Vegan, Sugar-Free Magic Cookie Bars

I'm back 🙈

I've been MIA these last few weeks doing a couple of things...like going on a WIFI-free cruise with my family, and working on a super secret project that I'll be announcing verrrry soon. It's been an exciting few weeks, and even though I've been a bit off the grid on this blog I have still been cooking up a storm in my kitchen.

Now that I'm back from the 24/7 food binge circus that is a cruise, I'm whipping up desserts that are a bit on the lighter side because eating ice cream, cake, bread, and pizza all day every day for days and days sounds good on paper, but now it's back to reality. One low-carb dessert that I've been indulging in are these vegan, sugar free magic cookie bars.

Magic cookie bars are a classic that just about everyone with a beating heart loves. It's a crumbly, cookie crust covered in nuts, chocolate chips, shaved coconut and a melted sugary butter syrup that binds it all together. Whenever I find magic bars on a menu at a local bakery it's what I always gravitate towards.

Now that I'm back home, in a world where calories count and everyone is likely tired of seeing me in stretch pants, I had to find a way to still enjoy magic bars without while sticking to my post-cruise recovery regimen. I found this recipe on Joy Filled Eats and made a few tweaks to make it vegan. These magic bars definitely taste much lighter and not as sweet and buttery due to the healthier substitutions, but I'll be ok with that for a little while.

The key ingredient here to make these magic cookie bars still taste sweet without the added sugar is erythritol. What is erythritol, you may ask? It's a healthy sugar substitute that gives desserts a sweet taste without the added carbs. I've found it to be a great replacement for granulated sugar in my low-carb desserts. I bought a big bag of it from Amazon a little while ago at an affordable price, and couldn't be happier with it.

If you're looking for a magic cookie bar recipe that's vegan and low-carb without the added sugar, look no further. Hope you love!

Recipe

Ingredients

Crust:

• 1/4 cup almond flour
• 1/4 cup coconut flour
• 1/4 cup ground flax seeds
• 1/4 cup melted vegan butter

Syrup:

• 1/4 cup coconut cream
• 2 tbsp vegan butter
• 1/2 cup erythritol
• 1 flax egg (1 tbp ground flax seeds + 3 tbsp water)

Toppings:

• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
• 1/2 cup sugar-free chocolate chips, or dark chocolate
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (or other nut of choice)

Directions

1. Combine crust ingredients and press into the bottom of a 8×8 baking dish. Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes (it will be a thin layer so watch it closely to make sure it doesn't burn). Remove from oven and let it cool a bit.
2. Meanwhile, bring the heavy cream, butter, and erythritol to a gentle boil and coo, stirring frequently, until syrup is golden brown and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
3. Remove from the heat. Cool it a bit and then whisk in the flax egg.
4. Now, sprinkle the coconut, chocolate chips, and nuts on top of the crust. Drizzle syrup over the top. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes, until set and golden brown. Cool completely and chill in the fridge before serving.