Coconut Cookie Butter Bars
We're finally getting settled into our new place in Long Beach, and totally loving it. We have both a Trader Joe's and a Jamba Juice within walking distance (melt my heart!), and have gotten back to our daily runs, which is great for both my rear end and Maddie's. Alex and I have been dating almost 5 years (holy cow!) and this is our first place we've lived just the two of us. And seriously, we're loving it. I finally don't feel guilty about setting up a food shoot on the counter and not picking it up for hours, or for filling the fridge with vegan goodies and crowding out my roommates food stores. This is gonna be a great move for us. And to celebrate our first new recipe in our new kitchen, I got a little splurgy. This sweet treat is a celebration of independence and deliciousness, of new beginnings and late night snacking- and man, it is good. But I won't lie, its a dessert you may want to eat in moderation. Its rich, fudgy, and filled with crunchy, sweet cookie butter...perfect for celebrating, and even better when shared with your significant other.
Before we go any further, a couple quick notes:
1) We used Trader Joe's brand crunchy speculoos cookie butter, which is NOT gluten-free. In our recipe, we offer both a GF and regular flour mixture as options, but to keep this recipe totally gluten-free, try making your own cookie butter from Foodie Fiasco's tried and true recipe. 2) This recipe is a little time consuming, with all the refrigeration. To make it easier on yourself, cook the base the night before, and prep the rest in the morning when the cake has had all night to set. 3) This is a seriously decadent dessert. We cut our bars into about 12 large squares, but each time we eat one, Alex and I end up splitting it, so feel free to cut these into much smaller-even bite sized- pieces. Ingredients: Sugar Cookie Layer: 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour OR gluten-free all purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon xantham gum (only if using GF flour) 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 cups organic sugar (we used coconut sugar, which is why our batter is slightly browner than usual) 1 cup coconut oil or vegan butter 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 mashed, ripe bananas (medium sized) 1/2 cup shredded coconut Cookie Butter Layer: 1/2 cup coconut oil or vegan butter 1 cup cookie butter Chocolate Layer: 1/2 cup coconut oil or vegan butter 1 cup chocolate chips or chopped bar chocolate
Directions:
Sugar Cookie Layer: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine flour, xantham (if using), baking powder and salt. Set aside. In a stand mixer, beat together sugar and coconut oil (or butter) until whipped, about 1 full minute on high speed. Add in vanilla and bananas, and continue to mix until combined. Add in dry ingredients and mix again, until a batter forms. Toss in shredded coconut and mix one last time to distribute it throughout the batter. Pour batter into a greased or lined 8x8 glass baking dish (for thinner bars, feel free to use a 9x13 inch pan), and bake for 30 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes clean. When finished, let cool on the counter for at least an hour (but up to overnight), or in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to set. While cooling, make cookie butter mixture. Cookie Butter Layer: In a small saucepan, combine the coconut oil or vegan butter and cookie butter over low heat. Stir frequently, until mixture melts together, then promptly remove from heat and let cool and thicken. Once thickened to the consistency of slightly thinned cookie butter, pour/ spread mixture over cooled cookie base. Immediately store in the fridge or freezer, to set cookie butter layer, for about 30 minutes. While setting, begin chocolate layer. Chocolate Layer: In a small saucepan, combine chocolate and coconut oil or vegan butter over low heat, stirring frequently until mixture melts together. Remove from heat and pour chocolate mixture over chilled cookie butter layer, immediately placing bars back into the fridge or freezer for about 30 more minutes to set completely. Once the entire cake has set, remove from fridge or freezer, and cut. If frozen, allow cake to warm slightly to room temperature so the chocolate doesn't crack. Cut into 12 (or more) squares, and serve. Saves well in a covered container in the fridge for about a week, or in the freezer indefinitely. Enjoy!
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41 Comments
lesley
3/1/2014 05:29:01 am
Sounds like we're neighbors. I live in Belmont Shore.
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Kriss
3/9/2014 03:08:44 am
This is simply vegetarian, is NOT vegan, it has got chocolate on it which contains MILK.
