Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bars

These Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bars will be your new favourite holiday dessert. Made with a cookie base, a gooey center and a sprinkle of shredded coconut on top! The added crunch from pecans and chocolate chips takes this dessert to the next level. I can’t wait for you to try!

This recipe post is sponsored by the Canadian Sugar Institute.

If you have ever had a Hello Dolly before, this dessert will feel quite familiar. They both have a similar gooey centre and coconut topping but I switched up the bottom layer. Instead of the graham cracker base of Hello Dolly, I decided to take it up a notch and swap it to a chocolate chip cookie dough layer. Sounds delicious right? Here’s what you need to create this Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bar.

 

Ingredients for Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bars

Starting with the chocolate chip cookie dough base layer, you will need:

• All-purpose flour
  • If you want to make this dessert gluten-free, opt for a gluten-free flour instead. My favourite product is Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 gluten free flour.
• Brown and white sugar
  • Keep scrolling and read below for more information on sugars and sugar substitutes!
• Butter
  • Make sure to either leave butter out on the counter the night before or try THIS hack!*****
• Egg
• Chocolate chips
• Vanilla extract
• Baking soda and salt

For the additional layers, you will need:

• Pecans
  • If you aren’t a fan of pecans, swap them out for walnuts. You can also omit them altogether for a nut-free version.
• Chocolate chips
  • Feel free to use your choice of chocolate chips. I normally opt for semi-sweet but you can also use whatever you prefer.
• Sweetened condensed milk
  • This gives the perfect gooey texture in the centre!
• Unsweetened shredded coconut
  • In other baked goods I love incorporating sweetened coconut but I found that this dessert already provides a sufficient amount of sweetness with the white and brown sugar, sweetened condensed milk and chocolate chips.

I have partnered with the Canadian Sugar Institute to bring you this delicious holiday recipe. I only use traditional sugar in my baking and I love that the Canadian Sugar Institute doesn’t shy away from these sugars. There is currently no sweetener that can provide all of sugar’s functionality, so multiple ingredients are often required for bulking, texture, mouthfeel, volume, preservation, etc. Plus, we’re not about restricting foods around here!

I get asked a lot about using sugar substitutes in my recipes instead of using white or brown sugar so I thought it would be helpful to share some information on this topic.

 

Sugars and Sugar Substitutes

Non-sugar sweeteners (or non-nutritive sweeteners) are no- or low-calorie artificial and natural sweeteners that have been developed as an alternative to sugars. They are commonly used in pre-packaged foods and beverages, and can be added to recipes by consumers. The majority of research on these non-sugar sweeteners has been conducted with the focus of determining their impact on body weight. We know from other research that restricting foods and dieting, most often leads to weight regain and weight cycling that can be harmful to overall health.

While some research suggests that there may be some potential benefits to using non-sugar sweeteners in the short term, further research is still needed to determine long-term impacts. Areas of interest for researchers include the long-term impact of non-sugar sweeteners on an individual’s gut microbiome, insulin sensitivity and overall health.

As a dietitian with an “all foods fit” approach, I encourage you to use the ingredient (sugar or sugar substitute) that is most accessible and enjoyable to you. If you want to read more about sugars, check out the Canadian Sugar Institute.

Assembly and Baking Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bars

Once you create the cookie dough:

1. Press the batter into a greased or lined 8×8″ pan and smooth it out on top.
2. Scatter the pecans and chocolate chips over the batter layer and make sure they are distributed evenly.
3. Pour the sweetened condensed milk over the pecans and chocolate chips, ensuring everything is coated.
4. Sprinkle the unsweetened coconut on top and pop it in the oven!
5. Bake the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bars for 30-35 minutes or until the coconut starts to brown on top and the cookie dough layer is cooked through.

Wait for the bars to cool for 10 minutes before cutting them into your desired size.

I hope these Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bars bring you a lot of joy in the baking AND consuming process. Don’t forget to check out some of these other dessert ideas for more inspiration:

• Almond Butter Ginger Molasses Cookies
• Lemon Olive Oil Cake
• Black Bean Brownies
• Papa’s Classic Oatmeal Cookies

 

If you make these Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bars, I would love to see your comment and rating below. It also makes my day seeing your creations of my recipes on Instagram- don’t forget to tag @allnutrition.rd!

 

Thank you to the Canadian Sugar Institute for sponsoring this recipe post!