These healthy peanut butter cookie bars made with a modest amount of sweetener, whole grain flour, and high protein peanut butter. They make a delicious mid-day treat or pre-gym snack.
These are a great cookie bar recipe if you, like me, are avoiding copious amounts of sugar.
A typical cookie bar is basically a cookie recipe pressed into a pan.
This treat is more of a cross between cookie and cake, in that it's dense and 'fudgy', but it also has a soft, airy bite.
I've included higher protein ingredients, like peanut butter and Greek yogurt, as well as a good amount of fat to keep these satisfying.
The resulting cookie bar is pretty delicious, and it makes a great little snack.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Peanut butter
- Coconut oil - I've also made these with melted butter and grapeseed oil
- Maple syrup
- Coconut sugar - Any granulated sugar will work.
- Water
- Greek yogurt
- Vanilla extract
- Whole grain flour - I've used whole wheat, Einkorn, and spelt with good results. See the FAQs below for a gluten-free option.
- Baking powder
- Sea salt
- Chocolate chips
Recipe steps
Mix the wet ingredients together. Mix the dry ingredients in a separate bowl.
Add the dry mix to the wet bowl and stir until well combined.
Press the dough into an 8 x 8 inch baking dish. Bake for 13-16 minutes until edges are golden.
FAQs
Yes, oat flour can be substituted for the flour.
Yes, either of those or pretty much any nut or seed butter you enjoy can be used.
Recipe notes
There is a range of coconut sugar you can use. I like to use two tablespoons and a bit of stevia. If you want to avoid stevia, use the full amount of sugar.
Peanut Butter Cookie Bars
Ingredients
WET INGREDIENTS
- ⅓ cup peanut butter (choose a runnier variety!)
- ¼ cup melted coconut oil
- 2 Tablespoons Greek yogurt
- 2 Tablespoon maple syrup
- 2-4 Tablespoons coconut sugar see Recipe Notes above
- 5 Tablespoons warm water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
DRY INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup whole grain flour I've used Einkorn, whole wheat, and spelt with good results.
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- chocolate chips or chopped dark or unsweetened chocolate for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Mix the wet ingredients together in a bowl.
- Mix the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl.
- Stir everything together until well combined.
- Press batter into a well-oiled 8 x 8 baking dish.
- Top with chopped chocolate or chocolate chips, as you like.
- Bake the bars for 13-16 minutes or until top is set and edges are lightly golden. Don't overbake!
Notes
Nutrition
If you have a chance to try this recipe, please leave a star rating and a comment below letting me know how you liked it!
Kathy
This really sounds good. Do you put the chocolate chips on top before baking?
Lauren
You can do that or mix them in - whatever you like! 🙂
Lyf
I’ve been making these tirelessly over the years and wanted to say how much I adore them. Love your stance on low sugar desserts the amount you put in your recipes is perfect.