So many of you have tried and love my gluten-free chewy chocolate chip cookie recipe, that I thought I’d post a few adaptations of it this year. First up – gluten-free chocolate chip cookie bars!
It’s February and I’m doing Chocolate Month here on the blog! All the rest of the recipes that I’ll be posting this month have chocolate in them. Why? Really, why not? I am a self-proclaimed chocoholic and have sooooo many chocolate recipes to share with you, so I’m super excited about this month! As my schedule allows, I’ll be posting as often as I can to bring them to you! I have five recipes already developed and photos taken along with 3 more that I’m working on, so you might just get a whole lot of recipes this month!
Okay, back to these yummy gluten-free chocolate chip cookie bars. In making these bars instead of cookies, I made a few changes. I don’t know about you, but I’ve had some disappointingly dry cookie bars before. I didn’t want that to happen here, so I increased the butter so that these bars wouldn’t be dry at all. It was a good decision! Secondly, I used two different sizes of chocolate chips. I wanted to make sure there was a bit of chocolate in every single bite! I used both regular semi-sweet morsels and mini semi-sweet morsels. You could also mix it up by using some milk chocolate and some dark chocolate. But definitely consider including some mini ones for sure. They help make sure that you don’t get a single little bite that isn’t chocolatey!
Notes on ingredients:
- Flour: tested successfully with Gluten Free Mama’s Almond Blend and Cup4Cup. Other varieties of flour that are not only rice based should work okay in these. With the two I recommended, there isn’t any grittiness. I can’t guarantee that with your favorite blend, but do feel free to try it!
- The cream cheese is a key ingredient here. Don’t skip it!
- So is the butter. Mmm, butter.
- Chocolate chips: for good chocolate chips that are easy to find at most grocery stores, I love Guittard semi-sweet chocolate baking chips. They are made in a gluten-free, and peanut-free facility. If you’d like chocolate chips that are certified gluten-free as well as top 8 free, I love and recommend Enjoy Life semi-sweet chocolates.
I like sprinkling a few more chips on them for the last couple minutes of baking for that shiny, slightly melted look like you see in the pictures above. If you’d like that too, just reserve some of the chocolate chips called for in the recipe. However, if you’re wanting to pack these up to mail to someone, I’d skip the chocolate chips on top so they aren’t so messy like I did in this photo:
These would be a fun treat to bring to share at a potluck or to mail to a loved one. Let me know if you make them and what flour you used!
Oh, and if you want to make some fun Valentine’s treats, make sure you check out these Valentine’s gluten-free chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwiches!
Gluten-free Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
All the yummy flavor of my chewy gluten-free chocolate chip cookies in a much easier, quicker bar cookie form!
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups (~282 grams) good all-purpose gluten-free flour blend
- 1/2 tsp. xanthan gum (omit if gf flour blend has xanthan or guar gum already)
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. salt
- 2 ounces cream cheese, room temp
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 egg yolks (room temp)
- 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup additional semi-sweet chocolate chips for topping if desired
Directions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together gluten-free flour, xanthan gum (unless flour blend already has xanthan or guar gum), baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, place the cream cheese, then pour melted butter over it. Add brown sugar and sugar and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes. (I use the paddle attachment on my mixer.)
- Add vanilla extract and egg yolks (one at a time) mixing on low-medium speed until well mixed.
- Add the flour mixture that you set aside earlier, beating on low until just combined.
- Add both sizes of chocolate chips and mix on low or by hand, just until mixed thoroughly.
- Spread into lightly greased 9x13 metal pan. Bake in preheated 350˚ oven for 25 minutes. Remove from oven, sprinkle with additional 1/4 cup of chocolate chips and return to oven for 2-3 more minutes.
- Remove from oven and place pan on cooling rack. Let cool before cutting. (Note, to save your pan from getting scratched up, I like to use a plastic knife to cut the bars.)
- You can cut these whatever size you'd like of course, anywhere from 12 big bars to 24 smaller ones. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Shannon says
Do you have a suggestion for a substitute for the cream cheese for those of us that need non-dairy recipes?
Curtis Hidalgo says
Quick question. For your Chocolate Cookies you refrigerated the dough for a min of 4 hours. Curious as to why you don’t do it for this recipe? I’m concerned this will come out gritty if I don’t give the dough time to sit. Thanks!! Have really enjoyed all your recipes!!
Teresa says
This sounds great but was wondering if can substitute eggs and white sugar?
Heather says
So good. I didn’t gave xanthum gum and used my own flour blend. The cream cheese is what made’
Samantha De Cou says
These were amazing! Thanks for the recipe!
cj says
so because these have cream cheese…how do you store them? lol…not that they will last long but…
cj says
and btw, my hubby who is non gluten free liked them…of course i didn’t tell him…these are going to my mom-in-law’s for mother’s day tomorrow. i used half butter and half butter flavored crisco. they are yum-e!
Jena says
My son requested a “chocolate chip cookie cake” for his 6th birthday party. I found this recipe via Pinterest, and could not have been more pleased. This is seriously one of the most delicious things I’ve ever baked. My Celiac husband says they’re dangerous. I think I agree. We’ll have to only make these when we have people to share with!
Thank you for this amazing recipe!!
Arika Pulsipher says
Fantastic! So glad I found this recipe!
Manda says
I used Bob’s Red Mill GF 1 to 1 flour and these cookie bars came out beautiful and tasty!
Nicole says
These are phenomenal! I used the Namaste flour cup for cup and they’re really tasty.
Liza says
Have made these 3 times now. Always turn out great! Not at all gritty. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Michelle Palin ~ My Gluten-free Kitchen says
Thank you Liza for taking the time to comment. I’m so glad you enjoy them!! Happy Baking!
Gururas says
I just made these with my son tonight. They were super tasty, but I found them very oily. At first I was afraid that I had mis-measured, but I double checked, and I used all the right quantities. Is that just the way these are? I really want to make them again, but I’m considering using half the amount of butter, or finding a different liquid to substitute for some of the butter. My husband and my kids LOVED them, though!
Michelle Palin ~ My Gluten-free Kitchen says
Hmm, I haven’t felt like mine were oily, but if you feel like they’re too buttery, then feel free to cut the butter down! I wouldn’t cut in half but maybe try again with 4 Tbsp. less?
Sissa says
These are excellent! A definite new family favorite! They are very rich and full of chocolate. We love the crispy edges and soft middle. Fantastic!
Michelle Palin ~ My Gluten-free Kitchen says
Thanks so much for your comment Sissa. I’m so glad your family can enjoy these too! Happy baking!