Chewy and Fudgy Brownies

 

 

Beat 2 eggs slightly with a spoon in a bowl (these work great with powdered eggs!)
Stir in 1 c sugar
1/2 t salt
2 t vanilla

Then add in:
1/3 c melted shortening
2 squares melted unsweetened chocolate (if they are thin rectangles, use 4 to make 1 square)

Stir in 3/4 c all purpose flour
Add some nuts if you wish

Spread in a buttered pan - size of your choice.  Small pan = thicker bars, larger pan, thinner bar. 
Bake to the size of the pan - and your choice.  We like them fudgy and thin so I baked this pan about 22 minutes, took it out, a little under done and let it set on the counter for 30 minutes.  The result is slightly underdone, fudgy, amazing brownies.

You can bake them up to 35 minutes if you prefer them more done, dry, crisp around the sides, etc.

 

Keebler Bars - Angel Bars - Kit Kat Bars (everyone knows them by different names)

I've posted what we call "Angel Bars" and have made regularly since about 1999 or 2000 - but what I'm not sure I've mentioned is that it's not the recipe I originally made.  I made these the first time using butterscotch chips in them as well, and I didn't care for the 'fake' flavor of butterscotch chips (but I'm picky like that), so I ended up tweaking the recipe until it was the one we have loved and used for about 15 years now.  However, I realize many people may like the original version that includes the butterscotch chips.  So this morning, here is the original version of our 'Angel Bars' that some people think tastes similar to a Kit Kat.  I don't.  But these are a FAVORITE bar in our family.

Update to add:  for 2018 I made a huge double batch of these only to have my husband eat two ROWS of bars the first night!  It's a good thing I start to do my holiday baking 'early' because this allows me to make a 3rd batch for the cookie trays before Christmas giving.


Angel Bars - also known as Keebler Bars (or some call Homemade Kit Kat Bars)

80 club crackers
1 cup butter
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels
1/2 cup butterscotch morsels


Line an ungreased 9X13-inch baking pan with foil, leaving an extension of foil on either end. Line the foil with 1 layer of club crackers, breaking to fit if necessary.

In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, milk and sugar. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat and spread half of butter mixture evenly over crackers. Place another single layer of crackers evenly over butter mixture, cutting to fit if necessary. Spread remaining butter mixture evenly over crackers. Top evenly with remaining crackers.

In a small microwavable dish or in a saucepan, combine peanut butter, chocolate morsels, and butterscotch morsels. Melt in the microwave or over medium-low heat, stirring constantly. Spread evenly over top of crackers. Cover, and chill for at least 1 hour. Lift foil overhang and remove bars from pan. Cut into bars. Store in the refrigerator.

Baking Spirits Bright for 2022 - Christmas Cookies and Candies

 

Cookie Ideas and recipe links:   Baking Spirits Bright in 2022 

 

 

Salt River Bar

(Saving for future reference as it's almost exactly like my Angel Bars)

 

Salt River Bar

90 Club crackers
1 cup butter, salted
2 cups light brown sugar, packed
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
3/4 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup butterscotch chips
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
sea salt for finishing

Prepare a 9 by 13 inch pan by lining it with parchment paper, leaving the two long edges a bit long to remove the bars from the pan later for cutting.

Spray the parchment and sides of the pan with nonstick spray. Cover the bottom of the pan with the first layer of crackers on top of the parchment. Cut the crackers to fit as needed.

In a medium sized heavy bottomed pan, melt butter, brown sugar, graham cracker crumbs, and heavy cream together over medium heat, stirring constantly. Bring the mixture to a boil, continuing to stir, and boil for 7 minutes. Pour half of the caramel mixture over the crackers, spreading it evenly to the edges of the pan. Working quickly, add another layer of crackers over the caramel. Pour the rest of the caramel over the second layer of crackers, and then add a final layer of crackers.

Refrigerate the pan to chill and set the caramel layers while you make the chocolate topping.

