These thick, chewy bars are made with a sunflower seed butter base, paired with pockets of melted chocolate, and have a lightly crackled golden top. It's a simple, plant-based take on a bakery-style cookie bar that tastes rich and buttery but skips the dairy, eggs, and refined sugar.
I make these whenever I want cookie flavor without scooping a single dough ball. The SunButter keeps them rich and completely nut-free, while unsweetened applesauce does the work of oil and keeps the centers tender for days. If you already love my Sunflower Seed Cookies, these bars are the easier, faster chocolate version, and they're perfect for school lunches, potlucks, or anytime you want something a little extra without a lot of effort.
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Ingredients To Make These Soft SunButter Cookie Bars:
- SunButter No Sugar Added Sunflower Seed Butter: This is the heart of the recipe. It's creamy, completely nut-free, and gives the bars that rich cookie dough flavor without any peanuts. I always stock up and, honestly, buy multiple jars. One of them will disappear straight off the spoon before you ever get to the mixer. You'll want the extra for my Nut-Free Lunch Lady Bars and my Creamy Iced SunButter Latte.
- Ground Flaxseed: Mixed with water, this acts as the binder in place of eggs and adds fiber and healthy fats.
- Unsweetened Applesauce: This is what keeps the bars soft and moist without any oil or butter. It also lets you use less sweetener overall.
- Coconut Sugar: A lower glycemic alternative to brown sugar with a caramel note that pairs beautifully with the sunflower seed butter.
- Gluten-Free 1:1 Flour: Regular all-purpose flour works just as well if gluten isn't a concern.
- Baking Soda and Cornstarch: The baking soda gives the bars a gentle lift, and the cornstarch is my secret for that soft, chewy center.
- Plant-Based Chocolate Chips: These melt into pockets of rich chocolate throughout the bars. Look for a dairy-free brand sweetened with coconut sugar to keep the recipe refined-sugar-free.
- Vanilla Extract or Vanilla Bean Paste: Vanilla rounds out the sweetness and makes everything taste more like a bakery cookie. The paste gives you those pretty flecks if you have it on hand.
See recipe card for quantities.
How To Make Them:
Let me show you how easy it is to make these soft SunButter chocolate chip cookie bars!
Before you start, prep the pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F and line an 8x8-inch baking dish with parchment paper, leaving some overhang so you can lift the bars out later.
- Mix the wet base: Add the SunButter, vanilla, ground flaxseed, and water to the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix until completely smooth and combined.
- Add the dry ingredients: Add the coconut sugar, flour, baking soda, and cornstarch. Mix again until everything is evenly incorporated.
- Add the applesauce: Pour in the applesauce last and mix until a thick, smooth cookie dough forms.
- Fold in the chocolate: Fold in the plant-based chocolate chips by hand, holding back a small handful for the top.
5. Spread and top: Transfer the dough to your prepared dish and spread it into an even layer. Scatter the reserved chocolate chips over the surface.
6. Bake and cool: Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the edges are set and the center is just baked through. Let the bars cool completely before slicing.
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Top Tips:
- Don't Overbake: The center should look just barely set when you pull the pan. The bars keep cooking as they cool, and a minute or two too long is the difference between chewy and dry.
- Use the Parchment Overhang: Lifting the whole slab out of the pan gives you much cleaner slices than cutting in the dish.
- Room Temperature SunButter: Cold seed butter straight from the fridge is stiff and harder to mix smooth. Let it sit out for a bit first if you store it in the fridge.
- Cool Completely Before Slicing: I know it's hard. But warm bars fall apart, and cooled bars slice like a dream.
- Wipe the Knife Between Cuts: A clean blade keeps melted chocolate from smearing across every square.
Variations And Substitutions:
- Add Flaky Sea Salt: Sprinkle a little over the top right when the pan comes out of the oven. It makes the chocolate taste twice as rich.
- Swap the Chocolate: Chopped dark chocolate works instead of chips and gives you bigger melty puddles. But I prefer chips here because they hold their shape in a thick bar and you get chocolate in every single bite.
- Try a Different Flour: Swap a few tablespoons of the gluten-free flour for oat flour if you want an even softer, more tender crumb, the way I do in my Easy Bakery Style Pistachio Muffins.
- Add Dried Fruit: Dried cranberries or chopped dates fold in beautifully, similar to my Vegan Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies.
- Double the Chocolate: Add a few tablespoons of cacao powder to the dry ingredients for a brownie-cookie hybrid. Fold in a handful of extra chips while you're at it.
Storage:
- Refrigeration: Store the sliced bars in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week.
- Best Texture: Let them come back to room temperature before eating. The texture is at its softest and chewiest on day two.
- Freezing: Wrap the bars individually and freeze in a freezer-safe bag for up to 2 months. Thaw on the counter for an hour before serving.
Equipment:
- Stand Mixer (optional): For mixing the thick cookie dough without any effort.
- 8x8-Inch Baking Dish: For baking the bars in an even layer.
- Parchment Paper: For lining the dish and lifting the bars out cleanly.
- Spatula: For folding in the chocolate chips and spreading the dough.
Recipe FAQs:
Yes. Almond butter or cashew butter both work if allergies aren't a concern, and the bars will still bake up soft and chewy, similar to my Vegan Almond Butter Cookies. I stick with SunButter because it keeps the recipe safe for peanut-free and nut-free households, and it has a flavor that lets the chocolate stay front and center. If you do swap, choose a natural, drippy butter with no added oils or sugar so the texture stays consistent.
No. A large bowl and a sturdy wooden spoon will get you there; it just takes a little more arm work since the dough is thick. A hand mixer also works well.
This usually means they were overbaked or sliced while still warm. Pull the pan when the center is just set, and let the bars cool completely in the dish before cutting.
More Amazing Vegan Bars To Try Next:
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If you try this SunButter Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars recipe, I'd really love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. I'd also really appreciate a recipe card rating! Thank you for supporting The All Natural Vegan!
SunButter Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Equipment
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- ½ cup SunButter No Sugar Added Sunflower Seed Butter
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- 8 tablespoons water
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
Dry Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
- 1 cup coconut sugar
- 11/4 cups gluten-free 1:1 flour or all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ½ cup plant-based chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line an 8x8-inch baking dish with parchment paper.
- Add the SunButter, vanilla extract, ground flaxseed, and water to the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix until smooth and well combined.
- Add the coconut sugar, flour, baking soda, and cornstarch. Mix again until the dry ingredients are evenly incorporated.
- Add the applesauce last and mix until a thick, smooth cookie dough forms.
- Fold in the plant-based chocolate chips, reserving a few to sprinkle over the top.
- Transfer the wet dough to the prepared baking dish and spread it into an even layer. Top with the remaining chocolate chips.
- Bake at 350°F for about 25-30 minutes, or until the edges are set and the center is just baked through.
- Allow the SunButter chocolate chip cookie bars to cool completely before slicing for the best soft and chewy texture.
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