10/4/13

Gluten-free Vegan Cookie Dough Bars



I'm gonna tell you right now. This is the best recipe I've ever made. These bars, inspired by Oh She Glows, actually taste exactly like the Toll House cookie dough that you buy in tubs. Except unlike their unhealthy counterpart, these bars are gluten-free, vegan, free of refined sugars, and under 200 calories! Perfect for a snack before ballet class.




Ingredients


  • 1 1/2 cups raw cashews
  • 1 cup packed pitted dates
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1/4 c chocolate chips or cacao nibs
  • 1/2 tsp fine grain salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract


Instructions

Pulse the cashews and salt in the food processor until they form pea-sized chunks. Then add the dates and blend until they are well combined. At this point, add the vanilla, and blend until it makes a dough. Add in the chocolate chips and blend until it reaches the desired consistency. Take the chunks of dough and flatten them onto a cookie sheet, and roll with a rolling pin between two sheets of parchment paper until you have a thick rectangle. Refrigerate for a half hour or longer, cut into 8 bars, and serve!




These bars literally vanish at my house. I normally have to make 2 or 3 batches at a time so we have enough. The cashews make it extra creamy (and add healthy fats and magnesium for your bones), the dates add natural sweetness (and a ton of fiber!), and the vanilla and salt give it that classic cookie dough taste. Enjoy, and try not to eat them all at once ;)