To make the chocolate topping, add milk chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and peanut butter to a microwave safe bowl. Heat for 30-45 seconds, then stir. Microwave the chocolate in 15 second intervals, stirring in between until smooth. Pour the chocolate topping over the final layer of crackers, spreading it evenly to the edges. Sprinkle sea salt over the chocolate layer to taste.

Chill for 1-2 hours before using a sharp knife to cut into bars.

STRAWBERRY CRUMBLE BARS - keto, low carb, sugar free

STRAWBERRY CRUMBLE BARS - keto, low carb, sugar free and so good.  

 

 

Last night I decided I'd make some raspberry crumble bars to have here as snacking options for the next couple days. 

Incredibly yummy... even if I don't bother to take out perfectly cut squares and prop them up for a social media worth "photo shoot" - Meh. 

 

 

STRAWBERRY CRUMBLE BARS

I used the dry ingredients from my keto white cake mix recipe:

3 c good quality, blanched, fine grained almond flour
1/3 c whey protein powder - vanilla or unflavored (I only use zero carb, zero sugar)
2/3 c sweetener, granular (I like erythritol and monk fruit blended versions)
2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt

Then I used the wet ingredients from my raspberry crumble recipe, increased amounts a bit:

9 T butter, melted
1 1/2 t vanilla or mixture of almond extract and vanilla extract
2/3 c sugar free strawberry preserves, jam or other filling of your choice
Grease or line a 9" pan with parchment.  Preheat the oven to 350.

Whisk together the dry ingredients.  Melt the butter in cup in the microwave and add the extract to it.  Pour this into the dry mixture and mix with a spatula until it starts to come together - the consistency of a crumbly play-doh.   Press just over half the dough into a greased 8X8 inch pan. 

Bake this bottom crust for about 10 minutes at 350 degrees.  Take it out and let it cool for about 10 minutes. 

Place the preserves or jam in a bowl and microwave for a minute or so to soften the preserves for spreading. Spread the filling over the crust, getting up into the corners and sides as well.  Now crumble the rest of the topping over it all and press down lightly just to adhere to the filling, but don't flatten it.  Return to the hot oven and bake for 18-25 minutes until turning golden brown.  Remove from oven and let cool completely.

You can eat them as they are or add a simple glaze made from about 1/3 c powdered or confectioner sugar-free sweetener, a dash of vanilla, 1/2 teaspoon soft butter and a teaspoon or 2 of milk or cream - make as thick or thin as you like with the cream amount.  You can spread lightly on the bars or drizzle.  Let set, cool in the refrigerator or serve right away.

 

 

 

 

 

SugarFree and Low Carb Caramel Bars....

 

I mentioned this one yesterday when I was going to make raspberry bars; it's the same recipe with different fillings.  Any jam, pie filling, pumpkin, caramel, etc.  I thought I'd repost this caramel version (I think the original post was back in 2019?).   Just makes it easier to find.

Caramel Bars - Sugar Free and Low Carb

2 c almond flour
2 T coconut flour
2/3 c Erythritol with Monk Fruit (granulated sweetener of your choice)
1/4 t sea salt
6 T butter, melted
1 t vanilla
1/2 c sugar free caramel sauce like Smuckers Sugar Free Caramel

Whisk together the dry ingredients; almond flour, coconut flour, sweeteners and salt.  Melt the butter in cup in the microwave and add the vanilla to it.  Pour this into the dry mixture and mix with a spatula until it starts to come together.   

Press just over half the dough into a greased 8X8 inch pan.  Bake this bottom crust for about 10 minutes at 350 degrees.  Take it out and let it cool for about 10 minutes.  

