these chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie bars! These are Gluten Free, Dairy Free, and easily Vegan by swapping out just one ingredient!
The Main Reasons I Love These Bars
Now, as a Gluten Free Gal I can say that making any type of cookies makes me nervous and I am sure you all know what I am talking about…
That’s right! The crumby, dry, and borderline un-bakeable texture that usually are accompanied by gluten free cookies.
But you can have peace of mind when baking these because they are 100% chewy, moist, and most of all a bit melty in the middle, which pairs greatly with ice cream!
You may be wondering, what makes these not crumble like a nature valley bar as soon as you touch it? That would be starch my friends! This includes all starches, like corn starch, potato starch, and arrowroot starch. When adding a starch it acts as the main binder and basically makes that crumble situation disappear.
This is what you’ll need to make these Magical Bars:
Almond butter and peanut butter (the drippier the better)
Plant based butter
Non-dairy milk
Vanilla extract
Honey (or maple syrup for vegan)
Ground flaxseeds
Potato Starch
Almond flour
Coconut flour
Oat flour
Sea salt
Non-dairy mini chocolate chips
It may seem long, but every ingredient has a place and contributes to a chewy chocolate chip cookie bar. As mentioned before, the potato starch will act as the main binder.
You can also feel free to substitute the potato starch with arrowroot starch or cornstarch, you will just have to adjust the amount you add. For every Tablespoon of potato starch you should substitute with 2 tsp of arrowroot starch and cornstarch can be substituted in a 1:1 ratio. I admit I didn’t try substituting these in the recipe, but from my research and general knowledge of baking with starches these substitutions should be very similar since they are all starches.
These are a Triple Threat! They are:
Gluten Free
Dairy Free
Vegan (with one swap)
So, that means when you bring these to a party or a potluck, everyone can enjoy the Chocolate Chip Cookie Bar deliciousness!
Also, when looking at the nutritional information remember the key here is Healthier Chocolate Chip Cookie bars as these are a healthier alternative to the leading cookie usually has more than 20 grams of sugar and less than 2 grams of fiber.
These chewy, moist, and flavorful chocolate chip cookie bars are gluten free, dairy free, easily made vegan, and are lower in sugar than your average bars! Make this the ultimate dessert to top off your day!
Ingredients
Scale
Wet Ingredients
6 Tbsp peanut butter
6 Tbsp almond butter
1 Tbsp plant-based butter
6 Tbsp non-dairy milk
2 Tbsp Honey (maple-syrup if vegan)
1 Tbsp Flaxseed
1 3/4 tsp vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients
8 tsp potato starch
2 tbsp almond flour
2 Tbsp coconut flour
1/2 sifted oat flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup non-dairy mini chocolate chips
Instructions
In a microwave-safe medium-sized bowl add in the nut butters, butter, and milk and microwave for 20-30 seconds.
Add in the remaining wet ingredients, stir, and set aside.
Add all dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix until combined.
Add the wet to the dry. You should have a thick and moldable dough at this point.
Fold in the chocolate chips.
Spray an 8×8 pan (also feel free to use parchment paper here) and bake for 23-25 minutes. If you would prefer a doughier texture than I would recommend baking more around 20 minutes.
Take out and let cool for 10 minutes.
This goes great with ice cream so feel free to serve these yummy bars with it and enjoy!
Go back to your childhood with these Healthy Little Debbie Copycat Cosmic Brownie Bites! These are extremely fudgy, and made with natural ingredients like avocado and almond butter!
It may be hard to believe looking at them, but these are made with not 1, but 2 avocados.
The Avocados are what give this that nice fudgy texture that really reminds you of Little Debbie.
I impulsively made these one day when I was craving a brownie, but not just a typical brownie, a frosted thick brownie, but in bite-sized pieces.
After cruising down the isle at the grocery store to buy cacoa powder I passed Little Debbies Cosmic Brownies and BAM, I knew I had to make them!
As you know, Little Debbie is not a Healthy Childhood memory. It’s a sweet, sugary one that involves a lot of sugar, butter, and nothing gluten free or dairy free.
