I’m baaack and I’m bringing you a new recipe for no bake cookie dough bars! I just got home from a family trip to England and Paris and it was absolutely amazing. It was our first time doing an international trip with Theo and I wasn’t sure how he would do to all of the changes.  However, I have to say he was an absolute trooper. He did great adjusting to the time change, lack of routine, and altogether different environment.  I will do separate posts about what he ate while we were abroad and my tips for traveling internationally with a toddler.

We started our trip with four amazing days in Paris. I think my favorite memory of Paris is going to the Eiffel Tower after dark. Everyone hangs out in the grass and eats and drinks and for five minutes every hour the tower lights sparkle for a little light show. There were so many families there and other other kids for Theo to play with.  He had so much fun running around and playing while the adults drank and chatted. We spent the other ten days of our trip in England where we stayed with my family. I’ve been to England quite a few times, but I still get so excited. I love all of the history in England; the buildings are so old and there is so much to learn.  My favorite thing is to walk around the different neighborhoods in London.  They all have their own unique vibe and it’s fun experiencing the different restaurants and sites in each area.

I had every intention of blogging while I was gone, and I was planning on posting this no bake cookie dough bar recipe.  Unfortunately, we ended up losing the backpack that had my laptop, our passports, and a few other things in it so I wasn’t able to post. We lost it on the train on the way back from Paris and it was virtually impossible to get ahold of anybody to try and find it.  Thankfully the day before we were coming home the lost and found at the train station finally contacted us and told us that the bag had been found! I was so relieved because I haven’t been the best at backing up my information so I would have lost a lot of content if I hadn’t found my laptop.

This recipe for these no bake cookie dough bars is one of my favorites.  These bars travel really well and they aren’t messy. They’re made with chickpeas, but don’t let that scare you away, they have such a rich flavor! The chickpeas make these bars an excellent source of plant-based protein and fiber, and also allow the bars to be gluten free. The nut butter in these is another great source of plant-based protein.  Also, it adds a good portion of healthy fats, which are so important for brain development in little ones.  There are no eggs in this recipe so feel free to lick the spoon clean while you’re making them. I always end up eating half of the batter straight out of the food processor.  It’s just too good to waste time putting it in a pan.

Spend a few minutes removing the shell from the chickpeas.  It’s so worth it, it gives the recipe a much smoother texture.

If you’re lazy like me you might just end up eating it straight out of the food processor!

If you do decide to be an adult and put it into an actual baking pan, instead of eating it straight from the food processor, this is the pan I used

I pick the chocolate chips out of the bars before giving them to Theo.  They feel like a potential choking hazard to me and they are still delicious without them.

No Bake Cookie Dough Bars

Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Egg Free, Nut Free

Prep time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

½ cup dates

2 tsp vanilla extract

¼ tsp baking soda

5T cashew butter (You can substitute this with peanut butter or whatever your favorite nut butter is, or use sunbutter if you have a nut allergy)

¹/₄ cup maple syrup

1/8 tsp cinnamon

1 ½ C gluten free rolled oats

¼ cup chocolate chips (Enjoy Life makes delicious dairy free chocolate chips)

Pinch of salt

Instructions:

I like to spend a few minutes gently rubbing the chickpeas to remove the skin (this will improve the smooth texture).  Add all of the ingredients except the chocolate chips to your food processor and pulse until smooth.  Fold in the chocolate chips.  Add to a baking pan (I used a 9″ x 4.5″ bread pan) and voila, they are ready to serve.