Drizzle the caramel sauce all over the crust, getting up into the corners and sides as well.  Now crumble the rest of the topping over it all and press down lightly just to adhere to the caramel but don't flatten it.  Return to the hot oven and bake for 25 minutes until turning golden brown.  Remove from oven and let cool completely to cut.  (I was craving these immediately so I used a fork and ate it warm from the pan... it would be great over vanilla ice cream this way too!)  And then this morning, when they were totally cool, I sliced them into bars... and had one for breakfast with my coffee. 

You can add extra salt sprinkled over the caramel layer if you like 'salted caramel' desserts.  I thought they were delicious as is.

Sugar Free Red Raspberry Crumble Bars (Note: they are wheat free too)

 

 

I've been craving the raspberry crumble bars I make (sugarfree and lowcarb - keto) but hadn't had time to make them or even start to think about being able to (yep, it's been that insanely busy around here for the past 6 weeks or so) but today I was not only still craving them, but accidentally stumbled upon my old post featuring them from June of 2019... I'm taking it as a sign!  I have a lot going on this morning and early afternoon but I'm holding out that around 3:pm I'll be able to sneak in a little kitchen time to get a pan of these into the oven!  SO GOOD.

 

Red Raspberry Crumble Bars

2 c almond flour
2 T coconut flour
2/3 c Erythritol with Monk Fruit (you can use a granulated sweetener of your choice)
1/4 t sea salt
6 T butter, melted
1 t vanilla
2/3 c sugar free red raspberry preserves or jam of your choice

Whisk together the dry ingredients; almond flour, coconut flour, sweeteners and salt.  Melt the butter in cup in the microwave and add the vanilla to it.  Pour this into the dry mixture and mix with a spatula until it starts to come together.   Press just over half the dough into a greased 8X8 inch pan. 

Bake this bottom crust for about 10 minutes at 350 degrees.  Take it out and let it cool for about 10 minutes. 

Place the preserves in a bowl and microwave for a minute or so to soften the preserves for spreading. Spread the raspberry filling over the crust, getting up into the corners and sides as well.  Now crumble the rest of the topping over it all and press down lightly just to adhere to the raspberry preserves, but don't flatten it.  Return to the hot oven and bake for 25 minutes until turning golden brown.  Remove from oven and let cool completely to cut. 

Repost from June, 2019.

I keep various jams and preserves on hand for my husband's peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, so I had Smucker's brand in the refrigerator.  You can use whichever brands you like.

Melt it a bit in the microwave for easy pouring and spreading over the crust.

Fresh out of the oven!
 

I keep these in the refrigerator - they slice easily and taste... incredible!

 

 

 

 

Sugarfree, low-carb, keto Peanut Butter Cups

 

These are the sugar free versions - substituting erythritol and monkfruit sweetener for the sugar and sugarfree chocolate chips for the regular.  The coconut oil takes the place of melted shortening usually called for - and yes, you can use melted shortening if you don't have coconut oil.

 

Sugar Free Peanut Butter Cups

1/2 c creamy peanut butter
1/4 - 1/3 c sweetener of choice
1/4 c almond flour
1 t vanilla
1 cup (ish) sugar free chocolate chips
1 T MCT or coconut oil, or melted shortening or real butter

Beat the peanut butter, sweetener, almond flour and vanilla.  Roll in balls approximately 3/4" each.  Place in a mini muffin tin, lined with small candy/cupcake liners.  Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave on 45 seconds, stir a bit, melt another 30 seconds, stir.  As soon as they are melted, add the coconut oil (or butter, shortening) and mix well.  Spoon melted chocolate over the peanut butter filling.  Place the mini muffin tin in the freezer for about 15 minutes to harden.

NOTE:  When and if I make these for people other than my own family and myself, I make the melted chocolate first, and dab a little in the bottom of the cup, then add the peanut butter filling, then top with the chocolate.  This ensures a fully encompassed bite of filling with the chocolate cover.  But for the ease of quick, easy and who cares what they look like for everyday?  I skip the bottom dollop.  Mostly they are covered anyway.

