These peanut butter Tagalong bars are like your favorite girl scout cookies, but even better… because now they’re bars instead of cookies!
Buttery shortbread crust
Creamy peanut butter filling
Smooth chocolate coating
These impossible-to-resist homemade peanut butter Tagalong bars can be flourless, vegan, oil free, gluten free, and even keto friendly.
Also try this Oil Free Chocolate Cake
They’re perfect for peanut butter and chocolate lovers.
I consider them the “lazy girl” version of my Healthy Girl Scout Cookie Tagalongs, because they are now even easier to make – no rolling out the dough, no cutting into circles, and no need to spread peanut butter onto each individual cookie.
In other words, less work and more enjoyment, so pretty much a win all around. I’ve also cut out all of the oil from the original cookie recipe, to make them even healthier.
For Keto Tagalong Bars:
Use the keto-friendly options listed for each ingredient: almond butter, stevia, and sugar free chocolate chips.
For Nut Free Tagalong Bars:
Use a nut-free spread such as sunflower butter in place of the nut butter.
Use your favorite sugar cookie recipe (or this recipe for Vegan Sugar Cookies) as a crust instead of the almond flour.
Peanut Butter Tagalong Bars
Ingredients
- 2 cups almond flour (nut-free version listed above)
- just over 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- pinch uncut stevia OR 5 1/2 tbsp pure maple syrup or honey
- Only if using stevia version, add 5 1/2 tbsp water
- 1/2 cup peanut butter OR allergy-friendly sub, thinned out with milk of choice until spreadable
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips, or sugar free chocolate chips
- optional 1-2 tsp oil, for smoother chocolate sauce
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line an 8-inch square pan with parchment, and set aside. In a measuring bowl, stir together the almond meal, salt, baking soda, vanilla, and sweetener (and water, if using) to form a dough. Transfer the dough to the prepared pan, and use a second sheet of parchment to smush the dough out evenly, pressing down again and again until it covers the bottom of the pan. Bake 12 minutes on the center rack, then let cool at least 20 minutes before either frosting right in the pan or removing from the pan and then frosting with the peanut butter. Carefully melt the chocolate. (I like to include the oil for smoother sauce that's easier to spread.) Spread on top of the peanut butter layer. Chill to set.View Nutrition Facts
Notes
Have you made this recipe?
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More Healthy Chocolate Recipes:
Alexa [fooduzzi.com] says
Oh, Katie! You’re speaking my language 🙂 I had such a hard time figuring out which GS cookie was my favorite – I think it was a 4-way tie between Tagalongs, Thin Mints, Samoas, and Do-si-dos! Thanks for making these bars!!
Linda @ the Fitty says
Do you have a preference between all of these options? 🙂
Lauren says
Oh my word this looks perfect! Easy enough to make during naptime 🙂
Ashton says
Could I substitute coconut flour for the almond flour?
Ashton says
Or maybe out flour??
Chocolate Covered Katie says
You can use this as the base! https://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2014/12/09/sugar-cookie-bars/
ilm says
I, too, would love to know what could be substituted to make this tree nut free. Thanks! I am not concerned with being gluten free but my little guy has severe food allergies. Thanks!
Chocolate Covered Katie says
You can use this as the base if you’d prefer: https://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2014/12/09/sugar-cookie-bars/
The M'Academia Nut says
A thing of beauty!
Renee says
I took the lazy part seriously and just put the chocolate chips in a metal measuring cup into the oven while it (and the cookie) cooled down. They melted nicely that way and no worries about burning.
Chocolate Covered Katie says
Yes, I was curious to see if it would work after so many people asked in the cookie recipe, so I omitted it intentionally. I’m sure it would work in the cookies as well, but I haven’t tried them without the oil and so am leaving that recipe as-is for now.
Chocolate Covered Katie says
Thank you for making them!
Kristen says
I can’t believe it’s possible but these are even better than Tagalongs!! My husband and my kids loved them (all girls, ages 7, 4 and 1)! I used sunflower seed butter in place of peanut butter since my husband can’t eat peanuts. This recipe is a keeper! THANK YOU KATIE!!
Nina says
So delicious. Love these and they were simple to make.
