Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Hi friends! Caitlin here. I think it's actually been years since I posted on this blog. I've been keeping myself busy over at Streets Ahead Style where I blog and recently started a YouTube channel. Don't think for a second that I haven't been cooking and baking up a storm despite rarely posting on Kitchen Grrrls. Last night I whipped up a batch of these super quick and yummy Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars. We have been making a lot of cookies lately but somehow a cookie bar makes the dessert different enough to feel a little extra special. At least I think so. I had a realization while taking photos of these cookies how much I love food photography. With smartphones, I have been getting away from using our DSLR to take food pictures but nothing compares to a photo taken with a DSLR in my humble opinion. Anyway, read on if you're curious about the recipe and how you can make these delicious and totally simple cookie bars. 

These cookie bars manage to be both soft and yet a tiny bit chewy because of the brown rice syrup. Don't have any brown rice syrup on hand? Substitute 1/4 more of brown sugar (for a total of 3/4 cup of brown sugar). I also wouldn't recommend using coconut oil in this recipe. I think any oil that's liquid at room temperature would work best. Lastly, if you only have sweetened peanut butter (like Jiff or Kraft) then you can definitely use it. It might be a little sweeter than ours turned out but our bars weren't too sweet at all. Just the right amount for us!

Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Ingredients

2 tbsp ground flax seeds
1/3 cup water
3/4 cup smooth natural peanut butter (stirred well)
3 tbsp sunflower or vegetable oil
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup brown rice syrup
1/2 cup oat milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp pink Himalayan salt
1 cup vegan chocolate chips (mix of mini and regular)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°. Line a 9x9 baking pan with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, whisk together flax seeds and water. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together peanut butter, oil, and sugar. At this point, I added oat milk. I started with 1/4 cup and then added more at a time to thin the mixture a bit. It shouldn't be too thin but close to a cake batter consistency.

Add vanilla and beat well.

Beat in flax mixture.

Sift in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix with a strong wooden spoon or fork until all flour is mixed in. The mixture will be thick. 

Fold in chocolate chips. This is a bit of workout. 

Press mixture evenly into prepared pan, and bake for 25 minutes, or until edges are golden.

Allow to cool, slice and enjoy! Best if stored in an airtight container and eaten within two days. Or, you can freeze in an airtight container once cooled and enjoy within three months. 

So, what do you think? Are you a fan of the humble cookie bar? Is this a recipe you would try? If you do, please let us know what you think and how they turned out!