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Kriss
3/9/2014 03:17:27 am
WOW yet ANOTHER non vegan ingredient, BUTTER, it is in the cookie butter mix. I just checked the ingredients. SO, this is nothing like a vegan food in any way shape or form. Sorry people but do you actually know what veganism is?????
Amber link
3/9/2014 03:18:58 am
Hi Kriss. Actually, being a vegan for nearly 5 years now, I'm quite familiar with eating dairy-free chocolate. In fact, most dark chocolate with at least 65% percent cocoa is almost ALWAYS vegan. While MILK chocolate is not, and carob is a fine, but much more bitter substitute, dark chocolate is perfectly acceptable and vegan. Perhaps you'll find this link useful: {http://vegnews.com/articles/page.do?pageId=4371&catId=2}.
Mare
3/9/2014 03:38:37 am
not all chocolates contain milk products. most of the higher cocoa chocolates, usually 70% and above, are vegan. need to read the labels, though.
Nic
3/10/2014 02:25:05 am
There's no butter in the cookie butter...that's like saying peanut butter has butter in it just because of the name. O_o it's non-dairy butter flavor. It's your discretion whether you choose to use the butter or not, but don't attack someone for their choice to use something that inherently looks to be vegan - it's just not particularly good for you with all the oils and sugars.
Puff
3/10/2014 06:35:33 am
Cocoa does not have milk if it is raw. My thing is how to reduce the sugar, might try NOW brand Stevia powder, they have an equivelancy worked out for the ratio to use for sugar in a recipe.
Nick
7/16/2014 11:14:31 am
I buy dairy-free chocolate chips all the time. Such a silly ignorant comment.
Natalie
11/15/2019 08:09:33 pm
Ok boomer
Barb@ThatWasVegan? link
3/4/2014 05:32:36 am
These look wonderful, and if I was your roommate I'd never be upset about you leaving these on the counter :)
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jude
3/8/2014 03:20:20 am
excuse my ignorance but what is cookie butter?
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kay
3/8/2014 03:34:14 am
THat's the same thing I was wondering?
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Rob
3/8/2014 03:57:35 am
http://bakingbites.com/2011/12/what-is-biscoff-spread/
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kay link
3/8/2014 03:32:41 am
Whats the difference between cookie butter and the cookie butter layer?
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Amber link
3/8/2014 05:46:15 am
Cookie butter is an ingredient IN the cookie butter layer, which is made of cookie butter + coconut oil. Hope that helps!
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Linda
3/8/2014 11:20:19 am
Where do you get cookie butter from? Never heard of it
Wanda
3/8/2014 11:39:28 pm
hello Linda,you can find cookie butter at Trader Joe's and it is delicious,it's great on toast and bagels as well.
Tash
3/8/2014 04:43:18 am
Bummer we can't get cookie butter here. Any ideas for a sub? Peanut butter?
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Amber link
3/8/2014 05:49:37 am
Absolutely! I might recommend crushing a couple of your favorite cookies into the peanut butter to make the texture a little crunchy, but plain peanut butter should work fine on its own!
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Ginger Stark
3/8/2014 08:10:17 am
You also have a Veggie Grill restaurant and Nektar juice bar near you. I highly recommend if you haven't tried them! Can't wait to try this recipe :)
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Andy
3/8/2014 07:58:16 pm
Bananas and I have a mutual dislike, any ideas for a sub?
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Amber link
3/9/2014 03:22:02 am
Hey Andy! Try using applesauce! It will work similarly as a binder and to provide moistness in the cakes. Try subbing in about 1/2 cup of applesauce per banana.
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Caitlin
3/9/2014 01:08:28 am
Can I use Splenda? Just trying to cut calories! If I use Splenda, since it is sweeter than regular sugar should I use half the amount?
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Susan
3/10/2014 01:07:57 am
You might try Stevia instead of splenda or coconut sugar, it's about a 1:1 ratio and I have had success using it in recipes.