Beka says
I made these for small group last week and they were gone! Amazing
deryn @ running on real food says
Oh, Katie..why do you do this to me. hahaha..too many treats, too little time!!
kaytee says
I’ve never tried the original version as we don’t have Girl Scout cookies over here, but OMG these are addictive! So few ingredients and so easy to make, love it.
Lisa says
Made them, they’re easy, they’re awesome. Thank you!
Megan says
These are amazing!!! I’m not sure if my dough cooked all the way. It’s almost a raw texture- very moist and not like a baked cookie. What is the texture supposed to be like, should it be dry and crumbly?
Thank you, they are delicious!
Chocolate Covered Katie says
Definitely not dry, but also not like cookie dough. Maybe bake just a little longer next time? They should be chewy 🙂
Valerie says
These look amazing! Can pb2 or pb fit be substituted for the peanut butter?
Debsy says
I’m pretty sure it can! =D just experiment how much pb2 powder you need to make the right amount of peanut butter
Lori says
How long would you cook it for if it was doubled and put in a 9×13? Thanks!
Debsy says
Maybe 30 minutes? just experiment, I’m sure it’ll work =)
MM says
Can these still work in a different sized pan? Like a 9X13 or?
Jason Sanford says
I’d double any 8×8 recipe to do a 9×13. You might have to change the baking time too. Be sure to report back if you experiment!
Kaylah says
HEY!!! MERRY LATE CHRISTMAS EVERYONE! Also I hope that your New Year is going to be BLESSED.
Lynn Lewis says
I prefer THM Gentle Sweet, so any idea what the equivalent is to a “pinch uncut stevia”? Thanks.
Roslia santamaria says
Thank you for sharing such a beautiful content.
Cassie Autumn Tran says
It’d be challenging for me to not eat the dough before assembling it into the oven and cutting it into bars! OMG! Peanut butter, chocolate, can’t go wrong with such a more delectable pairing!
Jesper Friberg says
Hi Kate
I have tried to make your Keto Peanut Butter Tagalong Bars, but something goes wrong !!! in the recipe it says that I must mix all the dry stuff together for a dough ??? how can i do it, there is no liquid in your recipe, i would make it with syrup and that means that i just get a dry powder mass, i can squeeze into the mold it’s strange? and a bad result. Is there no form of liquid in the recipe to make the dough?
SINCERELY
Jesper from Denmark?
Jason Sanford says
There is maple syrup, that’s a liquid
Jesper says
my mistake, just discover that I have read incorrectly
pinch uncut stevia OR 5 1/2 tbsp pure maple syrup or honey
I read it as 1/2 tbsp SORRY, it was so dry and gave no meaning, now I see that it says 5 and 1/2 tbsp .. now I get it THANK sorry
I try again, it looks delicious
SINCERELY
Jesper
Jason Sanford says
No problem at all!
Jesper Harry Friberg says
then I have tried again, much better, but the dough is too thick and gets too hard.
I live in Denmark, where we count on dl, I have tried to convert cup to dl, but it would be easier if you wrote in weight, as it would take into consideration how fine the flour is.
tastes super delicious and I would like it as in the picture 😛
MVH
Jesper
sara says
does this have an aftertaste? since stevia does that. I wonder if erythritol could be subtituted?
Amy says
OH MY GOODNESS….. I am quickly developing a love/hate relationship with your blog. Every recipe I have tried has been easy and amazing. Too easy in fact that I find myself making more things and then of course sampling them….. LOL. I dont feel deprived being vegan anymore. But this recipe…. Chocolate and peanut butter, need I say more. Ive died and gone to heaven! Thank you for your delicous recipes and I love that you always offer variations depending on peoples dietary needs.
Linda Molenaar says
Could I use xylitol or sugar free maple syrup?
CCK Media Team says
We haven’t tried sf maple syrup but as long as you like the taste of it, then texture-wise it will work fine 🙂
susan says
Hello,
Do you have a chocolate base that I could try this with?
Love all your recipes.
CCK Media Team says
Hi, you could absolutely add the peanut butter and chocolate coating to Katie’s chocolate crinkle cookies if you wish!