Grain-Free and Sugar-Free Magic Cookie Bars
Servings: 12 -15 bars
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups almond meal
- 1/2 cup butter dairy-free options: 1/2 cup nut butter or coconut oil
- 8 to 14 oz*. of sweetened condensed milk
- 1 1/3 cup coconut flakes finely shredded, no sugar added
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 1 2/3 cups chocolate chips dairy free, soy free, sugar free and homemade chips work well
Homemade Sweetened Condensed Milk: Sugar-free and Dairy-free
- 27 oz coconut milk 2 13.5-oz cans
- 4 tablespoons Truvia or equivalent sweetener
Instructions
- Make the sweetened condensed milk:
- Place the coconut milk and Truvia in a small pan and bring to a light boil.
- Reduce heat to maintain a steady simmer for approximately 4 hours. Stir occasionally to prevent burning.
- It is done when reduced by about half, and thick in consistency like store-bought sweetened condensed milk.
- Make the bars:
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a food processor or with a fork, combine almond meal with butter.
- Press the almond meal mixture in a well greased 9 x 13 " Pyrex dish.
- Pour the sweetened condensed milk over the top of the almond mixture.
- Spread the coconut and chocolate chips evenly over the sweetened condensed milk.
- Press down evenly with a fork.
- **Alternatively, you can add half of the sweetened condensed milk, then the coconut and chocolate chips, with the second half of the sweetened condensed milk on the top of those.
- Either way works nicely.
- Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes, or until bubbly and brown.
- Cool well.
- You may even refrigerate overnight.
- Slice, serve and enjoy!
Notes
*A note about the sweetened condensed milk: I used only a little over 8 oz. (so about 9 oz.) of my homemade sweetened condensed coconut milk. The Eagle Brand recipe for Magic Cookie Bars calls for a full 14 oz. can of their sweetened condensed milk. Use what you think will work best.
**For me, layering the homemade sweetened condensed coconut milk, a layer on the crust, and a layer over the top of the chocolate, nuts and coconut flakes, worked perfectly.