Healthy Slow Cooker Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

©: Amy's Healthy Baking

Yields: 18 bars

These chocolate chip cookie bars are a dream come true, especially when it’s too hot to turn on the oven! They’re full of rich chocolate, a hint of caramel-like flavor from the coconut sugar, and have almost the same fudgy texture as brownies. They’ll keep for at least 5 days if stored in an airtight container. (To make them last longer, place that container in the refrigerator!)

1 ½ cups white whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
1 ¼ tsp baking powder
1 ¼ tsp cornstarch
¼ tsp salt
3 tbsp (42g) unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
1 large egg, room temperature
1 large egg white, room temperature
1 tbsp (15mL) vanilla extract
¾ cup (144g) coconut sugar
3 tbsp (42g) dark chocolate chips
2 tbsp (28g) miniature chocolate chips

Line a 5-quart slow cooker with foil, and lightly coat with nonstick cooking spray. If any lands on the lip around the top of the porcelain bowl where the lid rests, wipe it off with a paper towel.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cornstarch, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter, egg, egg white, and vanilla. Stir in the coconut sugar, mixing until completely dissolved. Add in the flour mixture, stirring until just incorporated. Fold in the dark chocolate chips and 1 ½ tablespoons of miniature chocolate chips.
Spread the cookie dough into the prepared slow cooker, and gently press the remaining miniature chocolate chips on top. Place the slow cooker lid on top. Cook on LOW for 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours 15 minutes, or until the sides look firm and set while the center still looks slightly underdone. Turn off the slow cooker, remove the lid, and let the bars cool completely to room temperature in the slow cooker. Once at room temperature, let them set for at least 2 hours for the best texture.

Notes: This is the 5-quart oval-shaped slow cooker that I used. A 6-quart slow cooker may be used instead, but the cookie bars will be thinner and will most likely finish cooking in less time. Do not use any other size slow cooker.

Whole wheat pastry flour, regular whole wheat flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the white whole wheat flour.

If you prefer to use 2 full eggs, decrease the butter or coconut oil to 2 ½ tablespoons (35g).

Light brown sugar may be substituted for the coconut sugar. Do not substitute liquid sweeteners (ie pure maple syrup, honey, etc.).

Regular semisweet chocolate chips may be substituted for the dark chocolate chips.

GLUTEN-FREE VERSION: For the gluten-free option, I recommend the following for the best taste and texture: 7 tablespoons (52g) millet flour, 6 tablespoons (45g) tapioca flour, ¼ cup (28g) coconut flour, and 1 teaspoon xanthan gum. Many store-bought gluten-free flour blends (like this one!) will work, if measured like this.

REGULAR OVEN METHOD: If you prefer to bake the cookies in the oven, use this recipe of mine (it’s very similar!), and press the cookie dough into a 13x9” rectangular cake pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350°F. Start checking for doneness after 12-13 minutes. The cookie bars will be done when the sides look fully cooked through and the center looks mostly set. (If the edges pull away from the sides of the pan within 10 minutes of removing the pan from the oven, then you've baked them long enough!) Let them cool completely to room temperature in the pan before slicing and serving. (The heat from the pan will continue to cook the center as you let the bars cool!)

{gluten-free, dairy-free, clean eating, low fat}

Recipe by Amy's Healthy Baking at https://amyshealthybaking.com/blog/2016/07/19/skinny-slow-cooker-chocolate-chip-cookie-bars/