Want to make some delicious vegan and gluten free monster cookie bars? Well, look no further! This is by far one of my favorite snack recipes that can satisfy my sweet tooth in an instant.
What is a monster cookie? If you don’t know what a monster cookie is, well its a combination of peanut butter, chocolate, chocolate candies, nuts… basically all the good stuff. Usually these come in cookie form, but I decided it would be fun to switch it up and make them bars instead. Not going to lie, it is also easier to dump your mixture in to a loaf pan and throw in in the oven.
Key ingredients for your monster cookie bars:
- Gluten free oats:
- Oats are essential for monster cookies. I love using whole rolled oats because they add a lovely texture to your bite.
- Shredded coconut
- Now this ingredients is not a traditional monster cookie ingredient. I love adding it because it adds a nice flavor and texture.
- Peanut butter
- This is the star of the show! Peanut butter is a must when making this recipe. If you have a peanut allergy I suggest using either almond butter or sun butter.
- Coconut oil
- Coconut oil makes the texture of the bars super chewy, so don’t skip on this!
- Apple sauce
- This is also a non traditional ingredient to monster cookies! I love adding apple sauce to baking recipes because it add a nice touch of health sweetness.
- Vanilla extract
- Duh, vanilla goes in any baking recipe! Just kidding, but it does ties all the flavors together for this recipe.
- Coconut sugar
- I love coconut sugar as my granulated choice of sweetener. It adds a nice nutty flavor and a deep brown color to my recipes.
- Pecans
- Any nuts will work here. Just pick your favorite one!
- Chocolate chips
- Use vegan if necessary. I love using Lily’s dark chocolate because it is vegan and sweetened with stevia.
- M&Ms
- Now I used regular M&Ms which are not vegan, but Unreal chocolate gems are a great alternative.
Monster Cookie Bars
They are so Ooooey goooey, and they have just the right amount of sweetness between the coconut sugar and applesauce!
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- ½ cup gluten free oats
- ¼ cup shredded coconut
- ½ tsp baking soda
Wet Ingredients
- ¾ cup peanut butter
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- ¼ cup apple sauce
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup coconut sugar
Mix ins
- ¼ cup pecan chopped
- ¼ cup vegan chocolate chips
- ¼ cup M&Ms (not vegan) or Unreal chocolate gems
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the peanut butter, coconut oil, maple syrup, apple sauce, vanilla extract, and coconut sugar. Whisk the wet ingredients until everything is well combined.
- Now add the GF oats, shredded coconut, and baking soda. Fold the dry ingredients in with the wet.
- Fold in the pecans, vegan chocolate chips, and unreal chocolates.
- Pour batter into a loaf pan and bake at 350F for 25 minutes.
- Once the pan has cooled, cut into 8 bars, and enjoy!