How Does One Health-ify These In A Tasty Way?
To make a gluten free and dairy free (look at recipe for sub.) homestyle version I start with the roots, the ingredients. I look at what a typical Little Debbie Cosmic Brownie Contains and I look at what I can swap.
I swapped almond flour for wheat flour
I Used Truvia and reduced the amount of sugar
Incorporated a plant-based butter
Made the frosting with almond butter as the base
Added Avocados to reduce the amount of butter needed and create a creamy texture
By making simple swaps like these I was able to make these a treat I could really enjoy more often and ya know eat them since they’re gluten free.
i recommend using a cocoa powder that is high quality and is unsweetened as well. Most cocoa powders are naturally unsweetened, but some cheap versions in grocery stores use sugar as a filler so I recommend looking at the label and if you see sugar…
Just Run…
To another store that will have better selection.
How To Make That Thick Frosting
Could a cosmic brownie ever be a real cosmic brownie without a thick and creamy frosting? Yeah, I didn’t think so.
To make the frosting all you’ll need is Almond butter, cocoa powder, non-dairy milk, and Truvia. Once you make it, pop it into a ziplock bag and cut a 1/4 inch slit in the corner. Then, simply pipe it onto the brownie bites and use a butter knife or spatula to spread it even.
The key to getting the right consistency for this to not add too much non-dairy milk. The icing should be able to be placed on a brownie bite without dripping.
Another important part of this recipe is to let these cool. You need to be able to apply the frosting without it melting off so I would let these cool for a good 15 minutes.
If you’ve tuned in this far I would like to sincerely thank you as I sit atop the antique knife I used to frost these.
As you can tell I like to get a bit crafty with my recipes and edits, which is why I consider myself a Food Photographer and a Food Blogger. I can’t pick just one.
Move over Little Debbie because these Healthy Cosmic Brownie Bites will take you back to your childhood. These are rich in cocoa and have a decadent fudgy texture.
Ingredients
Scale
Brownie Bites
2 ripe small avocados, pitted and skins removed (about 3/4 cup once pureed)
1/2 cup Truvia baking blend (or sweetener of choice)
1 Tbsp Truvia brown sugar (or sweetener of choice)
2.5 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup Lilly’s no sugar added chocolate chips (use dairy-free chocolate to make this recipe completely DF)
2.5 tsp plant-based butter
2 large eggs
1/3 cup +1 tbsp cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup almond meal/flour
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
(Optional) Sprinkles
Frosting
3 tbsp almond butter
5 tsp cocoa powder
2 tbsp non-milk
1.5 tbsp Truvia
5 Tbsp for topping (this is mandatory!)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.and line an 8×8 inch pan with parchment paper.
In a food processor, pulse together the avocado, Truvia, and vanilla until the texture is smooth.
Melt the chocolate chips in a microwave in increments of 30 minutes and add the melted chocolate to the food processor and blend until smooth.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the eggs until they form bubbles
Combine the chocolate and avocado mixture from the food processor.
Add in the cocoa powder, almond flour, and sea salt and stir until the texture has zero chunks in it.
Fill the mini muffin tins until they are 3/4 full and bake for 35-40 minutes. It may take longer depending on your oven and if you fill them more.
Once you can stick a toothpick in the brownie bites and no batter sticks to the toothpick they are done. Let them cool for 15 minutes before frosting them.
While the brownie bites are cooling make the frosting. In a small bowl, melt the almond butter in the microwave for 30 seconds until it is smooth. Then, combine the remaining ingredients into the small bowl with the almond butter.
Pour the frosting into a small ziplock bag and cut a very small hole in the corner of the plastic bag.
Once the brownies have cooled begin frosting the brownies starting from the center and moving outward in a circular motion until the brownie bite is covered in chocolate on top. Once complete add the sprinkles.
Keep these stored in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Notes
When making the frosting be sure to add milk slowly as this is a thick frosting and you don’t want to make it drippy by adding too much liquid. If you accidentally add to much simply add more almond butter until it thickens.
This was calculated using Lily’s no sugar added chips.
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