The peanut butter filling (use peanut butter with no sugar added if you need keto)

 

 

 

Roll with your hands or use a tiny little scoop

 

I wanted to use up the last of my MCT oil in this container, and added a bit but real butter to make up the rest needed.

The tops dolloped with melted chocolate and ready for the freezer

When you take them out of the freezer, hardened, you can peel the paper liner off.  If you've used coconut oil or MCT oil, the chocolate melts pretty quickly with the warmth of your fingers if you are hot handed.  :)
 

 

 

 

Old Fashioned Spice Cake and Spice Cake Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting: sugarfree and low carb OR original

 

I posted this recipe previously here:  https://www.housewifebarbie.com/2019/08/spice-cake-regular-and-low-carb-version.html 

This time around I used the same recipe (pasting it here again) but I used a larger bar pan to bake it in, and then when it came out of the oven, I let it cool, and then covered the pan with plastic wrap, and gently rolled a rolling pin over it lengthwise to gently compact the cake a bit to make it into a nice textured bar.

I completed it with a package of cream cheese whipped with a couple tablespoon's confectioner's style sweetener, a dash of vanilla, and a bit of whipping cream until it was the consistency to spread.

Spice Cake (regular and low carb version)

3/4 c butter (for the low carb version I cut this down to about 1/2 cup)
1 c brown sugar (brown sweetener - like Swerve)
1 egg
1/2 c raisins (leave out for low carb/sugar free)
1/4 t salt
1/4 t cloves
1/4 t nutmeg
1/4 t allspice
1/2 t cinnamon
2 c flour (2 c almond flour and 1/4 c whey protein powder & optional 1 T coconut flour for texture)
1 t baking soda
2 t baking powder
1 c sour milk

Mix the butter and sugar or sweetener.  Add the egg.  Add raisins if you are using them.  Mix the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl and add alternately with the sour milk.   Divide into 2, greased round pounds or a 7X12 baking dish.  Bake 375 degrees for about 25 minutes until done.  Cool completely and frost if you wish - cream cheese frosting is wonderful on it.

To make it into bars (as I mentioned above) pour and spread the batter in a larger, shallow bar pan, and bake until then, then let cool.  Cover the pan with plastic wrap and gently roll a rolling pin over the top lengthwise to contract the bars just a little bit to give them a good bar texture.  Cover with cream cheese icing and sprinkle chopped pecans and cinnamon on top if you wish.

 

 

 

Triple Layer Krispy Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars - also can be made sugar free and lower carb if you wish

 

 

Did not plan to post this, but it ended up to be really, really good and I want to keep it here as a reminder!   

 

My version is a lower-carb and sugarfree option but it can be made full sugar and full carb making it the exact same way, using 'regular' ingredients.  

 

 

Triple Layer Krispy Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars

Brownies:  either homemade or a mix (sugarfree or regular)
Peanut Butter - approximately 3 cups
2 t vanilla

1/3 c confectioner style sweetener or sugar
1 T butter

3 c plain rice krispies

2 c chocolate chips - regular or sugar free

Make the brownies according to directions and spread in the bottom of a parchment lined pan of choice.  I used a spring form pan here.  You could also use a 9X13" pan, be sure to leave the parchment on the sides long enough to be able to grasp and pull the bars out of the pan with it when they are done. 

 

(My quick and easy brownies are to use 1 dry chocolate cake mix of choice, mixed with 1 stick melted butter and 2/3 c evaporated milk.)

When the brownies are done, let them cool completely.  Prepare the peanut butter filling by mixing 2 cups of peanut butter with the vanilla and sugar or sweetener.  Spread this over the cooled brownies.

 

In a microwaveable bowl, mix the remaining 1 cup peanut butter with the chocolate chips and 1 T butter.  Microwave about 1 minute, stir smooth, microwave another 15-20 seconds if you need to until melted and smooth.  Mix with the 3 cups rice krispies.  Spread this over top of the peanut butter layer.  I use plastic wrap to press and smooth (it won't stick to the plastic like it does your fingers).

