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These gluten-free, sugar-free no bake crunchy cookies are the perfect addition to your holiday cookie collection. No oven required and they’ll be a hit with kids and adults. I cut them into 1 1/2 inch x 1 1/2 inch squares so that they’re two bites but you can cut them in any size you want.
Keep scrolling for the recipe…I want to tell you about this week’s Gluten-Free Holiday & our give-aways first.
Gluten-Free Holiday: Gifts of Good Taste
Alta from Tasty Eats at Home is hosting this week’s event, Gifts of Good Taste. Stop by to get her Macadamia Almond Brittle & Pistachio Coconut Macaroon recipes.
Alta’s Gluten-Free Coconut Pistachio Macaroons
AND enter to win one of these must-have gluten-free cookbooks:
2 copies of Artisanal Gluten-Free Cooking
5 copies of Free for All Cooking
Stop by Tasty Eats at Home, check out other people’s gift ideas, add your own – you have an entire week. Make sure to leave a comment, too!
And, now for the recipe…hide these if you plan on giving them away or they’ll disappear before you get them into the cookie tins.
Using a combination of carob and unsweetened baking chocolate with a little vanilla tempers the carob flavor and makes them more chocolatey. If you don’t have carob, use chocolate chips. I haven’t found any chocolate chips without white sugar, though, which is why I use unsweetened carob instead.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons organic non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening
- 7 ounces unsweetened carob chips
- 1 ounce unsweetened baking chocolate, chopped
- 3/4 teaspoon alcohol free vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups gluten-free corn flakes, lightly crushed
- 2 1/2 cups gluten-free puffed rice cereal
- 3/4 cup smooth, sugar-free peanut butter
- 1/4 cup agave nectar
- 1/4 cup coconut palm sugar (aka palm sugar)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Instructions
- Line a 9×13 pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper and let the edges hang over the side. Lightly mist with cooking spray.
- Put the shortening in the bottom of a glass or stainless steel bowl that will fit snugly on top of a saucepan or in the top of a double boiler. Top with carob and chopped baking chocolate. (I don’t have a double boiler and prefer to use a bowl on top of pot.) Bring an inch of water to boil, place the bowl on top of the pot, and turn it off. Let it sit until the shortening, carob, and chocolate start to melt, stirring occasionally.
- Meanwhile, put the cornflakes and rice cereal in a large bowl. Add the peanut butter, agave, palm sugar, and butter to a heavy bottomed sauce pan. Bring to a boil for one minute, stirring. Pour hot peanut butter mixture over cornflakes & rice and stir until coated.
- Press half of the cornflake mixture into the bottom of the pan. Spread with melted carob & chocolate. Top with remaining cornflake mixture, pressing the cornflakes into the carob & chocolate. Cover and refrigerate until set, about an hour. Cut into desired size with a sharp serrated knife. I cut mine into 1 1/2 inch x 1 1/2 inch squares.
Kristina @ spabettie
posted on November 18, 2010 at 11:30 am
these bars sound perfect… I may make these for a holiday event this weekend! thanks for sharing!
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Maggie
posted on November 18, 2010 at 11:32 am
AMY! These sound amazing! Can you please package me up a stack or two and send them my way
I will try these for sure! I’ve missed your recipes!
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Amy Reply:
November 18th, 2010 at 4:59 pm
@Maggie, I’ve missed cooking for everyone. It’s tough having to hoard a gob of new recipes and not share them. I’m so glad to be able to give everyone something new…finally!!
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Erika
posted on November 18, 2010 at 12:31 pm
Ohhh…these look SO good! I’m a sucker for anything with peanut butter and chocolate. My daughter (3) and I were just searching your site looking for a treat to make her teacher as a little fall gift before the break (Miss. Claire is gluten free as well – I think she’ll love these!). Thank you!
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Amy Reply:
November 18th, 2010 at 4:57 pm
@Erika, Your daughter will love pressing the cornflakes into the bottom of the pan.
I think Miss Claire will love them too.
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Janette
posted on November 18, 2010 at 2:59 pm
Looks good! Can I leave out the carob? I’m allergic to carob. Replace with more unsweetened chocolate?
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Amy Reply:
November 18th, 2010 at 4:56 pm
@Janette, No, do not replace this with unsweetened chocolate. It’ll be awful. I would use chocolate chips. I don’t know of any without sugar but if you can tolerate white sugar it would be great. Another option is sugar-free chocolate chips. I’ve never used them but I’ve had people tell me they work well. My last thought is 70% dark chocolate. It’s lower in sugar than other types and many people sensitive to sugar are able to use it.
Hope that helps.
Hugs!
Amy
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abbie
posted on November 18, 2010 at 4:24 pm
I think I would eat the whole pan! These look fabulous.
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Amy Reply:
November 18th, 2010 at 4:51 pm
@abbie, I had the same thought so I told Joe that he’s taking them to work tomorrow.
