Carob Coconut Bars (AIP)

Not long after I went gluten free and started the journey of managing my health with diet, I came to the realization that it was almost always more satisfying to eat real food in its original form than it was to try and recreate my old favorites. This recipe in the exception.

One of my favorite types of cookie to make, back in my gluten-filled days, were toffee squares. These yummy little morsels were comprised of a shortbread base topped with chocolate, sea salt and nuts. They were easy to make and always a crowd pleaser. This year, I decided to attempt to make an AIP version of the treat to enjoy around the holidays. They were a definite success. In fact, within a day one whole batch had been eaten by AIP family members and non AIP family members alike.

In general, it is best to focus on enjoying nourishing whole foods as they were created to be enjoyed rather than trying to recreate treats and dishes filled with flour, cheese, or other off-limits ingredients but every once and a while you are able to recreate the tastes from the past and relive the memories that accompanied them.

Carob Coconut Bars: 

Makes 12 cookies

Ingredients: 

Shortbread (inspired by The Paleo Partridge’s Recipe) 

1/2 Cup of Coconut Flour

2 TBS. Arrowroot Flour

2/3 Cup of Melted Coconut Oil

2 TBS Honey

1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract (optional)

4 TBS Water

Topping: 

6 TBS Melted Coconut Oil

3 TBS Honey

6 TBS Carob Powder 

1/3 Cup of Full Fat Coconut Milk

a pinch of sea salt

1/4 Cup of Unsweetened Shredded Coconut

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. To make your shortbread base, in a medium bowl combine your coconut flour and arrowroot powder. Add in your honey, coconut oil and vanilla extract and combine. Next, add in your water and stir until the batter begins to thicken. Take an 8×8 baking dish and either grease it with coconut oil or line it with parchment paper. Spread the shortbread batter evenly across the bottom of the pan and puncture with a  fork. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown. As the shortbread finishes baking, make the topping by combining your melted coconut oil and honey with your 6 TBS of carob powder stir until thick. Spoon the mixture into your blender or food processor and pour in the coconut milk and blend until smooth. (If necessary, add more coconut milk) Spread the carob mixture across the shortbread and sprinkle with coconut and sea salt. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours or until carob has hardened. Cut into squares and serve cold. Store in the refrigerator.