Grain-Free Magic Cookie Bars

Here’s what I am going for in this Oh Yum! series: Gluten free (grain free if possible), refined sugar free, dairy free and FLAVOR FULL! I’ll be sharing a Hubele family-tested recipe each week to give you a nice repertoire of treats heading into summer. I know my family is just going to hate the job of taste testing these ideas. 😉

So let’s get this party started with the perfect re-do of the classic Magic Cookie Bar. Three delightful layers make up these crowd-pleasing bars. Be sure you don’t miss the opportunity to stash a few away in your freezer.

Ingredients

Coconut sweetened condensed milk

• 1 can coconut milk
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• Pinch of salt

Cookie crust

• 1/2 cup hazelnut flour (or almond flour)
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/3 cup coconut oil or butter, melted
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 egg (may be replaced with a flax “egg” or commercial egg replacer)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Bar toppings

• 1 1/4 cup chocolate chips (vegan, gluten free brand please!)
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Lightly grease a 9×9 inch baking pan.
2. Make the coconut milk sweetened condensed milk by placing the coconut milk, maple syrup and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally until the mixture has reduced to 1 cup of liquid. The milk may splatter when it starts to boil, so just stir it and lower the heat slightly. Check how much liquid you have by pouring it into a glass measuring cup.
3. While the coconut milk reduces, make the cookie crust. Place the hazelnut flour, coconut flour, salt, and baking soda in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse to combine. Add the coconut oil, maple syrup, egg and vanilla and process until smooth. Press the dough into the prepared pan in an even layer. Bake for 15 minutes, until set.
4. When the crust is done pre-baking, remove it from the oven and top it with 1 cup of chocolate chips. Press the chocolate chips into the crust slightly. Top with the chopped pecans and shredded coconut. Pour the reduced coconut milk mixture over everything. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup chocolate chips and a little more coconut over the top. Bake for 25 minutes.
5. Allow the bars to cool for at least 1 hour before slicing.

Enjoy!

Adapted from Meaningful Eats