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.
Crunchy Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars
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.
For the chocolate filling:
2 tablespoons organic non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening
7 ounces unsweetened carob
1 ounce unsweetened baking chocolate, chopped
3/4 teaspoon alcohol free vanilla extractFor the crunchy cookies:
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 butterLine 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.