 

Now chill for about 30 minutes.  Sprinkle sprinkles, drizzle with melted white chocolate or add frosting if you wish.  Serve.

 

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Rugelach - Keto Style (A filled, rolled pastry) I made Almond Filled and Sugarfree Raspberry Filled

From my Instagram account photos

  

 

I'm more of a plain pastry, pie crusts, no fruit or flavoring kind of girl.  Because of that, I would opt for a pastry over a cookie any day.  But even pastries are usually too 'filled with fruity' to for me.  But when I make my own, I get to choose.  And I get to make them low carb and sugar free.

Rugelach is a word you might not know but a 'cinnamon spiral' or 'filled pastry roll' and you would recognize it.  The kind most people make with real sugar and flour already has the rest of the 'low carb ok' ingredients like cream cheese and butter so we are half way there.

For mine, I wanted to fill it with almond paste.  But store bought almond paste and marzipan are filled with sugar so I made my own.  I divided the dough in half and did half almond and half sugar-free raspberry jam.  Both were good but the water content of the raspberry filling made them flatten out, while the homemade almond paste kept its shape.

I liked them as they were with no glaze but my family is more normal than I am and like icing and frostings on their baked goods.  So I whipped up a simple glaze of confectioner style sweetener and a little almond milk...  Oh my, they were pretty!  And my husband gobbled them up - which he normally doesn't eat too many baked goods.  He declared these something I needed to make again soon.  Since I kept the second half of the homemade almond paste in the refrigerator, I can make them again this week.

 

Basic Pastry Dough - LC and SF

 

1 c almond flour
1/2 c coconut flour
1/2 t xanthan gum
dash salt
1/2 t vanilla extract
1 - 8 oz. pk. cream cheese

1/2 c butter

Similar to a Fathead Dough but without the mozzarella, just put the ingredients into a food processor bowl with an S blade and pulse until it comes together to make a dough (pretty quickly).  Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill until you are ready to use it.

When you know what filling you want, get out your dough, and divide it in half.  Roll it into a large circle, roughly 12 inches in diameter.  Sprinkle the filling you've chosen and then use a pizza roller/cutter to cut the dough into 12 triangle shaped pieces.  Start at the wide end and roll up your pastry, ending with the pointy triangle on top.  I used a metal icing spatula to help me roll up the filling smoothly.

Bake at 350 degrees on parchment paper for about 20-30 minutes depending on your oven and how big or thick your pastries are.  When they are a nice golden brown, remove from the oven and let them cool completely.

Depending on the filling you chose, you can top or drizzle with a glaze (mentioned in the paragraph above) or drizzle with melted sugarfree chocolate, cinnamon/sweetener mixture, cocoa, etc.  

Filling ideas:

Sugar free chocolate chips

Cinnamon and Sweetener Mixture

Chopped walnuts and/or pecans

Pumpkin Pie Filling

Sugarfree jams (note my opening paragraph for these)

Almond Paste

 

These are almond filled and no glaze... I love them this way as they aren't overly sweet to me.  But most people love them drizzled with a glaze and/or sliced almonds or even a powdered sweetener dusting.

 

The golden brown color... just the right time to take out of the oven

 

Homemade Breakfast Bars (like Nutrigrain Bars!)

Originally posted in January, 2007

Fruit and Oatmeal Breakfast Bars (Easy!)

These remind me of the Nutri-Grain bars you buy at the store. Only for the price of ingredients, you'll get a whole pan of them for the price of one box of 6!

1 box yellow cake mix (dry)
2 1/2 c oatmeal - quick cooking
1 1/2 sticks butter
1 c (or a 12 oz. jar) of strawberry or cherry preserves, heated to melt
1 T water

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9X13 " pan. Combine the dry cake mix with the oat meal in a large bowl. Add the melted butter and stir until crumbly. Pour half the mixture into the pan and press firmly to cover the bottom. Combine the preserves and water. Sprinkle remaining crumb mixture over preserves. Pat firmly enough to make the top even. Bake 18-23 minutes until the top is golden brown. Cool in pan before cutting into bars. Makes about 4 dozen depending on the size you cut.


