As the month of January draws to a close, I want to send you all a warm and huge thank you for continuously reading, commenting, sharing, and supporting Blissful Basil. This month has brought with it some new and exciting opportunities for this blog, and it was by far the best month yet in terms of views, comments, etc.
As with any endeavor, blogging over these last 3 ½+ years has been a bit of a roller coaster. There have been times when I've experienced endless inspiration for recipes, photos, and writing and there have been times when I've either felt completely discouraged after comparing this blog to someone else's (obviously a trap of negativity) or struggled to harness the motivation needed to carry a post through from start to finish. However, knowing that you are all reading and enjoying the recipes clears away the frustrations and veils this entire experience in contentment and joy. I'm so appreciative and humbled by the sweet comments and stories you share when making the recipes, and those are the elements of blogging that make it so incredibly special. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU.
And because I can't personally hug/thank each and every one of you, I hope this recipe makes it to your kitchen and does the thanking for me. Since you all seem to enjoy these Vegan + Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Cookies so much, I thought I would do a no-bake bark that incorporated much of their peanut buttery goodness. Thus, I give you Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Bark. Vegan and gluten-free peanut butter cookie dough is slathered between two layers of coconut butter and topped with sprinkles. The result is dangerously tasty but you need not worry about eating several pieces in a sitting because this treat is filled with healthy fats, fiber, and amazingness. The coconut butter acts just as white chocolate would, nestling the cookie dough between melt-in-your-mouth layers. The bark has this addictive and subtle *snap* when biting in that will keep you coming back for more... and more. If you can stand to give them away, these are the perfect treats to make for your loved ones on Valentine's Day. However, I recommend using the "one for me, one for you" rule with this one because you will end up very, very sad if you don't save some for yourself!
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- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- â…› teaspoon salt
- 1 cup oat flour
- 1 ½ cups coconut butter (this is different than coconut oil)
- Optional: vegan sprinkles
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together the coconut oil, peanut butter, and brown sugar with a hand mixer. Add in the vanilla extract and salt and beat for another 20 seconds. Slowly beat in the oat flour until just incorporated and set aside.
- Melt the coconut butter by placing it in a bowl in the oven and preheating the oven to 350 degrees for 5-7 minutes (watch it carefully because coconut butter burns quickly) OR melt over a double boiler.
- Line a 9x13 jelly roll pan with foil. Pour ¾ cup of coconut butter onto the foil and spread evenly with a spatula. Pop the pan into the freezer for 5 minutes to set the coconut butter.
- Next, carefully spread the peanut butter cookie dough across the layer of set coconut butter. It's easiest to smooth it out using a butter knife or your fingers. Be patient with this step as it will take a few minutes to get the dough evenly spread across the pan.
- Pour the remainder (¾ cup) of the melted coconut butter on top of the cookie dough and spread across with a spatula until it is as smooth as possible. Top with sprinkles if desired.
- Pop the pan back in the freezer for 10 minutes to set.
- Remove from freezer, peel bark from foil, and use a large, sharp knife to cut the bark into squares. Enjoy!
- Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container.
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Wishing I didn't have to head to work, so I could stay home and make these!! They look and sound wonderful!!
These are addicting!
Ashley, I read all your posts. Great job with this blog : )
it looks delish!
Need to find coconut butter! Need to make this ! Sounds Delish :-):-)
Is coconut butter and coconut cream (from Tropical Traditions) the same thing? I dont mean the canned cream.
Hi, Lynn! Yes, I believe in Tropical Traditions' line, "coconut cream concentrate" is equivalent to coconut butter or coconut manna.