Sweet treats are always delicious when they're layered and chunky. You don't need look any further than these easy-to-assemble vegan cookie dough bars which fit that description to a tee.
The recipe is almost completely no-bake and is so easy to follow. Layer the three tiers inside a baking tray and refrigerate until the chocolate has firmed up. It really is that simple!
These appetizing bars have a soft brownie base, a creamy cookie dough chocolate chip filling, as well as being topped with a smooth layer of homemade chocolate ganache. What more could you need?!
For more layered recipe desserts, be sure to check out my vegan chocolate peanut butter almond bars, vegan biscoff caramel bars and my vegan raspberry bars which are all filled with amazing flavors.
Why You Will Love These Cookie Dough Brownie Bars
- A great combination of flavors - When you have a spoonful of one of these bars, you enter 'vegan treats heaven'. The brownie, cookie dough and chocolate all melt together into one entity inside your mouth. I can't describe how good it is! The cookie dough definitely has similarities to the one in my vegan cookie dough tart, as well as my vegan single serve healthy edible cookie dough.
- Requires very little baking - The only baking you'll need to do for this recipe is to bake the brownie base for 15 minutes so that it becomes cakey. The other two layers are fully no-bake and can be added on top of the base to be refrigerated.
- Adaptable - With the cookie dough and chocolate layers, you can half or double the amounts. If you'd prefer there to be a thicker layer of chocolate and a thinner layer of cookie dough, you can double the amount of chocolate ingredients and half the amount of cookie dough ingredients.
- Allergy Friendly & Plant Based - This vegan cookie dough brownie bars recipe is entirely vegan and dairy free.
Ingredient Notes
- Cocoa powder - Using a good quality cocoa powder will make a big difference to the brownie base, if you like your chocolatey treats to be rich.
- Dairy-free yogurt - As this is a vegan recipe, the dairy free yogurt will act as an egg replacer for the brownie base, making it 'cakier' and improving it's texture significantly. I also used vegan yogurt in my eggless fudgy brownies recipe to the same effect. I even works amazingly in cookies such as, my vegan chocolate brownie cookies and vegan rocky road cookies.
- All-purpose flour - It is so important that you make sure that you that you heat treat the flour that you will use in the cookie dough. Otherwise, whoever consumes the bars would be at risk of becoming unwell.
- Vegan butter block - Make sure that this is at room temperature before you use it. A soft dairy free butter block will create a smoother and more delicious cookie dough.
- Tahini - This ingredient adds a slight nutty and savory taste taste to the cookie dough, and although is it quite unusual and different, it works really well and makes the bars super unique!
- Vegan double cream - This is mostly important for the chocolate layer. As it is a chocolate ganache, you don't want it to be too rich. The vegan double cream neutralizes the taste and also helps the dark chocolate to melt easier.
See recipe card for full information on individual ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- This recipe uses all-purpose flour for both the base and the filling but you can make the bars gluten free by swapping this out for a gluten, 1:1 all-purpose flour blend. The texture of the brownie may be a little drier but the cookie dough filling will be quite similar.
- If you aren't a big fan of chocolate chips, you can add a different filling to the cookie dough. I love to add chopped hazelnuts or chopped peanuts to mine. Of course, if you have an allergy specific to nuts, you'll have to choose something else as an alternative. I used mini vegan marshmallows in my vegan rocky road bars which is another great filling option for treats like this.
How To Make Vegan Cookie Dough Bars
For the full method, please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
1: Line a square baking tin with parchment paper
2: Make the brownie batter for the base.
3: Spoon the brownie batter into the base of the prepared tin and bake.
4: Let the brownie base cool.
5: Heat treat the flour before adding it to the cookie dough batter.
6: Mix together the cookie dough ingredients.
7: Spread the cookie dough over the brownie base.
8: Melt some vegan chocolate and pour it over the cookie dough layer.
9: Slice the bars and serve.
Expert Tips
Don't forget to heat treat the flour - This is by far the most important tip for this recipe. When making the cookie dough filling, you MUST heat treat your flour inside the oven, or else you are putting yourself at risk of becoming seriously unwell. Uncooked flour must always be heated at a high temperature before being consumed.
Use a nut butter - If you aren't the biggest tahini fan but you love nut butters such as almond or cashew butter, they can be substituted, 1:1.
Recipe FAQs
They can stay fresh in the fridge for 5-7 days inside an airtight container.
Yes you can! Place them into a storage container for up to 1 month. Let them thaw at room temperature and enjoy. You can also use ziplock bags. If you choose that option, make sure that you store them as individual slices.
Just add 1-2 teaspoons of you chosen protein powder to the cookie dough batter when you add the flour. Fold it in. If you find that the powder has dried the cookie dough out a little, pour in a drop (half a teaspoon at a time) of plant milk.
You can use a neutral tasting nut butter such as almond or cashew butter. Peanut butter is too strong in flavor.
These bars basically consist of creamy cookie dough surrounded by different forms of chocolate with those being the chocolate topping, chocolate brownie and chocolate chips.
More Vegan Cookie Recipes That You Will Love
If you tried this Vegan Cookie Dough Brownie 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!
Vegan Cookie Dough Brownie Bars
Ingredients
For the brownie base:
- 120 g vegan butter melted
- 175 g granulated sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 115 g cocoa powder sifted
- 125 g dairy-free yogurt
- 0.5 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 65 g all-purpose flour sifted
For the cookie dough layer:
- 250 g all-purpose flour heat treated
- 300 g vegan butter block softened, room temperature
- 180 g granulated sugar
- 180 g brown sugar
- 1.5 Tablespoons tahini
- 100 ml vegan double cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 125 g vegan chocolate chips
For the chocolate topping:
- 330 g vegan dark baking chocolate chopped
- 200 ml vegan double cream
Instructions
Preparation:
- Preheat your oven to 163 Celsius (325F).
- Line an 8-inch baking tin with parchment paper then set aside.
Make the brownie base:
- Firstly, mix together your melted vegan butter and sugar. Next, add the salt, cocoa powder, yogurt and vanilla. Stir again. Lastly, fold in the flour so that it is fully combined.
- Spoon your brownie batter into the lined tin. Spread it out nice and evenly with a palette knife. Bake the base in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Keep the oven on after taking the brownie layer out from the oven. Let the brownie base cool fully.
Make the cookie dough filling:
- Turn the oven up to 177 Celsius (350F) and place the flour into a heatproof dish. Cook the flour in the oven on a baking tray for 5 minutes the take it out so that it can cool.
- Once again, cream together the butter with the sugar. This time it is both granulated and brown sugars. Keep creaming until fluffy.
- Now mix in the tahini, cream and vanilla, followed by the heat-treated flour and salt. Once the mixture is almost fully combined, fold in the chocolate chips.
- Spread the cookie dough over the cooled brownie base.
Make the chocolate topping:
- In a large, heatproof bowl, melt the chocolate using the double-boiling (bain-marie) method. When the chocolate is smooth, stir in the vegan double cream.
- Pour the melted chocolate over the cookie dough. Refrigerate for 45 minutes then slice and serve.
Video
Notes
- This is by far the most important tip for this recipe. When making the cookie dough filling, you MUST heat treat your flour inside the oven, or else you are putting yourself at risk of becoming seriously unwell. Uncooked flour must always be heated at a high temperature before being consumed.
- If you aren't the biggest tahini fan but you love nut butters such as almond or cashew butter, they can be substituted, 1:1.
Aimee says
Really enjoyed these bars.