If you love the sound of a slab of cookie butter sitting on a crunchy cookie base, I think you'll adore these vegan cookie butter bars which are certainly unorthodox, but the concept works so well! They're delicious.
I call them 'open sandwich' bars due to the filling becoming detached from the base during the chilling process. You can make these 'complete' sandwich bars by placing another piece of the cookie crust on top of the filling.
This recipe is super easy to put together. The creaminess of the cookie butter goes perfectly with the buttery Digestive base. I'd definitely put this in the 'comfort treats' category.
Since you love cookie butter so much, you may also love some of my other cookie recipes such as, my vegan biscoff cookies, vegan cookie dough brownie bars and vegan single serve double chocolate chip cookie recipes. Be sure to give some of them a try!
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Why You Will Love These Bars
- Creamy & Crunchy - The tasty contrast between creamy and crunchy texture is the theme for so many desserts on the site like my vegan cookie dough tart, vegan gingerbread coffee cake and vegan strawberry shortcake white chocolate cheesecake. These bars are another great example as to why it works so well.
- Easy To Make - Once the base and filling have been prepared, all you need to do to perfect this recipe is to spread the filling over the base so that it is completely covered. Then you can let the fridge do the rest of the work. The process really is that simple.
- Uniqueness - These cookie butter bars are quite different to all the other recipes on the blog since the the filling is detached from the crust but I believe that this makes it a great snack. You can also add another piece of the cookie crust over the filling butter to make this a sandwich.
- Allergy Friendly & Plant Based - This vegan cookie butter bars recipe is completely vegan and dairy free.
Ingredient Notes
- Digestive biscuits or vegan Graham crackers - Digestives and Graham crackers both have great textures and are well known for their neutral taste, making them a good options for the base layer.
- Vegan butter block - Using a good quality vegan butter block helps the filling to be thick. Vegan margarine won't work very well. I find that the vegan Flora block works perfectly for this recipe.
- Soft coconut oil - Make sure that this ingredient is at room temperature and out of the fridge before using. It is very important as it helps to give the cookie butter texture the detaching, non-sticking texture that we need.
- Powdered sugar - One of the main filling ingredients. Just make sure that the powdered sugar that you use is vegan. Many of them use bone char in the making process, so please be wary of this. I have used Tate & Lyle powdered sugar in recipes such as, my vegan maple pecan cake and eggless vanilla cake loaf with peanut butter buttercream recipes because it is 100% vegan.
- Biscoff cookies - This is what makes the filling a 'cookie butter', as opposed to a just buttercream. The Biscoff cookies can also be sprinkled on top of the bars if you wish.
See recipe card for full information on individual ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- If you have an allergy to gluten, you don't need to worry. You can make these cookie butter bars gluten free. It's the Digestives/Graham crackers & Biscoff cookies that you need to replace in this recipe. None of the other ingredients contain gluten so all you need to do is find some gluten free cookie alternatives that you love.
- If you'd like the cookie butter texture to be more cookie-like, you can add more crushed Biscoff cookies to it (to taste). I haven't tested this so do this with caution and add as much as you see fit. I originally added more crushed Oreos to my vegan Oreo cheesecake, but I reduced the amount after I felt that it was too much and a little overbearing.
How To Make Vegan Cookie Butter Bars
For the full method, please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
1. Line a large, square baking tin with parchment paper.
2. Blitz the base ingredients.
3. Press the base into the bottom of the prepared tin.
4. Make the cookie butter filling inside a stand mixer.
5. Fold in the cookie crumbs.
6. Spread the cookie butter butter mixture over the base. Sprinkle on some more cookie crumbs. Refrigerate.
7. They will dismantle like this. You can make a full sandwich if you wish.
8. Or serve like this.
Expert Tips
Make a full 'sandwich' - As you will see in the image above, these bars are detachable. If you'd prefer to have a full cookie butter sandwich, place another square of the base over the cookie butter and your sandwich is complete.
Don't Mix By Hand - In order to get the right consistency for the cookie butter, it is best to use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment.
Making The Cookie Butter Frosting - My cookie butter frosting recipe is so easy. Just beat the ingredients together inside a stand mixer and the everything else will come together nicely. The frosting should be thick and easily spreadable after it has been beaten.
Recipe FAQs
Cookie butter is generally filled with 'buttery' flavors (of course), as well as, gingerbread, cinnamon and nutmeg which are also often present. In my recipe, these flavors are mainly contributed through the Biscoff cookie crumbs which are folded into the filling.
Biscoff is certainly a type of cookie butter but it is very different to the cookie butter that you will make for this recipe. My cookie butter focuses more on actual vegan butter and the final result is essentially a thick, creamy, cookie-filled buttercream.
Store these creamy bars inside an airtight container and place into the fridge for up to 6 days.
More Vegan Cookie Recipes
If you tried this Vegan Cookie Butter Bars Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you!
Open Sandwich Cookie Butter Bars (Vegan & No-Bake)
Ingredients
For the base:
- 360 g Digestive biscuits or vegan Graham crackers
- 120 g vegan butter melted
- Pinch of salt
For the filling:
- 240 g vegan butter block room temperature
- 180 g soft coconut oil room temperature
- 540 g powdered sugar sifted
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 100 g Biscoff cookies finely crushed
For the topping:
- Crushed Biscoff cookies to taste
Instructions
Preparation:
- Line an 8-inch, square baking tin with parchment paper.
Make the crust:
- Add the Digestives or Graham crackers to a food processor or a high-speed blender. Blitz them until fine.
- Pour in your melted butter and sprinkle in the salt. Blitz the base mixture again to until a wet base mixture forms.
- Press the base into the bottom of the lined pan either firmly with your hands or with the bottom of a glass.
- Place the base into the freezer while you make the cookie butter mixture.
Make the cookie butter filling:
- Set up a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Cream your dairy-free butter and the softened, room-temperature, softened coconut oil on a high-speed for 5 minutes until it becomes fluffy and there are no coconut lumps.
- Next, pour in the powdered sugar, vanilla, salt and Biscoff cookie crumbs. Combine them on a low speed to combine then cream on a medium-high speed for a further 3-4 minutes.
- Turn off the stand mixer and spoon the cookie butter over the base. Sprinkle on some more Biscoff cookie crumbs.
Refrigerate:
- Place the cookie butter tin into the fridge and chill for 1 hour 30 minutes.
- Slice into 12 squares. The filling will have solidified and separated from the base creating the ‘open sandwich’ effect. Serve and enjoy.
Video
Notes
- As you will see in the images above, these bars are detachable. If you'd prefer to have a full cookie butter sandwich, place another square of the base over the cookie butter and your sandwich is complete.
- In order to get the right consistency for the cookie butter, it is best to use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, instead of mixing by hand.
- My cookie butter frosting recipe is so easy. Just beat the ingredients together inside a stand mixer and the everything else will come together nicely. The frosting should be thick and easily spreadable after it has been beaten.
Hailey Carter says
Love this concept. I placed another piece of the base over the cookie butter block and made a full cookie butter sandwich 😍