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Amber link
3/9/2014 03:23:17 am
Hi Cailtlin! I don't really use Splenda, so I'm not exactly sure what the conversion would be, but if that's how you NORMALLY substitute it in for sugar in recipes, then give it a try! Best of luck!
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Morena
3/9/2014 12:10:02 pm
OK so from some of the comments here I can only deduce that not eating animal products makes you both rude and stupid (eg. not working out for yourself that when it says "chocolate" you can actually choose to buy a chocolate that has no dairy). So while the animals will thank you for your choices, the humans around you may not be quite so happy.
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Laura L
3/9/2014 12:40:59 pm
Sadly it is the uneducated vegan who is first to name call. Once yoy get a few years under your belt and set your priorities straight hopefully you will learn to ask questiond before calling names. I think most of us are in this for the love! Embrace veganism, fellow vegans and the fact that you have a LOT to learn about food and enjoy the trip! These look amazing!
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Nic
3/10/2014 02:16:14 am
Actually I've noted it to be the opposite. I've been attacked by fellow vegans (that have been vegan for a few years), for being less pushy about veganism and not specifying in my recipes a vegan alternative. I thought we were pretty smart and could make our own choices about which "butter" and "chocolate" to use. Ya know, brand and price preferences, etc. I've also been attacked for letting my friends make their own choices - if they don't care enough to change after everything I post and share on facebook then what is shoving it down their throats really going to get me apart from possibly losing friends? which I'm not willing to do over differences in lifestyle. I've learned that most vegans are some of the most judgmental people in the world, and some of these comments just reinforce my opinion further. lol.
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Lorali
3/16/2014 09:21:59 am
What is cookie butter??????
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Lea
5/13/2014 06:05:46 pm
Has anyone tried to freeze the cake? I'm thinking about baking a coupe of banana cakes and keep Them in the freezer for lazy and rainy days so it would be Nice to know if it would ruin the cake or not ... :)
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Amber link
5/15/2014 02:48:25 am
Hi Lea! I HAVE frozen these. In fact, at the bottom of the recipe it notes that the bars last indefinitely & stay well-preserved in the freezer. That way they last longer :) Enjoy!
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Morgan
5/15/2014 05:42:23 am
I am making these right now and I am sooooo excited about them. I did mix Oreos into the cookie butter because I am just crazy like that. I will let you know what we think!!
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Morgan
5/15/2014 12:48:51 pm
Soooo I made these. Hm. They're good, but they didn't stick together. The cookie butter layer doesn't adhere to the cookie layer.
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Amber St. Peter
5/15/2014 03:59:07 pm
Hm...maybe it had something to do with the added cookies, i.e. that layer got too dry? I don't know, I can really only vouch for the recipe when followed to a T. Better luck next time!
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Claudette
6/3/2014 02:50:31 pm
one of the best bars I've ever made. I used vegan peanut butter ana vegan chocolate chips and it turned out amazing. Thank you so much for sharing. :-)
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Paul
7/21/2014 08:45:57 am
You did not find them too sweet? I found it was a little too sweet.
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Emma
6/26/2014 04:48:53 pm
I too was baffled by the 'cookie butter' - I've looked it up and in the UK we have Lotus spread which sounds like pretty much the same thing.
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Tom
7/16/2014 11:38:24 am
omg people learn to read - in Step 1 there is a link from Foodie Fiasco to make your own cookie butter (which is vegan) here is the link:
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Paul
7/21/2014 07:01:45 am
It was a bit too sweet. It was real potent. I think I would put less sugar next time.
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Robyn link
8/29/2014 02:22:18 am
This was really tasty buy sooo sooo sweet! Next time i might use less sugar or something...any ideas on how to cut down on the sweetness? Thanks!
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Heni Bert link
9/23/2015 01:20:26 am
This is my favorite dish. I am also support vegan diet that helps to combat obesity in all age groups. A comparative study done on various diet groups has proven that vegans have the lowest body mass index and are less prone to obesity when compared to meat eaters, fish eaters, and vegetarians.
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