If you’re craving something sweet and comforting but don’t want to snack on a sugar loaded candy bar, these healthy chocolate pecan cookie bars are exactly what you need. They’re so chewy, rich and delicious that you won’t even believe they’re gluten and added sugar free! They are packed with whole and natural ingredients for a nourishing snack that will delight both your body and your tastebuds.

How to choose the best snacks

When you feel tired, hungry and need a boost of energy, choosing an industrial candy bar sounds like an easy and yummy solution. Indeed, candy bars are often very appetizing with their chocolate coating, candied nuts and other creamy caramel. And it’s exactly all this amount of sugar that makes them so delicious and nearly addictive.

The fact is that while your body do need sugar to work properly, it’s not any type of sugar. Candy bars are loaded with fast sugars that will induce an instant peak in your blood sugar and provide you a kick of energy. But that will only last for a short period of time. Very soon you’ll experience an even lower energy level and your body will ask for more sugar.

When you need energy, the best option is to go for natural and whole ingredients. They provide you all the good nutrients your body needs to work the best way. While sugar is important to fuel your body and your brain, fibers, proteins and vitamins are also essential.

You can now find some good snacks in supermarkets. But always check the composition before: you will be amazed to see all the additives, fats and sugars you can find. Even the so-called “energy bars” or “sport bars” can surprise you.

With the time, I found the best alternative is to bake my own snacks. Not only it’s very fun and easy to do, but you know exactly what’s inside and you can even twist the recipes to perfectly meet your special needs. For instance, try to replace part of the flour with protein powder in cakes or add superfood powders in any preparation.

The best healthy chocolate pecan cookie bars are sugar free

Let’s be honest, I’ve got a serious sweet tooth and I love to have second helpings without feeling guilty.

Next time you make this recipe, don’t tell your friends there is no added sugar inside, I’m sure they won’t even know! The reason why these healthy chocolate pecan cookie bars taste so delicious is due to apple sauce. Apple sauce and all fruit purees are naturally sweetened by the sugar contains in the fruit. You can use them in many cake recipes and other preparations like granolas for a yummy sweet tooth and to bring moistness. My favorite are apple sauce and mashed banana.

Fruits purees are basically cooked and mixed fruits, so they contain all the parts of the fruit and especially the fibers. And fibers help to regulate the level of sugar in the blood, and to keep you full and energized.

These healthy chocolate pecan cookie bars are also stuffed with dark chocolate chunks that already contain sugar. The amount and type of sugar varies according to the product. That’s why it’s important to choose a good quality chocolate.

• Choose dark chocolate rather than milk or white, and make sure it’s dairy free.
• Choose a chocolate with at least 70% cocoa. Cocoa is the most interesting component for both flavor and nutrition.
• If possible, choose a dark chocolate with good quality sweetener, like canne sugar or coconut sugar.

How to bake gluten free with almond and oat flours

These healthy chocolate pecan cookie bars are completely gluten free thanks to the almond flour and oat flour. These are great and common ingredients used in gluten free baking.

There are many gluten-free flours, like rice, chestnut, buckwheat, coconut, chickpea or even lentil to name but a few. They all have their own specificities and are often special so you cannot use them the same way.

Almond flour and oat flour used in these healthy chocolate pecan cookie bars are among my favorite options. They are easy to bake with and very versatile. They can replace regular flour in many preparations.

Almond flour

Almond flour and almond meal are popular and ancient gluten-free ingredients used in many recipes all over the worlds. Although they look similar, they are different by flavor, appearance and taste, and can significantly change a same recipe. 

Both are made from ground almonds. The difference is in the process : almond meal is made from ground whole almonds with their skins on, while almond flour is typically made from blanched almonds which have had the skins removed and is ground more finely than almond meal.

You can easily make your own almond flour at home by mixing blanched almonds until you get a very fine powder. You can use both a food processor or a blender, but I recommend to use a high speed blender and pulse. It only takes one minute to get your almond flour ready. For more information about almond flour, check this blog post.

Oat flour

Oat flour is a whole-grain flour made from rolled oats. It is rich in nutrients, especially fibers, and is widely use in gluten-free baking. Oat flour works particularly well in recipes that require a dense texture like breads, pancakes or muffins. Sometimes it’s interesting to mix different types of flour in a recipe to achieve the ideal texture and flavor.

Making oat flour at home is very simple and quick as it requires only a blender and takes a few seconds.

To make oat flour, just add rolled oats to a blender or food processor, and blend for about 20-30 seconds until you have a fine powdery flour. Be careful not to over-blend or the flour can get clumpy. For more information about almond flour, check this blog post.

If you love blondies & bars, I’m sure you’ll also love these recipes

• Pineapple coconut Island cake, a one way ticket to the tropics
• Apricot & Pistachio blondies, a melt in your mouth goodness
• Fudgey peanut butter brownie, it’s all in the name
• Orange & Raisins blondies, a healthy snack with a secret ingredient

I love to see your creations! Don’t forget to tag me @alicepages on your photos on Instagram and give your feedback in the comments below if you make this recipe at home! Your opinion is my best reward.

The healthier chocolate pecan cookie bars

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• Author: Alice Pagès
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 12 squares 1x
• Category: baking sweets
• Method: Bake

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Description

These dark chocolate and pecan cookie bars are the perfect delicious and healthy treat. They are vegan, gluten free and added sugar free.

