Sometimes you just need less sugar...I mean that is just how it is, even me. I need to be healthy (ish). Enter these delicious and incredibly easy low carb healthy (ish) chocolate chip cookie bars.
I know I must seem like I should be perpetually in a diabetic coma with this blog...but I do actually try to balance myself. A lot of times I make low carb or low sugar treats, I just never think they are good enough to share the recipe. They are always just ok.
But these low carb healthy (ish) chocolate chip cookie bars are really f'ing good and they have an amazing texture. ANNNNDDDDD not one person in my house noticed that they were anything other than a regular, delicious chocolate chip cookie bars.
Define healthy(ish)
So I say healthy (ish) because I am not sure how everyone on earth feels about fat...most specifically butter. I use butter in these and I do not give a shit. I am not in ketosis - nobody I know is in actual ketosis either, so eating a one off keto dessert or fat bomb (I think that is what they call them) full of saturated fats doesn't make them healthy AT ALL. If you are in ketosis, then great, eat all the alternative fats you want, if you want to eat low carb, but are not full keto...look it up, keto occasionally, is not beneficial or remotely healthy. It is all or nothing with keto shit. With that out of the way, I want to say that butter gives these a comfort element and a familiarity that I happen to love.
What to do about sugar
You can use regular brown sugar if you want, but since I am going all in with the healthy part of these, I am using a slightly better for you coconut palm sugar. It is super similar to brown sugar, readily available on Amazon and in the stores and not terribly expensive either. It is also low on the glycemic index so a great alternative if you have a diabetic in your life.
The almond flour
Taking out the white flour is what really makes the difference in the carb count here. It is also what can affect the texture. After a couple test runs, I have found the super fine ground almond flour is the way to go IF you want the texture as close as possible to a regular chocolate chip cookie bar. This is the one I use. HOWEVER, the almond meal from Trader Joe's is what I LIKE the most. It has a heftier texture and is darker, because it grinds the almond skins as well. Really your choice, but my kids preferred the fine ground stuff, so that is ultimately what I am going with in this recipe.
The chocolate chips
I even healthy'd the f--k out this part too. Lily's dark chocolate baking chips are my absolute obssession of 2020. They are intensely chocolatey, smooth, and made with stevia so perfect for a healthy treat. Also PSA - make hot chocolate with them. Melt into some milk with a touch of maple syrup, you will thank me later.
Easy low carb healthy(ish) chocolate chip cookie bars
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups almond flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup salted butter melted
- ¾ cup coconut palm sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat an 8x8 pan and spray with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 325.
- Whisk together almond flour, salt, and baking soda.
- With a stand mixer (or hand mizer) beat together (with paddle attachment with stanc mixer) the melted butter and coconut palm sugar until fully blended. Add the two eggs, the one yolk and vanilla and mix until well incorporated.
- Add the almond flour mixture to the wet ingredients. Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Spread the batter in the baking pan and bake in oven for about 35-40 minutes on the middle rack.
My other favorite almond flour recipe is right here.
Pat Cryer says
Hi Kate!
I enjoy reading your recipes very much. I'm not a prude at all, but I really find your use of s... And f...ing (although this one's not spelled out) really unnecessary and I'm not sure why you feel the need to include them.
You're probably laughing that someone would take the time to comment on this, but I just found it offensive enough to do so.
Thanks for reading this.
Sincerely,
Pat Cryer
kwalsh0722 says
Hi Pat, I am not laughing 🙂
I am actually surprised it took this long for someone to send a comment like this. I am from Chicago, the southside, and swearing is bred into us, sometimes I don't even know I am doing it. What I really want a reader to feel when they read my blog, is that they are sitting around my kitchen island, with a beer, chatting with me while I cook and have a beer with them...doing this would involve less than flattering language, because that is just who I am. People who know me get this, and I will say one of my biggest compliments came from my mother who said 'I can hear you saying every single sentence you ever write in here, this is you being you.' I promise, and I truly hope you don't read my blog and feel any abrasivenss in my writing, as that is not my intent ever...I really am looking for a sense of casualness and familiarity with me. I promise I am nice, cheery, friendly and I swear like a sailor (without an ounce of harm in it). I realize this language is not for everyone, but my recipes are good and well tested and I work hard on them, and I hope you continue to check them out and try them 🙂
Karen says
You don’t list amount of chocolate chips to use in your Easy Low Carb Healthy-ish Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars, or list nutritional vslues
Katie Beck says
Hi Karen!
Sorry about that, it is 1/2 cup of chocolate chips and I have edited the copy to reflect this. I do not include nutritional information on my recipes, it can be quite time consuming to figure out each and every time 🙂
Here are some options you can copy and paste recipes into that will calculate it for you.
https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
https://www.myfitnesspal.com/recipe/calculator
https://whisk.com/recipe-nutrition-calculator/