These gooey, chocolaty S'mores Cookie Bars feel indulgent but have a healthy twist! Hidden white beans give a boost of protein to this yummy dessert!
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S'mores Cookie Bars are gooey, chocolatey and include a hidden boost of nutrition you would never guess is there... cannellini beans!
The white beans add a creamy rich texture to the cookie bars without weighing them down and do not effect the taste AT ALL. I promise, you won't even know they are there.
I've absolutely fallen in love with these S'mores Bars and so have my kids! Which is a total mom win here 'cause I couldn't get my older one to eat a bean to save his life. So YAY!
Check out this Chocolate Dessert Hummus for another way to add hidden beans to a dessert!
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White Bean S'mores Cookie Bars are vegan, gluten free and nut free.
The Best Vegan White Bean S'mores Cookie Bars
Listen... I've tried a lot of "healthier" desserts in my life and that includes a lot of bean based desserts. It can be really hard to find a good one.
A lot of recipes I've tried (including some tests of this one!) end up with a gumminess that almost feels like eating raw batter, but with a weird texture.
But, I think I've hit the mark on the head with this one!
Here's why this recipe is the best White Bean Cookie Bar you'll find...
- The perfect texture - they have a crumby, soft texture that is just like a soft, gooey, chocolate chip cookie. No dense cookie dough here!
- S'mores flavor! - everyone wants more s'mores right?! The gooey marshmallows and chocolate chunks add the perfect bursts of sweetness!
- Kid Friendly - The little ones (or picky adults) in your life won't even notice that these have hidden beans in them! Watch them gobble them up without a second thought.
- SO Easy - This recipe is beyond simple to make. All you need is a mildly, good blender to mix up the batter well and you're good to go
Why add beans to a dessert?
If you're new to the beans-in-dessert world, welcome! I'm happy you're here!
There's tons of reasons to add beans to your baked treats!
- Texture - if you're trying to play around with "healthier" desserts, you may find some to be lacking in flavor and/or texture. Adding pureed beans to a baked dish can often improve the texture and the flavor without having to add in more fat to the dish.
- Nutrition - Beans are a power house of nutrition, adding in lots of proteins, fiber, b-vitamins, iron, calcium, zinc and potassium.
- Gluten Free- beans are naturally gluten free and adding them to a cookie bar, cuts back on the amount of flours that are needed. We are able to keep this recipe completely gluten free, by using rolled oats and a little brown rice flour to get the perfect cookie texture.
- No effect on taste - Beans do not effect the taste at all when added to a dessert.
What swaps can I make?
Giving the visitor ideas on how they can change this recipe to better suit their dinner guests, or their cultural cuisine, is a great way to increase the chances they make the recipe
- Cannellini Beans - while I haven't tested it, I suspect that chickpeas will also work well in this recipe if you have a strong enough blender. I prefer cannellini beans because of their extra soft and creamy texture, which makes it even easier to blend up.
- Brown Rice Flour - Swap for another ¼ cup of rolled oats OR white rice flour
- Maple Syrup - You can swap Agave Syrup for the maple syrup at the same amount.
Do I need a strong blender?
Equipment can have a big impact on how a recipe turns out. The blender I use for this recipe is a Vitamix One.
You can make this recipe using any blender, however a lower power blender may take more time and effort. If you have a blender that is lower power, I would suggest pulsing up the rolled oats FIRST, and then add the remaining ingredients. Take some breaks to press down the sides and make sure the batter is as smooth as you can get before baking.
Storage
After they are fully cooled, you can store the White Bean S'mores Cookie Bars covered in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Tips for best texture!
You are going to want to eat these S'mores Bars right out of the oven. DON'T. Give them at least 15 minutes to cool down. They are still super delicious, warm and gooey at this point, but they will be a little bit soft.
You can definitely enjoy them warm out of the oven, however, if you want a firmer, cookie-like texture, let them cool completely before cutting.
Did you make this recipe? Please leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below! Take a picture and tag me on Instagram @samcookskindness !
Recipe
White Bean S'mores Cookie Bars
Equipment
- high power blender
Ingredients
- 1 can cannellini beans (15.5oz) drained and rinsed well
- 1 tablespoons softened vegan butter
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¾ cup rolled oats gluten free if needed
- ¼ cup brown rice flour
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ tablespoon vanilla
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup soy milk
- 6 large vegan marshmallows* I used Dandies
- ¾ cup vegan chocolate chunks or chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and prep an 8x8 glass baking dish by lining with parchment paper.
- In a high power blender add all ingredients EXCEPT marshmallows and chocolate chunks. Process on medium-high speed until batter is smooth and no bits of oats or beans remain. Depending on your blender, you may need to stop a few times to push down the sides. Repeat until batter is mostly smooth.
- To the batter, mix in roughly ¾ of the chocolate you are using (reserving some for the top). Pour batter into the prepared baking dish and use a spoon or spatula to smooth it out to the edges.
- Add the remaining chocolate chunks to the top of the cookie bars. If using large marshmallows, rip them up into 3 or 4 pieces and scatter them on the top of the cookie bars, gently pressing them into the batter.
- Bake for 22-24 minutes, until edges begin to brown and slightly pull away from the sides.
- Let cool for at least 15 minutes before cutting. Bars will firm up more as they cool.
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