*You can make these into a delicious dessert by serving them topped with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Sugar Free Krispy Bars - PLUS low carb and sugar free Krispy Bars (packed with protein)

We all know how easy it is to make traditional Rice Krispie Bars - and they are SO GOOD!  But marshmallows are basically just squishy white sugar and not healthy so if you don't care about low carb or high protein, a very simple way to make your favorite treat is to simply replace the sugary marshmallows with a sugar free version.   I've posted this 'recipe' on An American Housewife a couple times and you can find it here from 2015.

I have posted this recipe previously - a few times!  One of which is back in 2014 which you can find here: A Sugar Free, Low Carb, Protein Packed Faux Rice Krispy Bar

And today it's a peanut butter krispy bar version to boot!



Peanut Butter Krispy Bars - Low Carb and Sugar Free

5 T butter
Dash of vanilla
1/2 c peanut butter of choice (read labels for sugar content)
1/4 c almond butter of choice (can use all almond butter or peanut butter if you wish)
10 oz. sugar free marshmallows (I use 4 pks. LA NOUBA marshmallows)
5 c crispy low carb, sugar free protein puffs like the ones made by ProMix

Put the butter, vanilla and marshmallows into a large microwavable bowl and microwave until they puff up and double their size in the bowl. This takes about  1-2 minutes depending on your microwave strength.

Immediately stir in the almond/peanut butters IF you are using them - you don't have to, if you want a regular vanilla Krispy Bar - and the crispy protein puffs, with a rubber scraper that has been sprayed with Pam style cooking oil or oiled with canola or vegetable oil. Press the mixture into a greased or greased pan. The smaller the pan, the thicker the bar. As soon as they are cool, cut and serve!

*You can melt sugar free chocolate chips with a bit of peanut or almond butter and spread on top of cooled bars.  My husband loves them this way.  I'm not a fan of chocolate so today I made them sans-chocolate so I can enjoy this batch too!

Low Carb, Sugarfree French Silk Pie (or adapt and make into easy BARS!)

This is basically a simple French Silk Pie - that is sugar free and low carb (made with almond flour, no wheat flour) but I have to admit that when I make any 'pie' recipe into bars, they get eaten much faster in this house.  Something about pie says "dessert" and "fussy" and "after dinner" but the same ingredients in a bar means "Hey, awesome!  You made bars... I want one!"

So make this into a pie or bars... it's up to you. 

French Silk Pie

Simple Basic Crust:

1 1/2 c almond flour
1/3 c natural sweetener, confectioner's style (like So Nourished, Just Like Sugar, etc.)
1/4 t salt
4 T butter, melted

Chocolate Filling:

2 oz. Baker's Unsweetened Chocolate
1/3 c sugarfree chocolate chips or Lily's Chocolate Chips
1 1/2 sticks butter, real
2/3 c natural sweetener of choice or a blend of 2/3 kinds to equal 2/3 cup
1 t vanilla
1/2 t espresso powder
dash salt
3 eggs

Whipped Cream Topping

1 c heavy whipping cream
2 T sweetener of choice
Dash vanilla

Mix or blend the almond flour, sweetener and salt in a small bowl.  Add the melted butter, stir until it starts to come together, place in your pie pan or a small 8 or 9 inch pan (for pie or bars).  Press evenly all across the bottom and up the sides if you are making a pie, or a nice thick bottom layer in a pan for bars. Set aside.