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Ingredients

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• 1 tbsp ground flax seeds + 3 tbsp of water
• 3/4 cup apple sauce
• 1/4 cup almond butter
• 1 tbsp coconut sugar or brown sugar (optional)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp grated tonka bean
• 1 cup oat flour (make your own, see notes)
• 3/4 cup almond flour (make your own, see notes)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1/3 cup roughly crushed pecan
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chunks 
• 1 pinch of sea salt flakes

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350F and grease or line a dish of dimensions about 8 x 5 inches .
2. Prepare the flax egg by mixing the ground flax seeds with the 3 tablespoons of water. Let sit for 2 minutes to allow the mixture to thicken.
3. In a large mixing bowl, beat the apple sauce, almond butter, sugar (optional) and vanilla until well combined. Add the the thickened flax egg, cinnamon and tonka bean, and stir to incorporate.
4. In a separate bowl, add the oat flour, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and whisk to combine.
5. Add the dry mixture to the wet and mix until combined. The batter should be thick.
6. Fold in the pecan roughly crushed and the dark chocolate chunks. 
7. Press the batter evenly into the prepared dish and smooth the surface using a spatula. If desired, sprinkle and gently press some more whole pecans and dark chocolate chunks on top. 
8. Bake for 20-24 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. It should be dry on top and a little wet inside. Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle with sea salt flakes.
9. Allow to completely cool down. Then remove from the pan and allow to firm at room temperature for at least 2 hours before cutting into squares. 
10. Store any leftovers in an airtight container on the counter top.

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Notes

1. For a fully sugar-free recipe, omit the sugar and make sure you’re using unsweetened apple sauce. Don’t worry, the apple sauce and dark chocolate chunks naturally bring enough sweetness to the cookie bars.
2. You can make your own oat flour by blending rolled oats into a fine flour. If you’re gluten intolerant, make sure you’re using gluten-free certified oats. 
3. Almond flour is not the same as almond meal. You can easily make your own almond flour at home by mixing blanched almonds in a food processor or high speed blender until you get a fine powdery flour. For more details, check this post.

Recette version française

Blondie façon cookie chocolat et pecan

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• Author: Alice Pagès
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 12 pzrts 1x
• Category: snack
• Method: four

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Description

Ces blondies façon cookies au chocolat et aux noix de pecan sont parfaits pour un snack ou un dessert sain et gourmand. Ils sont vegan, sans gluten et sans sucre ajouté.

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Ingredients

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• 10 g de graines de lin moulues + 45 ml d’eau
• 200 g de compote de pomme
• 50 g de beurre d’amande
• 20 g de sucre de coco ou sucre de canne (optionnel)
• 2 c. à c. d’extrait de vanilla
• 1 c. à c. de cannelle 
• 1/2 c. à c. de fève tonka râpée
• 100 g de farine d’avoine (voir les notes pour faire la vôtre)
• 30 g de farine d’amande (voir les notes pour faire la vôtre)
• 1 c. à c. de poudre à lever
• 1 c. à c. de bicarbonate 
• 1 pincée de sel
• 40 g de noix de pecan concassées
• 30 g de chocolat noir en morceaux
• 1 pincée de fleur de sel

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Instructions

1. Préchauffer le four à 180°C et huiler ou chemiser un plat de dimensions environ 20 x 13 cm.
2. Dans un petit bol, mélanger les graines de lin moulues et l’eau. Laisser reposer pendant 2-3 minutes afin que le mélange épaississe.
3. Dans un grand saladier, battre la compote de pomme, le beurre d’amande, le sucre (optionnel) et la vanille jusqu’à ce qu’ils soient bien incorporés. Puis ajouter la préparation de graines de lin épaissie, la cannelle et la fève de tonka râpée.
4. Dans un autre saladier, mélanger la farine d’avoine, la farine d’amande, la poudre à lever, le bicarbonate et le sel.
5. Ajouter le mélange sec dans la préparation humide et mélanger jusqu’à obtenir une pâte épaisse.
6. Incorporer les noix de pecan concassées et les morceaux de chocolat noir.
7. Répartir la préparation bien uniformément dans le moule et lisser la surface à l’aide d’une spatule. Décorer avec quelques noix de pecan entières et des morceaux de chocolat noir. 
8. Enfourner pour 20 à 24 minutes. Le blondie est cuit lorsque le dessus est sec au toucher et qu’un cure-dent planté à coeur ressort propre. Retirer du four et saupoudrer immédiatement de fleur de sel.
9. Laisser complètement refroidir avant de démouler. Puis laisser reposer pendant au moins 2 heures à température ambiante avant de découper en carrés.
10. Les blondies se conservent très bien plusieurs jours dans un récipient hermétique à température ambiante. 

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Notes

1. Pour une version totalement sans sucre ajouté, ne pas mettre le sucre de coco et s’assurer d’utiliser une compote sans sucres ajoutés. La compote et le chocolat noir apporteront le sucrant nécessaire à la recette.
2. Vous pouvez facilement réaliser votre farine d’avoine en mixant des flocons d’avoine jusqu’à obtenir une très fine poudre. Si vous êtes intolérant au gluten, assurez-vous d’utiliser des flocons d’avoine certifiés sans gluten.
3. La farine d’amande est différente de la poudre d’amande. Plus difficile à trouver dans le commerce, la farine d’amande peut cependant être facilement réalisée à la maison en mixant des amandes blanchies jusqu’à obtenir une très fine poudre. Pour plus de détails, jetez un oeil à cet article.