Tagalong Bars (Dairy, Gluten, and Refined Sugar Free)
A healthified version of the girl scout cookie favourite. Dairy, gluten, and refined sugar free with a shortbread crust, peanut butter carmel filling, and dark chocolate to top it off. Positivley addicting!
Servings: 30 bars
Ingredients
Crust:
- 2 1/2 cups blanched almond flour
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar or Lakanto Sweetener* or sweetener of choice
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 cup ghee or coconut oil, cold or room temperature (do not melt) or cold diced butter if not dairy-free
Peanut Butter Caramel Filling:
- 1 1/3 cup natural peanut butter or nut/seed butter of choice
- 1/2 cup ghee or coconut oil or butter if not dairy-free
- 2/3 cup honey maple syrup would work also
- 1/2 cup full fat canned coconut milk use the thick separated cream in the can, heavy cream also works if not dairy free
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- pinch sea salt
Chocolate Topping:
- 1 cup dairy-free semi-sweet chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate (I like 70%)
- 4 tbsp coconut oil or butter if not dairy-free
Instructions
Crust:
- Preheat oven to 350F. In a food processor (or in a bowl with a pastry cutter), combine the almond flour, ghee/coconut oil/butter, coconut sugar, and salt until the mixture starts to clump together in a wet sand-y texture.
- Line a 9x13 pan with parchment paper (you'll thank me later!). Press the crust mixture evenly into the pan - at first there will seem like there is not enough to cover the pan but keep pressing and working with it and you will get a nice, thin even layer.
- Bake for 15 minutes, or until light golden brown. Set aside to cool.
Peanut Butter Caramel Filling:
- In a saucepan on low heat add the peanut butter, ghee/coconut oil, honey, and coconut cream. Whisk to combine and let boil for 2-3 minutes until smooth and thickened.
- Remove from heat and add vanilla and sea salt.
- Pour over cooled crust and spread evenly with a spatula. Refrigerate until set - should take about 30 mins-1 hr in the fridge or 15-20 minutes in the freezer.
For the chocolate topping:
- In the same saucepan (no need to dirty another!) over very low heat (or in 30 second increments in the microwave), melt the chocolate chips/dark chocolate and coconut oil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat as soon as most of the chocolate has melted, and continue stirring off the heat until it is completely smooth - this will ensure your chocolate doesn't seize up (caused by overheating).
- Pour chocolate over the cooled peanut butter caramel filling and tip the pan back and forth to make an even layer. Refrigerate or freeze until set, about another 30-60 minutes in the fridge or 15-30 minutes in the freezer. Keep bars stored in the refrigerator or freezer for best texture; they get melty left out too long at room temperature.
Notes
* I recently tested this recipe with Lakanto Sweetener instead of coconut sugar in the crust and it turned out fantastic. I like that the Lakanto Sweetener is white, so it keeps the shortbread crust a nice light colour which makes the layers really pop to the eye. Lakanto Sweetener is an etrythritol monk fruit blend, I found it at Costco!