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Alta
posted on November 18, 2010 at 7:15 pm
These look terribly addictive, Amy! I am a chocolate+peanut butter fiend! Yum. Thanks for linking this up to GF Holiday this week!
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Ellen @ I Am Gluten Free
posted on November 19, 2010 at 7:24 pm
Oh yes. These sound sensational. I am not eating peanut butter these days, but I bet I could easily substitute almond butter. Yum – can’t wait to try them!
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Amy Reply:
November 21st, 2010 at 2:58 pm
@Ellen @ I Am Gluten Free, So good to hear from you, Ellen!! I made them with almond butter, too, and the flavor is a little milder but still yummy.
Hugs,
Amy
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kp
posted on November 19, 2010 at 8:39 pm
Have you tried xylitol at all? There’s xylitol sweetened chocolate bars that can be chopped up. Curious your experience/thoughts on xylitol.
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Amy Reply:
November 21st, 2010 at 2:57 pm
@kp, I haven’t tried xylitol. What brand do you use? I haven’t looked into it extensively but it’s on my to-do list.
Hugs,
Amy
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kp Reply:
November 21st, 2010 at 4:57 pm
I use xylosweet (link below). It’s been great for me. Doesn’t have the different flavor that some don’t like about stevia. It’s the lowest on the glycemic index I think. Some things don’t brown the same when baking with it but the flavor is there. Have you heard about the controversy with agave now? I guess it’s just about whatever your body tolerates huh? There’s always some new study about something.
I’m ultra sensitive to sweeteners, feel it in my blood instantly, but not with xylitol. There haven’t been any adverse studies about it(so far!) and it’s natural of course like stevia.
Anyway, some day I hope to hear what you think of it!
http://www.amazon.com/Xlear-lbs-2268-g-Xylosweet/dp/B000ORSIJ4/ref=pd_sbs_hpc_4
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Shirley @ gfe
posted on November 20, 2010 at 10:58 pm
Those look soooo good, Amy! Great gift recipe!
Loving our Gluten-Free Holiday event!
Shirley
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anja
posted on November 24, 2010 at 7:02 pm
I really want give that n0 bake crunchie chocolate peanut butter bar. I love baking and cooking without sugar or gluten. I have been gluten free for a while but would like to cut out sugar because I feel I am addicted to it and it is not good for my body.
I appreciate any help with recipes.
Look forward to it, can’t wait
Anja
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Holly Ellerton Reply:
November 10th, 2012 at 12:28 pm
@anja,
There are several sugar free chocolate bars available that you could use instead of Carob. Lindt makes a 100%, 99%, and 90%. Also in my grocery store near the Goya products is a chocolate bar called Lukers which is meant for hot chocolate, but it comes without sugar as well as with sugar. Then you can add what ever sweetener to suit your taste.
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The Chocolate Priestess
posted on December 1, 2010 at 4:34 pm
Why the addition of carob? Why not just more chocolate?
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nobakecookietv
posted on January 31, 2011 at 8:47 pm
Just when I decided I wan’t going to make any more peanut butter cookie combinations, along comes this recipe! However, since what I really wanted to do this year was find some different recipes, I am going to try these out.
Thanks! I also don’t like carob so will try your suggestions.
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jeani
posted on March 14, 2011 at 1:41 pm
I would love to try this, but I can’t have corn protein…Saw some rice flakes (gf) at whole foods I think I will need to pick up to give this a whirl…also what brand of unsweetened chocolate do you use? is it completely dairy free? I can find sweetened chocolate and choc chips that say df and gf, but can’t find unsweetened choc that states it on the package…any ideas anyone?
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Amy Reply:
March 14th, 2011 at 8:03 pm
@jeani, Unsweetened chocolate is 100% cocoa and contains no dairy at all. I use Ghiradelli. It’s a good balance between flavor and price.
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Christy
posted on December 21, 2011 at 4:19 pm
The no-bake recipe looks AWESOME! I can’t wait to try it.
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Lynda S
posted on December 21, 2011 at 9:47 pm
These look yummy. Bet they would be good for breakfast. ; )
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Beth
posted on December 25, 2011 at 10:22 pm
Do you have a caloric and nutritional breakdown on this per 1-1/2 by 1-1/2 serving?
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Barb
posted on May 17, 2012 at 2:36 pm
I just tried making these and the chocolate filling was a disaster. I could not get 7 oz of carob to melt with 1 oz baking chocolate and a little butter. It was extremely dry. Did I do something wrong, or is there a misprint in the recipe? They look delicious in your picture, but for me the chocolate layer does not look like the picture at all. any help is appreciated – I hate to waste 7 oz of carob powder.
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kp Reply:
May 17th, 2012 at 11:02 pm
Barb, Are you using carob chips or carob powder? Use carob chips.
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Amy Reply:
May 21st, 2012 at 11:16 am
@Barb, Did you use carob chips or carob powder? I used carob chips. I will update the recipe so it’s more clear.
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