I first made this recipe when I was trying to make cookies. It tasted good but the consistency was off. I tweaked it to develop the Sunbutter Cookie Recipe (also GF and Vegan) that I shared last week. This recipe is easier and works really well as Cookie Bars. They are very sturdy and perfect for lunch box packing. My kindergartener ate them daily after school.
I make this recipe with Sunbutter because my youngest son is allergic to peanuts and tree nuts. You could try this with peanut or almond butter if you are not allergic. Also, if you do not have brown rice flour and sorghum flour you could use a gluten-free baking mix. If you make it with any adaptations I’d love to hear how they go. I’m considering making them with oat flour next. I imagine they would work fine with wheat flour also but I haven’t tried it.
Cookie Bars
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup SunButter
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup Brown Rice Flour
(this is the best deal I’ve found)
- 1/2 cup Sorghum Flour
- 1/2 tsp Xanthan Gum
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1/8 cup rice milk
- 1/2 cup Enjoy Life Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
(optional)
Do
- Cream Sunbutter and Sugar together.
- Dump the rest of the ingredients together, except chocolate chips.
- Mix well, adding extra rice milk if needed.
- If using chocolate chips mix them in or just sprinkle them on top.
- Pour into a 9×9 pan that is lined with parchment paper.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes.
- Allow to cool before removing from pan and cutting into bars. Store at room temperature in an airtight container for about 5 days.
Serve
This is perfect for an after school snack or in the lunch box.
The odd thing is that my super picky kid loved these and the one who eats everything didn’t like them. He doesn’t always want to try new things because of his food allergies so I don’t force it.
Do you need to work around various food allergies or restrictions? I try to make them as accommodating as possible. What restrictions do you deal with?
Cookie Bars

Gluten-Free, Nut-Free, Vegan Cookie Bars
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup SunButter
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup Brown Rice Flour
- 1/2 cup Sorghum Flour
- 1/2 tsp Xanthan Gum
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1/8 cup rice milk
- 1/2 cup Enjoy Life Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips (optional)
Instructions
- Cream Sunbutter and Sugar together.
- Dump the rest of the ingredients together, except chocolate chips.
- Mix well, adding extra rice milk if needed.
- If using chocolate chips mix them in or just sprinkle them on top.
- Pour into a 9×9 pan that is lined with parchment paper.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes.
- Allow to cool before removing from pan and cutting into bars. Store at room temperature in an airtight container for about 5 days.
Notes
You could try this with peanut or almond butter if you are not allergic. Also, if you do not have brown rice flour and sorghum flour you could use a gluten-free baking mix.
These cookie bars look awesome …..
I love sunbutter, so these are right up my alley! Can’t wait to try them 🙂
I hope you love them Nicole! My pickiest eater did. They are sturdy little bars too.
Hello Holly, what is the function of the Xanthan Gum? (I read it’s a thickener) Is it possible to leave it out or replace it? I haven’t seen it in my local stores. (and rarely see in recipes, so rather not want to buy a package, for just this since I consider it quite pricey…)
Also; it’s wonderful that your family is plant based, while being Christian 🙂 Are you by any chance seventh day adventist, or what is your doctrine, if we may know? Or did you write about your life as a believer in Jesus somewhere here?
Thanks for helping!
Hi Sandy, I serves as a binder but since there is sunflower seed butter in the recipe, it should hold together ok. It’s worth trying and the worse problem would be crumbly cookies which isn’t really much of a problem. I think these will hold together nicely without it though.
We are not Seventh Day Adventist but there are many who are plant-based so I understand why you would guess that. We mostly closely identify as nondenominational Jesus followers. It’s hard to wear a label since those groups can change what they mean over time.
I wrote more about our faith when I first began blogging and wrote about our daily life. Now, I work full time and homeschool my children so I don’t get to blog as often and I try to focus on new recipes.