Microwave the chocolate until it's melted but don't burn it.  Be sure to stop it after 1 minute and stir.  Put it in for another 30 to 45 seconds and stir again.  Continue.  As you stir it, it will be warm enough to melt as you stir.  Set this aside while you beat the butter with an electric mixer until fluffy.  Add the sweetener and mix until blended smooth.  Put your mixer on the lowest setting and add the melted chocolate, vanilla, espresso powder, salt and then the eggs, one at a time, beating briefly after each.

Spread the filling over your crust and place in the refrigerator while you whip the cream.  Place the cup of cream in a clean mixer bowl with the sweetener and vanilla.  Beat on low just until blended and increase the speed to medium high or high (depending on how powerful your mixer is) and beat just until it holds stiff peaks.  Spread over your bars.  Over with plastic wrap and chill until you serve.


NOTES:

You can use 3 ounces unsweetened baker's chocolate if you prefer.  I only had enough squares left to equal 2 1/2 ounces this time so I used a mixture of sugar free chocolate chips and baker's chocolate.  I also hesitate to link to the chocolate chips on Amazon because their prices are INSANE.  Now, Lily's is really expensive anyway and only available online that I've found, but I can find sugarfree Hershey's brand at my local Walmart and for a tiny fraction of what Amazon is charging.

As for the natural sweeteners, I use mostly confectioner's style because I know it will mix in with everything quickly and easily.  I blend my sweeteners for the best flavor.  If you have granular and don't want to wait for the gritty granular to melt or dissolve, just run it through your blender, food processor or a coffee grinder that you've cleaned really well first so your sweetener won't taste like coffee... although in this recipe, you could use your coffee grinder and just leave out the espresso powder!  Ha ha).

The Best Raspberry Crumble Bars - Healthy, made with almond flour - no wheat - and sugar free!

If you've made my sugar free caramel bars already, then you might recognize this basic almond flour crust mix.  Just a few simple ingredients, and a store bought filling and you've got this whipped up and ready to go into the oven in just minutes.

When I made my caramel bars I knew I wanted to use the same idea to make cranberry bars and raspberry bars next!  To make the cranberry version I wanted to use my fresh (frozen) bag of cranberries and cook them on the stove to make a sugar free filling; but honestly?  I wasn't in the mood to take that long to make that step.  I wanted something fast and easy. 

I had sugar free raspberry preserves in the refrigerator so these bars were oh-so-easy to make using about 2/3 cup of the fruit filling instead of taking the time to make my own filling.  Some days I WILL make the filling from scratch, but if you have ways to make life easier.... use them. 

These bars are great with cranberry, blackberry, raspberry fillings but don't forget my original post used Smucker's sugar free caramel which was incredible as well if you aren't in the mood for a fruit filled bar.





Red Raspberry Crumble Bars

2 c almond flour
2 T coconut flour
2/3 c Erythritol with Monk Fruit (Use a sweetener of your choice)
1/4 t sea salt
6 T butter, melted
1 t vanilla
2/3 c sugar free red raspberry preserves or jam of your choice

Whisk together the dry ingredients; almond flour, coconut flour, sweeteners and salt.  Melt the butter in cup in the microwave and add the vanilla to it.  Pour this into the dry mixture and mix with a spatula until it starts to come together.   Press just over half the dough into a greased 8X8 inch pan.  Bake this bottom crust for about 10 minutes at 350 degrees.  Take it out and let it cool for about 10 minutes.  Place the preserves in a bowl and microwave for a minute or so to soften the preserves for spreading. Spread the raspberry filling over the crust, getting up into the corners and sides as well.  Now crumble the rest of the topping over it all and press down lightly just to adhere to the raspberry preserves, but don't flatten it.  Return to the hot oven and bake for 25 minutes until turning golden brown.  Remove from oven and let cool completely to cut. 

I keep various jams and preserves on hand for my husband's peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, so I had Smucker's brand in the refrigerator.  You can use whichever brands you like.

Melt it a bit in the microwave for easy pouring and spreading over the crust.

Fresh out of the oven!
 

I keep these in the refrigerator - they slice easily and taste... incredible!