These Gluten-Free Monster Cookie Bars are packed with peanut butter, gluten-free rolled oats, chocolate-coated candies, and plenty of chocolate chips. They’re easy to make, come together without a lot of fuss, and no one will be able to tell that they’re gluten free!
Why You’ll Love these Monster Cookie Bars
- So easy to make – seriously, these are so easy. Just one bowl and around 10-15 minutes to make the cookie bar batter before baking.
- Gluten free – these are gluten free but literally no one would be able to tell! They’re soft, chewy, and so delicious and perfect for anyone who in your life who may have a gluten allergy.
- Easy to customize – I love these bars because you can easily customize them and make them your own. Add in a few chopped nuts, swap the chocolate, use your favorite chocolate candy…so many options!
Watch How to Make This Recipe
Recipe Ingredients
Peanut Butter: we’re using creamy, all-natural peanut butter for this recipe. Be sure to choose a peanut butter that’s unsweetened. I’ve shared my favorite brand to use for this recipe in the recipe card, below.
Butter: I like to use unsalted butter when baking but you could use salted butter if that is all you have. Just use a bit less salt in the batter.
Brown Sugar: this adds sweetness and helps to give the bars that chewy delicious texture.
Egg: we’re using one large egg and one large egg yolk for the ultimate fudgy, chewy texture.
Vanilla Extract: I have a suggested amount but measure with your heart.
Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour: one of my favorite gluten-free flours to use is Cup 4 Cup gluten free flour. It always works well for me as a 1 to 1 swap for all-purpose flour and it gives these bars the perfect texture. Please note, that you cannot substitute almond flour, coconut flour, or cassava flour 1:1 for gluten free flour in this recipe.
Baking Soda: this helps the cookies rise. Make sure it’s fresh!
Cinnamon: just a touch adds warmth and the best flavor to the bars.
Oats: we’re using old-fashioned rolled oats for this recipe to give the bars the perfect chewy texture. Oats are naturally gluten-free, but if you have a gluten allergy be sure to grab certified gluten-free oats for this recipe.
Chocolate Coated Candies: these are must have in monster cookie! I love using these naturally colored chocolate candies that use a bit less sugar than traditional candies, but any variety will work.
Dark Chocolate Chips: you can never have too much chocolate, right? I like to use dark chocolate chips for this recipe but I’ve included some substitutions, below.
Flaky Sea Salt: you have to finish these bars with a touch of flaky sea salt!
Ingredient Substitutions
- Peanut Butter – this recipe is specifically formulated to work with peanut butter however, almond butter would likely give you similar results.
- Butter – if you need to keep this recipe dairy-free, you can swap the butter for melted coconut oil instead.
- Brown Sugar – swap the brown sugar for coconut sugar if you prefer.
- Mix-Ins – feel free to get creative here! You can customize these bars by adding different candies or even chopped nuts.
- Chocolate Chips – not a fan of dark chocolate? You can swap it for milk chocolate or even white chocolate chips instead! Opt for dairy-free varieties if you need to keep this recipe dairy-free.
How to Make Monster Cookie Bars
Step One: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Then, line an 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper, and set it aside.
Step Two: Add the peanut butter, melted butter, and dark brown sugar to a large mixing bowl. Whisk until well combined and smooth.
Step Three: Next, add the eggs and vanilla extract to the bowl, and whisk again until well combined and smooth.
Step Four: Sift the gluten-free flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt into the bowl of wet ingredients. Then, gently fold into the wet ingredients until well combined and a batter has formed.
Step Five: Next, add the remaining dry ingredients including the oats, chocolate-coated candies, and dark chocolate chips. Fold them in to distribute them evenly throughout the cookie dough.
Step Six: Transfer the dough to the prepared baking pan, and use your fingers or a rubber spatula to press it into an even layer. Then, top the dough with extra chocolate candies and chocolate chips.
Step Seven: Bake the bars for 25 minutes. Then, remove them from the oven, add a sprinkle of flaky sea salt, and let them cool completely.
Step Eight: Remove the monster cookie bars slab from the pan, and slice it into 16 bars. Enjoy!
How to Store and Freeze
- Store leftover cookie bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
- Freeze the bars for up to 3 months. I recommend slicing and wrapping each individual bar with plastic wrap to prevent them from clumping together!
- Thaw in the fridge overnight, and serve cold. Or, warm your bars in the microwave for just a few seconds to heat them back up.
More Delicious Cookie Recipes
- Gluten Free S’mores Cookies
- Flourless Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Gluten Free Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
I hope you give these Gluten-Free Monster Cookie Bars a try! They’re full of flavor chocolate peanut butter flavor and are so easy to make! If you do give this recipe a try, let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo & tag @allthehealthythings on INSTAGRAM. Your reviews and ratings help support All the Healthy Things and make it possible for me to continue to create the recipes you trust and love.
PrintGluten Free Monster Cookie Bars
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 16 1x
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
These Gluten-Free Monster Cookie Bars are packed with peanut butter, gluten-free rolled oats, chocolate-coated candies, and plenty of chocolate chips. They’re easy to make, come together without a lot of fuss, and no one will be able to tell that they’re gluten free!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup creamy unsweetened and all-natural peanut butter (I used Crazy Richards)
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 large egg and 1 large egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup gluten free all purpose flour (I used Cup4Cup)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1/2 cup chocolate coated candies, plus more for the top
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips, plus more for the top
- flaky sea salt, for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line an 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper.
- Add the peanut butter, melted butter, and dark brown sugar to a large mixing bowl. Whisk together until well combined and smooth.
- Next, add the eggs and vanilla extract and whisk until well combined.
- Sift the gluten free flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt into the wet ingredients and then fold in until well combined.
- Next, add the oats, chocolate coated candies, and dark chocolate chips into the dough until well combined.
- Transfer the dough to the lined baking pan and use your fingertips or a rubber spatula to press it into an even layer. Top the dough with extra chocolate candies and chocolate chips.
- Bake the bars for 25 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove from the oven, top with flaky salt, and let the bars cool completely before removing from the pan and slicing into 16 bars.
Recipe by: Ashlea Carver / All the Healthy Things | Photography by: Eat Love Eat