Easy Dairy-Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars is a simple, one-bowl recipe for chewy, delicious cookie bars with chocolate chips, made with oil instead of butter or milk.
Easy dairy-free chocolate chip cookie bars is a quick and straightforward recipe, prepped in just one bowl. Just spread out the chocolate chip cookie dough into a rectangle, bake, and slice. It's that simple.
They're great with a cup of coffee or tea and the perfect chocolate chip treat for anyone avoiding dairy, because this recipe contains no butter or milk and calls for dairy-free chocolate chips, and it also doesn't use any margarine.
Perfect with your morning cup of coffee or tea or as a quick snack. Or pack some with your lunch for work or school for a quick midday snack.
FAQs for Easy Dairy-Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Can I use coconut oil instead of vegetable oil in these cookie bars?
Yes, melted coconut oil works well, though it may add a subtle coconut flavor to the baked bars.
How do I store leftover cookie bars?
Store the bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days, or keep them in the refrigerator for up to a week. You can also freeze them for up to 2 months.
Can I add nuts to this recipe?
Yes, folding in a half-cup of chopped walnuts or pecans along with the chocolate chips adds a great crunch to the bars.
Why use oil instead of butter in cookie bars?
Using oil makes the mixing process faster since there is no need to cream butter and sugar, and it keeps the bars soft and moist for days.
What kind of chocolate chips should I use for this recipe?
Dairy-free or vegan semi-sweet chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate chunks will work nicely.
General FAQs and information about baking:
Why do recipes have salt in the ingredients of baked goods?
Even though salt tends to make foods, well, salty, it actually plays other roles in baking as well.
For example, the right amount of salt balances flavors in baked goods; it can bring out the sweetness of sugar and, at the same time, prevent them from tasting overly sweet. It also can help dull the bitterness of cocoa.
Salt prevents baked goods from tasting bland, while it balances the richness of the fats. It also helps develop flavor in yeast breads and works with proteins to strengthen gluten and make it more elastic.
Salt also slows down yeast fermentation because it prevents the yeast from eating up the sugars too quickly, which otherwise would cause the dough to rise too fast and then ultimately collapse, causing bread to come out flat instead of fluffy.
Salt helps baked goods stay a little fresher for a little longer and helps delay mold from growing on them.
Some types of salt in baking:
Kosher salt-called "kosher" because it is used in the process of making meat kosher for observant Jewish consumption. The grains are large.
Table salt-this is what we use to flavor our food at the table. The grains are much smaller than those of kosher salt. *
Sea salt-like table salt, but processed differently. *
Flaky salt-flakes of salt that are used for decoration and add a salty taste to the already-baked good.
*A lot of recipes call specifically for sea salt. There is no difference in the baking process or taste between sea salt and table salt, and both contain approximately 40% sodium.
However, while table salt is usually mined from underground salt deposits, is heavily processed, and often contains the nutrient iodine, sea salt is made by evaporating water from the ocean, sea, or lakes with saltwater and may contain very small amounts of some minerals.
What is the difference between white granulated sugar and brown sugar?
The short answer is that while white granulated sugar is just pure sweetness, brown sugar is white sugar with molasses mixed into it.
Here is how that change affects your baking:
- White sugar is neutrally sweet. Brown sugar tastes like rich caramel or toffee.
- White sugar makes things crisp and light. Brown sugar traps moisture, making baked goods (like brownies) dense, soft, and extra chewy.
- Brown sugar is dark and wet; white sugar is dry and clear.
Tip: If a recipe calls for brown sugar and you're completely out, you can make your own by thoroughly mixing a tablespoon of molasses into a cup of regular white granulated sugar, and that will give you light-brown sugar. If you want dark brown sugar, you need to mix in more molasses.
What is the difference between baking soda and baking powder?
Baking soda and baking powder are both synthetic leavens that help baked goods rise, but there is a difference between them.
Baking soda is pure sodium bicarbonate, which needs another ingredient that is acidic in order to be activated. When the baking soda touches the acid, it creates a carbon dioxide gas, which helps the baked good rise. Baking soda is between 3 and 4 times stronger than baking powder, and if too much baking soda is used, your baked good will end up with a metallic flavor.
Baking powder is baking soda that is already mixed with an acid and a stabilizer and will be activated by moisture and heat. Nowadays, baking powder is called double-acting because it activates twice-once when it gets wet (when you mix the ingredients together) and again when it heats in the oven.
Replacing one with the other can be tricky, and it's not recommended. However, if you have no choice, then do solid research for substituting one for the other for the baked good you are preparing so you don't ruin it.
What do eggs do in baking?
Eggs are made up of two parts: the whites and the yolks (the yellow).
Egg whites are made up of protein that sets when heated and helps baked goods hold their structure. The yolks are made up of fats and vitamins and help ingredients bond.
Eggs also help baked goods rise as well as keep them moist.
It is important to have the right amount of eggs when baking, because if there are too many eggs in a recipe, this can cause a rubbery, dense texture, and if there are too few eggs, this can cause a crumbly, dry texture.
The different parts of the egg will provide different textures to baked goods; using the entire egg in baking will provide moisture and help the baked good rise evenly, using extra yolks will create richer, denser textures, and extra whites will add fluffiness but may create a drier texture.
What is the difference in using oil vs. butter or margarine?
Both margarine and butter are solid fats at room temperature, and both contain more saturated fats than oil.
While margarine and butter will change from a solid to a liquid when heated, they will change back to solids when cooled again. Oil stays liquid at all temperatures. Oil also coats flour better in the preparation process before baking.
Butter "creams" better than margarine, but one cannot cream oil at all.
When converting a recipe from butter or margarine to oil, the general conversion rate is 1 to ¾ (although if you are doing more than one batch, you might need to reduce the oil because I have found that baked goods come out oily in this case).
And when converting from oil to margarine or butter, typically the ratio is 1 to 1¼, and from margarine or butter to oil, the ratio is typically 1 to ¾.
What is the difference between real vanilla extract and imitation vanilla?
Real vanilla is made from soaking vanilla beans in alcohol, imitation vanilla is synthetic, and real vanilla costs quite a bit more than imitation. Whether or not there will be a taste difference in your baking depends on the baked good, so do some research before you decide.
I personally always use the imitation as long as I have a really good brand because it's not worth it to me to spend the extra money.
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Easy Dairy-Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars Recipe
A simple recipe for cookie bars with chocolate chips. Dairy-free and made with oil. No butter, milk, or margarine.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup white sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup oil
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup (or more, as desired) dairy-free chocolate chips*
Instructions
- Pour flour, baking soda, salt, white sugar, and brown sugar into a bowl and mix.
- Add oil, egg, and vanilla. Mix well until everything is thoroughly combined.
- Mix in chocolate chips well.
- Spread out dough into a 9" x 13" baking pan.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until top is dry but spongy to the touch or just until a toothpick stuck into the center comes out clean.
- Let cool and slice into 24 bars or as desired.
Notes
*Or use regular chocolate chips for a not dairy-free recipe.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
24Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 139Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 8mgSodium: 75mgCarbohydrates: 19gFiber: 1gSugar: 12gProtein: 1g
