Friday 15 August 2014

Cookie Dough Cheesecake Protein Bars


I have been wanting to do something cookie dough and healthy for a long time. As I am sure you can imagine the two words are not often put together unless to say 'cookie dough is NOT healthy'.


But those people have not met me and I am a force to be reckoned with. I will play and tamper and cry and eat and repeat until I am happy.



Suffice it to say, I am wearing a big goofy grin. Cookie dough...cheesecake...protein...bars? Uhhhh WHAT.

















These bars are the perfect balance of textures and flavours: a soft cookie dough bar with chocolate chips topped with a creamy layer of cream cheese perfection. And of course...chocolate. DUH.


These were a huge HIT. Understandably so. They hold up perfectly in your hands so you can walk around and talk to people. For example you could say "Hey, guess what I got?" then they would say "You are eating an unhealthy decadent and delicious bar of heavenly goodness" and you would say "HA, FOOLED YA" and run away.

Or you could sit and hold it in your hands and tell it you love it.















I love you cookie dough bar. I really, really dough! *cookie dough joke-- ba dum CHA*

In all seriousness this is every bit as amazing as you'd imagine only better because it's good for you and your soul and thus your life goals.



















Chewy cookie dough with cheesecake and chocolate -- here we come!








Guilt-Free Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars 

Yields 16 Squares


Gluten Free, Refined Sugar Free, High Protein, Vegan Option 

Ingredients:

For Base:

  • 1 1/3 cup oat flour 
  • 1/2 cup peanut flour (or more oat flour)
  • 1/3 cup almond flour 
  • 1 cup vanilla brown rice protein powder (SunWarrior)
  • 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup honey, agave or maple syrup
  • 1/2 cup natural peanut butter or other nut butter
  • Optional: 5 drops English Toffee Stevia Drops (NOW Foods)
Cheesecake Layer:

  • 1/4 cup light cream cheese or non-dairy alternative (vegan cream cheese or cashew 'cheese') 
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil
  • 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
  • 1 tablespoon sweetener (honey, maple syrup) or a few drops of liquid stevia drops 
  • Splash of vanilla extract
Chocolate Ganache

  • 1/3 cup dark chocolate, melted
  • 2 teaspoons coconut oil 


** Don't have time for the cheesecake layer? You can still make cookie dough bars and I don't think anyone will complain about that! **

Directions:

For Base

  1. Mix all dry ingredients (including chocolate chips) in a large mixing bowl and set aside
  2. In a small saucepan combine sweetener and nut butter until fully combined, if using flavourings or stevia drops add those into this mixture
  3. Pour your sweetened nut butter mixture onto your dry ingredients adding splashes of almond milk until you have a large cohesive ball of dough
  4. Press dough into an 8x8 pan lined with foil or plastic wrap 
  5. Set in fridge for 30 - 45 minutes
For Cheesecake Layer

  1. Once your base has chilled, combine all the ingredients for this layer in a small mixing bowl and blend together
  2. Spread evenly over base layer and allow to set in the fridge another 30-45 minutes
Chocolate layer

  1. Once chocolate has been melted add in the coconut oil and stir until chocolate becomes thin, easy to stir and very shiny
  2. Pour in an even layer over cheesecake layer
  3. Tap on the counter to remove air bubbles
  4. Place in fridge to set another 30 minutes at least
  5. When set, remove bars from pan and cut into 16 squares or 32 bars depending -- keep refrigerated after serving 



Once the bars are set slice them into 16 and serve! I would remind you to keep them in the fridge after but who are we kidding....there won't be any left.












They are soooooooo.....just.....good. So SO SO GOOD. After deciding the bars were really big and filling I cut mine in half........









And then...I ate both halves. Oops? No, not really oops. I kind of figured I would eat both.









These just look impressive, too -- don't they? I love the layers! Mmmmm....layers.













Simply amazing.



And if in your spare time you like to pretend you are a bird or can fly, this is what you would see in my kitchen:












I mean what you would have SEEN. They are all gone now, of course. As they tend to be instantaneously upon serving. 





















So come and make cookie dough bars with me and we shall eat and laugh and drop a bar on the floor and cry and cry. Then debate the 5 second rule and eat the thing anyways.


You can't pass that up, people!


Happy Cookie Dough-ing!

XO


9 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Wahoo! Thank you Lizzy!!! That makes me happy :D

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  2. Such an awesome recipe, Summer--not to mention, I absolutely love your style of writing. A fantastic share, and it's great to meetcha! :)

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    1. What a lovely thing to say, thank you! I'm glad you 'stopped by' -- happy to meetcha too Ala :D!

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  3. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  4. These look incredible! Can I sub stevia for the honey/agave in the base layer?

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    1. Hey there SquirrelGirl! My reply did not go through -- hopefully the answer below helps!

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  5. Hey SquirrelGirl, I know you're asking Summer, but I've made a few of her great bar recipes and I think if you subbed stevia in the base, you'd just have to add more almond milk to make up for the missing moisture (liquid), otherwise the base would be too dry. Give it a go and report back!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Lauren! Sorry I thought I had replied to that -- silly computer :( Absolutely can be done that way -- it just needs something to bind it together so the addition of non-dairy milk works well!

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