Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

These peanut butter cookie bars are one of my all-time favorite treats! They have a delicious peanut butter chocolate chip layer with a rich cacao-date layer on top.

Author: Jeanine Donofrio

Recipe type: Dessert, snack

Serves: 25

Ingredients

Cookie Layer

½ cup plus 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter*
¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon melted coconut oil
¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon maple syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Heaping ½ teaspoon sea salt
2½ cups almond flour
2½ tablespoons maca powder
1 cup chocolate chips

Cacao Layer

1½ cups walnuts
2 tablespoons cacao powder
¼ teaspoon sea salt
10 soft medjool dates
2 tablespoons water
Flaky sea salt for sprinkling on top, optional

Instructions

Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, stir together the peanut butter, coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla, and salt until combined. Add the almond flour and maca and stir to combine (the mixture will be thick). Fold in the chocolate chips and press into the pan. Place in the freezer so that it firms up a bit while making the next layer.
In a small food processor, pulse the walnuts, cacao powder, and sea salt until the walnuts are well chopped. Add the dates and pulse to combine, adding 2 tablespoons water if the blade gets stuck. Process until smooth, then spread onto the cookie layer. Sprinkle with sea salt if desired. Freeze for 30 minutes (this will help them firm up, making them easier to cut). Remove and slice into bars. Store remaining bars in the fridge.
Finished bars can also be frozen. Let each bar thaw for about 15 minutes at room temperature.

Notes

*Look for creamy peanut butter with a smooth consistency to make this recipe, not the dry, stiff stuff that you might find at the bottom of a jar of natural peanut butter. If you store your peanut butter in the fridge, allow it to sit at room temperature for an hour before making this recipe.

Recipe by Love and Lemons at https://www.loveandlemons.com/peanut-butter-chocolate-chip-cookie-bars/