Buttery cookie crust,inspired by Grandma’s homemade shortbread, layered with a not-too-sweet, dairy free chocolate fudge and of course it’s vegan, gluten-free and allergy friendly.
The months of October and November are always busy month in our home. We celebrated the adoption date of my oldest, then a week later, the birthdays of our other 2 children, who are a day apart. Throw in a friend’s birthday party, a Halloween party, then Thanksgiving and needless to say, it’s not only busy but its full of sweets and treats, like these amazing bars.Shortbread Fudge Bars, to be exact!
I actually made these for my youngest as he was heading to that birthday party I mentioned earlier. One of his best friends share his birthday and had this really cool “Art” themed party with adorable cupcakes that looked like they were splashed with a canvas of colors. Unfortunately, they were not “allergy-safe” and I needed to bring an allergy free dessert for X-man.
I don’t know if you have ever been in that situation or not, but if you or your child have a restrictive diet, it can kinda stink to sit and watch everyone else eating cake or cupcakes while you’rechomping on a fruit kabobas a consolation treat. And although there are worse things in life to go through, I understand that for my son, this is a HUGE deal and so I choose tomake it a little easier for him. I choose to make an AMAZING allergy-friendly dessert, whatever the celebration, so he can enjoy a treat like everyone else and not feel left out.
This time around, our Shortbread Fudge Bars came to the rescue. It combines two of our favorites, Grandma’sshortbread and chocolate fudge, made from Enjoy Life Foods chocolate chips. Was it a HIT!!! Not only did my little guy absolutely love having his own special treat, but also, his friends couldn’t resist these bars either. You know you have something good when your friends tell you they’d go vegan with desserts like this.
Shortbread Fudge Bars are so simple to make! Just watch it here:
How to Make Shortbread Fudge Bars
This recipe is ridiculously easy to make! Simply….
- Make your Shortbread Layer
- Top with Fudge Layer (add homemade caramel if desired)
- Top with Shortbread crumbles
- Bake & Refrigerate
Made with Allergy-friendly ingredients
I originally made this with all-purpose flour but switched to1-to-1 Gluten Free Floura few years ago.Just know that both options give you a wonderful, buttery, flaky shortbread base, so you won’t miss out on flavor or texture if you are making this gluten-free.
Oh, and don’t forget to save a bit of the dough so you can add it as a crumbly top layer.
The most delicious part of this recipe is the chocolate fudge, made with 3 ingredients: coconut milk, Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips & brown sugar.
When its liquid gold (or melted chocolate), simply pour on top of the shortbread layer. But just a note of warning….keep the kids away because this fudgy topping may not make it to the cookie base if they get a taste of it beforehand. It’s seriously that good!
Then, use the remaining shortbread batter and crumble on top (kinda like a cobbler topping).
Bake, cool then refrigerate. And don’t forget the refrigerate part because while its sitting, the magic happens. That warm, rich chocolate middle layer sets into a fudge-like center. So you’ll just have to be patient and plan ahead, or at least throw this together the night before and “WOW’ your loved ones the next day.
The hardest part is waiting, but it’s sooooo worth it!
Let’s get baking-Shortbread Fudge Bar Recipe
Shortbread Fudge Bar
Yield: 16 bars
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Not-too-sweet, cookie bars made with a rich and buttery shortbread crust, layered with chocolate fudge.
Ingredients
- 2 C. all-purpose flour
- 1 C. dairy free butter (Earth Balance, soy free butter sticks)
- 1/2 C. organic brown cane sugar
- 1/2 tsp. pink himalayan salt
- 3/4 C. canned coconut milk (stirred well before measuring)
- 10 oz (1 bag) dairy free chocolate chips (Enjoy Life mini-chips)
- 1/4 C. organic brown cane sugar
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350°. Line 8" square pan with parchment paper and allow for extra to overhang the edges.
- In a food processor, pulse the flour, butter, 1/2 C. brown sugar and salt until crumbly but blended. Reserve 1/2 cup and set aside. Press remaining dough into the prepared pan.
- In a medium saucepan, combine coconut milk, chocolate chips and 1/4 C. brown sugar. Stir over low heat until melted. Remove from heat and pour filling over shortbread crust.
- Crumble reserved dough over the top in large and small clumps.
- Bake for 35 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool before refrigerating 8 hours.
- Once set, pull ends of parchment paper to release the bars and set on counter to cut into squares.
- Refrigerate until ready to eat.
Notes
*Use Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten free flour in place of All Purpose Flour for a GF dessert. **Make this dessert overnight. The fudge needs to chill and set in the refrigerator at least 8 hours.
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Measuring Cups
- Cuisanart Saucepan
8x8 Baking Dish
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 18Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 304Total Fat: 19gSaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 27mgSodium: 128mgCarbohydrates: 34gFiber: 2gSugar: 21gProtein: 3g
Nutritional information is only an estimate based off of using an online calculator. Numbers will change depending on brands used.
This sponsored post was created through my partnership with Enjoy Life Foods. As always, all opinions are my own. Collaborating with brands I love allows me to keep bringing you new and varied recipes! Thanks for your support!
Craving More Chocolate Treats?
Here are a few hard-to-resist desserts made with Enjoy Life Foods that I know you’ll love as well.
How to Make Vegan Chocolate Covered Stuffed Dates
Gooey Triple Chocolate Brownies (vegan, gluten free, nut free)
Flourless Chocolate Chip Cookies (Vegan+Gluten free)
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