Gluten-free peanut butter chocolate chip cookie bars are the ultimate crowd pleaser! Perfectly moist, flaky yet chewy and gooey, these bars are a modern marvel! Bonus points: they’re refined sugar-free.

Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars with sea salt - refined sugar-free, gluten-free and completely delicious | TheRoastedRoot.net

Did you partake in the Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies I posted at the end of August? Well, fret not if you didn’t…because here’s your re-introduction to the cookies, just dressed up in different clothing.

The cookies were so well-loved among my family that I made them the very next week again for dessert for family dinner! …But as bars!

With the same exact result…

Utter destruction..

In the best of ways.

I’ve learned if it involves peanut butter, it will disappear before you can say, “Kalamazoo.”

These bars are basically the exact same approach as the cookies – just in bar-form. So sultry-sweet with the ultimate salty balance, moist and chocolatey, they are guaranteed to please!

Recipe Highlights:

Gluten-Free – made with gluten-free flour blend. Bob’s Red Mill’s Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour is my go-to
Refined sugar-free – made with coconut sugar and pure maple syrup to mimic brown sugar
Buttery AF! – I use ghee, but you can use grass-fed butter or coconut oil. Just be sure it’s softened, not melted.
A magical balance of sweet, salty, nutty deliciousness.
Gooey, moist, flaky, crispy…the best of all the textures!

How to Make Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Cookie Bars:

You guys, these bars are so easy to make! You follow the exact same procedure as making regular cookies, but instead of dropping the dough on a baking sheet, you jam it all into a cake pan.

Add the ghee (or butter or coconut oil) to a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, along with the coconut sugar and pure maple syrup. Note: I use coconut sugar + pure maple syrup as a sort of replacement for brown sugar. The combination just works wonders! Beat on medium-high speed until the ghee is creamy and fluffy.

Add in the peanut butter and vanilla extract and mix until combined. Add the egg and beat just until combined.

In a separate bowl, stir together the flour baking powder, and sea salt (and cinnamon if adding). Pour the flour mixture into the stand mixer and beat until dough forms. Beat in the chocolate chips. Cover with plastic wrap (or transfer to a sealed container) and place in the refrigerator.

Refrigerate dough for at least 30 minutes (up to 2 days) to allow the dough to set up.

When you’re ready to bake the bars, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a 9” x 5” (for thicker bars) or 8” x 8” (for regular, thinner bars) with parchment paper.

Transfer dough to the parchment-lined pan and smooth into an even layer. Sprinkle with even more chocolate chips (or chunks) if desired. Bake 20 to 30 minutes, until golden-brown around the edges and desired goo or crisp level is reached.

Allow bars to cool at least 10 minutes. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt, cut into squares, and serve!

Recipe Adaptations:

If you do cane sugar, you can replace the coconut sugar and pure maple syrup with ½ cup brown sugar.
Don’t do peanut butter? Swap it out for almond butter! Just be sure the nut butter you use is very well stirred!
Looking for a grain-free version? Check out my Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Chickpea Blondies

These are basically health food. Just kidding. They’re straight up sex.

My cookbook, Paleo Power Bowls, is now available! CLICK HERE to check it out. Thank you for your support!

If you make these Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars, please feel free to share a photo and tag @The.Roasted.Root on Instagram!