Creamy, rich, melt-in-your-mouth Cookies & Creme Chocolate Bars that are vegan, paleo-friendly, gluten-free, & refined sugar-free, made with just 6 simple ingredients!
Did anyone else grow up loving the Hershey’s Cookies N’ Creme Chocolate Bars!? Well, you’re in luck because we are making them at home today, sans all the funky ingredients 😉 Most cookies and cream bars are a lineup of milk powder, refined sugar, soy lecithin, and vegetable oils. This recipe skips all of it. Cacao butter gives you that smooth, snappy, melt-in-your-mouth white chocolate texture, cashew butter adds creaminess and a subtle richness, and allulose & monk fruit powdered sugar sweetens without any refined sugar. The result is a vegan, paleo-friendly, dairy-free, gluten-free chocolate bar that tastes like an actual treat, made with ingredients you can pronounce.
If you love homemade chocolate bars, try my collagen cookie dough stuffed chocolate bars!
Recipe video
Why You’ll Love These cookies & creme chocolate bars
- Dietary Friendly: egan and dairy-free. No milk powder, no butter, no hidden dairy. Cashew butter replaces the creaminess usually supplied by milk solids.
- Paleo-friendly. Cacao butter and cashew butter are whole-food fats, and there’s no grain, soy, or refined sugar anywhere in the bar.
- Refined sugar-free and gluten-free. Sweetened with allulose and monk fruit, so there’s no cane sugar, and no gluten ingredients.
- Only 6 ingredients. One bowl, one melt, one mold. Easy enough to make on a weeknight.
Ingredient Notes
- Cacao butter: Look for food-grade cacao butter wafers or chunks for a mild, neutral flavor. This is the cheapest per oz cacao butter i’ve found!
- Monk fruit powdered sugar: Dissolves into the melted cacao butter without graininess without adding any refined sugar. I usually use a monk fruit/allulose blend. However, you can use regular powdered sugar or even try substituting honey/maple syrup (I haven’t personally tested this, though!)
- Cashew butter: Choose a smooth, runny, unsweetened cashew butter made from just cashews (and maybe salt). You can use sunflower seed butter for a nut-free option!
- Sea salt: A pinch brings out the vanilla and keeps the bars from tasting flat.
- Optional: protein powder! This can help add flavor and creaminess to the bars. Be sure to use a flavor that you LOVE the taste of. If you don’t love your protein, just leave it out! My favorite is Macro Mike’s Vanilla Buttercream (it tastes like dessert). You can use code “amb-dani” to save!
Steps to make homemade Cookies & Creme chocolate bars
- Add the cacao butter to a medium-sized heat-safe bowl. Either heat in the microwave or on low on the stovetop, until completely melted, stirring occasionally. Let the mixture cool for a few minutes.
- Add the confectioner’s sugar, salt and vanilla, and whisk until smooth. I actually like to let my cacao butter cool completely and then add it to my food processor (i find this helps create a more uniform mixture).
- Break up the cookies into small pieces. Fold them into the mixture.
- Pour/spread the mixture into your chocolate molds. Then place in the fridge to firm up.
- Once completely firm, carefully remove from the molds. I like to store mine in the fridge in an air-tight bag or container to prevent melting. Enjoy!
Tips for Success
- Don’t overheat the cacao butter. Melt it gently and just until liquid. Overheated cacao butter can set up dull or soft instead of glossy and snappy.
- Use powdered sweetener. Granulated sweeteners can leave a gritty texture!
- Cool before folding in cookies. If the mixture is too hot, the crumbs will sink and soften. A few minutes of cooling keeps them evenly suspended.
- Let set completely before removing from the molds. This will help prevent your chocolate bars from breaking!
Storing cookies & creme chocolate bars
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, or freeze for up to 3 months. Cacao butter has a low melting point, so these are best eaten straight from the fridge.
FAQ
- Are these cookies and cream bars vegan? Yes. They’re made entirely from plant-based ingredients if using the ingredients I suggested!
- Are they paleo? They’re paleo-friendly in that they’re free of grains, dairy, soy, and refined sugar.
- Can I use almond butter instead of cashew butter? Almond butter works but has a stronger flavor and darker color. Cashew butter is the most neutral and gives the closest “white chocolate” taste.
- Why are my bars soft at room temperature? Cacao butter melts around body temperature, and allulose is naturally softer than sugar. Keep them chilled and eat them cold for the best snap.
- Can I use regular powdered sugar instead of the allulose and monk fruit blend? Totally! Just note that your bars will be significantly higher in sugar – but still delicious 😉
More heathy chocolate recipes to try
- Cookie dough stuffed chocolate bars
- No-bake protein brownies
- Almond joy yogurt bowl
- Protein Frozen S’mores bars
- Dilly bars
- Snickers protein shake
- Healthier chocolate fudge sauce
Healthy Cookies & Creme Chocolate Bars
Creamy, rich, melt-in-your-mouth Cookies &Creme Chocolate Bars that are vegan, paleo-friendly, gluten-free, & refined sugar-free, made with just 6 simple ingredients!
Ingredients
- 1 cup cacao butter
- 1/2 cup monk fruit/allulose powdered sugar *or regular powdered sugar. i haven't tested honey or maple syrup, but those will probably work as well.
- 3/4 cup cashew butter *sunflower butter is great for a nut-free option
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 box Simple Mills Sandwich Cookies *you won't use the whole box!*
- *optional: 1 scoop of your favorite vanilla protein powder *i use a plant-based protein in the flavor vanilla buttercream. It makes it taste amazing! (linked in the notes below!) I haven't tried whey, etc.
Instructions
- Add the cacao butter to a medium-sized heat-safe bowl. Either heat in the microwave or on low on the stovetop, until completely melted, stirring occasionally. Let the mixture cool for a few minutes.
- Add the confectioner’s sugar, salt and vanilla, and whisk until smooth. I actually like to let my cacao butter cool completely and then add it to my food processor (i find this helps create a more uniform mixture).
- Break up the cookies into small pieces. Fold them into the mixture.
- Pour/spread the mixture into your chocolate molds. Then place in the fridge to firm up.
- Once completely firm, carefully remove from the molds. I like to store mine in the fridge in an air-tight bag or container to prevent melting. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Ingredient notes: You can use peanut butter, but this will result in a stronger peanut butter flavor (so delicious, still!). For the most authentic white chocolate flavor, stick to cashew butter. Sunflower seed butter is great for a nut-free option! I use macro mike vanilla buttercream protein! You can find it here! (code “amb-dani” will save you!) Links to what i’m using:
