Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars (Vegan)

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Picking up a vegan gluten-free chocolate chip cookie bar from a stack

Your favorite chocolate chip cookies, but easier? We had to do it, friends! These vegan, gluten-free chocolate chip cookie BARS have all the flavor, but there’s no chilling, no scooping, and no hand mixer involved! Just stir, spread, and bake.

Plus, just 8 ingredients and 1 bowl required! They’re so easy it almost seems wrong…but they’re so right: perfectly sweet, chewy, buttery, and studded with melty chocolate chunks. Grab your favorite mixing bowl and let’s bake!

Dairy-free milk, gluten-free flour blend, brown sugar, flaxseed meal, salt, baking powder, vanilla, water, walnuts, and chocolate chips

These vegan + gluten-free cookie bars start with a flax egg for binding, brown sugar for its sweetness and ability to create crispy edges, and melted vegan butter and vanilla for classic cookie flavors!

Whisking brown sugar, melted vegan butter, and other wet ingredients in a bowl

After whisking them together, we transition to the dry ingredients! Our gluten-free flour blend is the gluten-free G.O.A.T. for mimicking the texture of all-purpose flour, while baking powder adds some lift and sea salt enhances all the flavors.

Pouring chopped walnuts and chocolate chips into the cookie dough batter

Then there’s just one more required ingredient — arguably the most important of them all: chocolate chips or chunks! We also like adding walnuts for a little crunch, but if you’re not a nuts-in-cookies person, just do you.

Chocolate chip cookie bar batter in a parchment-lined baking pan

We hope you LOVE these cookie bars! They’re:

Chewy
Buttery
Tender
Perfectly sweet
Studded with chocolate
& Undetectably vegan + gluten-free!

Pair with a glass of dairy-free milk and you’ll be in cookie magic land. Or if the weather is chilly, try them with our 5-Minute Vegan Hot Cocoa or 5-Minute Caffeine-Free Chai.

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo @minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!

Dairy-free milk and flaky salt next to a batch of chocolate chip cookie bars

Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars (Vegan)

Your favorite chocolate chip cookies, but easier! Chewy, buttery, perfectly sweet chocolate chip cookie BARS studded with melty chocolate chips or chunks. Just 8 ingredients, 1 bowl, and simple methods required for these undetectably vegan and gluten-free treats!
Author Minimalist Baker
Print
Stack of our vegan gluten-free chocolate chip cookie bars
4.70 from 13 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 16 (Bars)
Course Dessert
Cuisine Gluten-Free, Vegan
Freezer Friendly 1 month
Does it keep? 3-4 Days

Ingredients

  • 1 Tbsp flaxseed meal (to make flax egg)
  • 2 ½ Tbsp water (to make flax egg)
  • 3/4 cup packed brown sugar (or sub coconut sugar with different results — see notes)
  • 1/2 cup melted vegan butter (we used Miyoko’s)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 ⅓ cup MB 1:1 GF Blend* (or another gluten-free blend)
  • 3/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips or chunks (ensure dairy-free as needed // we like Enjoy Life)
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional but recommended)

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (176 C) and line an 8 x 8-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
  • To a medium mixing bowl, add flaxseed meal and water and let rest for 5 minutes to thicken. Next, add brown sugar, melted vegan butter, and vanilla. Whisk well to combine — the mixture should become cohesive.
  • Next, fold in the GF flour blend, baking powder, and sea salt. Finally, stir in the chocolate chips and optional walnuts until just combined.
  • Pour the mixture into the lined baking pan and bake for 25-28 minutes until the edges are golden brown and the center is golden. Let cool at room temperature for at least 20 minutes before slicing into bars. The longer they sit, the better they will hold their shape…although we do love to enjoy them slightly warm!
  • Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.

Video

Notes

*We preferred the flavor and texture of brown sugar over coconut sugar. The brown sugar made the bars chewy while the coconut sugar gave them a more wholesome flavor and cakey, slightly crumbly texture.
*If not gluten-free, you can try all-purpose flour in place of the gluten-free flour blend. We recommend starting with 1 ¼ cups, adding more as needed to achieve the consistency of the batter in the video.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated without optional ingredients.

Nutrition (1 of 16 servings)

Serving: 1 bar Calories: 148 Carbohydrates: 20.9 g Protein: 0.7 g Fat: 7.1 g Saturated Fat: 5.1 g Polyunsaturated Fat: 0 g Monounsaturated Fat: 0 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 135 mg Potassium: 34 mg Fiber: 0.7 g Sugar: 12.7 g Vitamin A: 0 IU Vitamin C: 0 mg Calcium: 31 mg Iron: 0.8 mg

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  1. prashanthi atluri says

    Can I make this one oil-free?? My best friend’s birthday is coming up and she loves chocolate chip cookies.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      See our reply on the other cookie recipes! Our answer is going to be the same for all of these cookie recipes.

  2. CJ says

    Another winner from MB! I was craving something like a chocolate chip cookie but didn’t have eggs and so I turned here as I can always count on MB for a solution. I did use regular flour and butter since I’m not vegan or GF and they turned out great. I also added ¼ c shredded unsweetened coconut instead of walnuts (just not a fan) and it was perfect, may try going up to ½ c next time.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      We’re so glad the recipe was helpful! Coconut sounds like a delicious addition. Thank you for sharing, CJ! xo

  3. Cedella Janczak says

    Wow, so simple but so tasty!!! Basically a cookie cake, and would be perfect for a easy party dessert! I swapped baking powder for baking soda (1/2tsp)! I also used 1 1/4 cup of all purpose flour!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Whoop! Great idea to serve as a party dessert. Thank you for sharing, Cedella! xo

  4. LLJane says

    Delicious! I made these with Bob’s M4M flour, earth balance butter and Ghirardelli non-dairy dark chocolate chips (not made in an allergen safe facility and are may contain but SO GOOD). I used about 15g less brown sugar. They’re still very sweet, and I think the nuts balance out the sweet.

    I did chill the dough for 30min before baking based on past experience (and cookbook guidance) with GF flour.

    I doubt my toddler with egg/dairy allergies would like them (mostly because of the nuts), so I’ll just have to hide them in the freezer…for me!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      We’re so glad you enjoyed them! They are the perfect treat to keep in the freezer in our experience. Thanks so much for the lovely review. xo

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hmm, we’re not sure! We haven’t experimented with kamut flour. Aquafaba might work, though the bars may be a bit crumbly.

  5. Isabelle says

    Okay, I made these today for the first time and they are wonderful. I followed the recipe exactly, including making the recommended 1:1 MB flour blend. The only thing I did differently was that I used real butter instead of vegan butter, as I am allergic to eggs and gluten but I’m not vegan. They’re rich and buttery and sweet. I only needed two small bars to feel satisfied. Much richer than chocolate chip cookies in my opinion. In fact, closer in richness to a brownie, closer in taste to a chocolate chip cookie. I think these could probably pass for non-gluten free.

    I let them cool for 20 minutes before cutting them and they were quite crumbly. After another 45 minutes of cooling they firmed up nicely and were no longer crumbly. Next time I’ll wait a full hour or a bit more to cut into them. Also, I they took closer to 32 minutes to bake (although I think my oven runs a bit cool.) Will make these again for sure. Thank you for the wonderful recipe!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Amazing! We’re so glad you loved them, Isabelle. Thank you for the helpful review! xo

  6. Stine says

    This was easy and so tasty, like the perfect vegan blondie. I substituted the GF blend with spelt flour. The batch size made 12 small squares and not 16.

  7. a Jacob says

    Another hit! I used coconut oil since I don’t have vegan butter, chunky brown sugar and almond flour. I think I need to use more almond flour next time there was a big hole at the top of the bars. I would cut the sugar down next time. I did find them too sweet. But they were delicious I am making them again this morning! Yum 😋

  8. Michelle W says

    I love all things MB and was excited to give these a whirl, but theh were a big miss. I did opt for walnuts. Maybe it would be better without. Texture was fine, easy to make, but they were not a winner in our house.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Oh no! We’re so sorry this recipe didn’t work out for you. Would you mind sharing what you disliked about them? What brand of GF blend did you use? We’d love to help troubleshoot and figure out what might have gone wrong!

      • Michelle W says

        I make/use the MB 1:1 flour blend because it’s the absolute best for baking. So that’s what I used. The walnuts were really overpowering and I like walnuts. That said it did not have enough sweet, maybe? When my whole family disliked them I felt compelled to comment. We’re pretty easy.

        • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

          Thank you for this additional info and we appreciate your honest feedback! That’s interesting! Is it possible the walnuts are old/rancid? We ask because they shouldn’t add an unpleasant flavor.

  9. The Vegan Goddess says

    Yum! We enjoyed them!

    I swapped coconut oil for vegan butter with success with some modifications. It was a bit too oily so I drained the extra oil off the batter before baking it.

    I made sure the oil was fully baked into the cookies and there was no oily residue on top. Then I stuck them in the fridge to firm up a little more.

    I used brown coconut sugar instead of regular brown sugar.

    I added walnuts. I could have sprinkled some salted flakes on them for extra pizzazz. Maybe next time. Anyway, they were delicious.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Laurie, another reader reported using coconut oil with success! Just know there may be a slight coconut flavor unless using refined coconut oil. Hope that helps!

  10. Amber says

    Ooohh these are GOOD. I subbed almond flour for the gf flour, coconut oil for the vegan butter, and used coconut sugar. I added a bunch of half eaten chocolate bars (how those were still in my cupboard I truly have no idea). Will make another batch for coworkers but keeping this one allll to myself.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Whoop! We’re so glad you enjoy the cookie bars, Amber. Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications! xo

  11. Karen says

    I had more success with these than the giant pan chocolate chip recipe. I used one small/maybe medium local organic egg instead of the flax substitute, and added cinnamon and left out the walnuts.
    It came together very quickly! If you start melting the vegan butter on a low heat as you put it together I had it in the oven in 5 minutes!
    I liked them much more after they had cooled/been in the freezer which might be a personal thing- usually you’d want to dive right in while still warm and I was afraid they weren’t great. But they are!
    Thanks for another tasty and fast treat!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Amazing! We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Karen. Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications! xo

  12. Heather says

    My husband is dairy free but still eats eggs, how many eggs would I substitute for the flaxseed meal?

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Heather, we think 1 egg would work in place of the flax + water. Let us know if you try it!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Joey, we haven’t tested it that way, but we think it would work! We would recommend using 1 egg in place of the 1 Tbsp flaxseed meal + 2 1/2 Tbsp water. Let us know how it goes!

  13. angie says

    Love the looks of this cookie bar, but can that nutrition data be correct?
    1 bar = 148 Carbs? HOPE not!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Oh that’s definitely not correct! It looks like we input calories twice. We’ll get it updated. Thank you for mentioning it and sorry for any confusion!

  14. Natalie says

    These are AMAZING!!! I’ve been craving cookies and when this popped into my email I made it immediately. So easy and so delicious! I didn’t have walnuts but I had brazil nuts and they taste lovely in this. YUM YUM YUM!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi! It would change the texture. If you wanted to try it, we would recommend using 1 1/2 – 2 times as much almond flour because it’s not as absorbent as a GF blend. Keep in mind they won’t be the same though!

  15. Janice says

    Do you think buckwheat flour (with no further adjustments) would work instead of the GF blend? Thanks.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      We don’t think it would work, unfortunately! It would likely be dense and have a strong flavor. Maybe 1/3 cup though?

  16. The Vegan Goddess says

    Ooh, these look good! Have you tried brown coconut sugar? That might be similar to brown sugar.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi! Is there a difference between the two? We thought it was just the way it was marketed!

      • The Vegan Goddess says

        One says “brown coconut sugar” and the other just says “brown sugar”. Maybe the process of browning the sugars yields a similar result.

        Upon research, brown sugar is usually white sugar + molasses.
        https://www.verywellhealth.com/coconut-sugar-8407729

        Brown coconut sugar is usually coconut sugar + maple syrup.
        https://larenascorner.com/homemade-coconut-brown-sugar/

        I think the coconut version is worth a try if you can find it or make your own.

        • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

          Interesting! We have used brands that say “brown coconut sugar” and didn’t find the result to be different compared to ones called “coconut sugar,” but it might be worth experimenting more closely. In our experience, coconut sugar has a stronger flavor than brown sugar and adds more moisture, so we’re not sure maple syrup would fix that. We’d love to hear if you play around with it!

          • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

            Ooo love that idea! Maybe in place of some of the vegan butter. We’d love to hear if you try it!