Irresistible Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Pecan Bars: Your New Favorite Plant-Based Treat
Prepare your taste buds for an extraordinary treat! These Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Pecan Bars are not just “good”; they are ridiculously delicious and incredibly moreish. Seriously, I found it almost impossible to stop at just one. Imagine a perfect harmony between a soft, chewy cake and a rich, dense blondie, but entirely plant-based. Each bite offers a delightful balance of mild peanut butter flavor, a subtle warmth from cinnamon, and generous bursts of dairy-free chocolate chips and crunchy pecans. These bars are a testament to how utterly satisfying and indulgent vegan baking can be, proving that you don’t need dairy or eggs to create something truly spectacular.
Whether you’re a seasoned vegan baker or just exploring plant-based options, this recipe is designed to be straightforward and rewarding. The resulting bars are thick, moist, and packed with texture, making them an ideal candidate for any occasion that calls for a sweet, comforting bite. From casual afternoon snacks to elegant dessert platters, these bars adapt beautifully. They are also fantastic for meal prep, providing a convenient and delicious option to grab and go throughout your week. Dive into the world of truly decadent vegan treats with this must-try recipe.
Why You’ll Love These Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Pecan Bars
These bars are more than just a recipe; they’re an experience. They make a brilliant snack whenever you find yourself in need of a sweet pick-me-up, perfectly satisfying those mid-morning or afternoon cravings. But don’t limit them to snack time! Serve them warm with a scoop of your favorite vegan vanilla ice cream, and they transform into an absolutely wonderful dessert, ideal for entertaining or a cozy night in. The melted chocolate and the warm, soft texture combined with cold, creamy ice cream create a symphony of flavors and temperatures that is truly unforgettable.
What sets these vegan bars apart is their incredible versatility and the sheer joy they bring with every bite. They are incredibly easy to make, even for novice bakers, yet they taste like something from a gourmet bakery. The combination of peanut butter, chocolate, and pecans is a classic for a reason, and in this vegan rendition, it shines brighter than ever. Plus, making them at home means you control the quality of ingredients, ensuring a wholesome and delicious treat for yourself and your loved ones. Get ready to impress everyone with these delightful plant-based bars!
Essential Baking Tips for Perfect Vegan Bars
To achieve the best possible texture and flavor for your Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Pecan Bars, there’s one golden rule to remember: **do not over-bake them.** Bakes made with peanut butter, while incredibly flavorful, can become quite dry and crumbly if left in the oven for too long. The goal is a moist, tender bar that retains its rich, fudgy texture, rather than a dry, cake-like consistency.
As with brownies and other bar recipes, a simple skewer test is your best friend. Insert a clean skewer or toothpick into the very center of the bars. When they are perfectly baked, the skewer should come out with a few moist crumbs clinging to it, but absolutely no wet batter. If your skewer emerges completely clean, it’s a strong indication that your bars are likely overcooked. Remove them from the oven immediately to prevent further drying. The residual heat in the pan will continue to cook them slightly as they cool, so pulling them out when they’re *just* done is key to achieving that perfect, melt-in-your-mouth texture.
Another helpful tip is to observe the edges. The edges should appear set and slightly golden, but the center might still look a tiny bit soft or jiggly. This is exactly what you want! Trust the skewer test and your instincts. If the top starts to brown too quickly during baking, simply cover the tin loosely with aluminum foil about halfway through the baking time. This will prevent over-browning while allowing the inside to cook thoroughly. Patience during the cooling process is also crucial; allow the bars to cool completely in the tin before slicing to ensure they set properly and hold their shape.
Crafting the Perfect Vegan Texture: Ingredient Deep Dive
Achieving a truly delicious vegan bake often comes down to clever ingredient substitutions that mimic the properties of their animal-derived counterparts. For these irresistible Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Pecan Bars, two key swaps ensure a perfect result without compromising on taste or texture:
The Flax Egg: A Binder’s Best Friend
To make these bars entirely vegan and ensure they hold together beautifully, I used a flax egg as a binding agent. A flax egg is a fantastic, natural alternative to chicken eggs in many baking recipes. It’s incredibly simple to prepare: just mix one tablespoon of ground flaxseed (which is often called linseed here in the UK) or ground chia seeds with three tablespoons of water. Let this mixture sit for about 10 minutes, and watch as it transforms into a thick, gloopy consistency that closely resembles the binding power of an egg. This gelatinous texture is what helps to hold your bars together, providing structure and moisture. It’s a staple in vegan baking for a good reason!
Dairy-Free Margarine: The Foundation of Flavor and Texture
In place of traditional butter, I opted for a good quality dairy-free margarine. For baking, especially for recipes like these bars that require a firm structure, the kind that comes in a solid stick or block is highly recommended over the spreadable varieties found in tubs. Block margarines have a higher fat content and a more consistent texture, which behaves much more like real butter in baking, contributing to a better crumb and richer flavor. Here in the UK, Stork baking block is a fantastic and readily available vegan option, and that’s precisely what I used to achieve the perfect richness in these bars.
While I haven’t personally tested this specific recipe with coconut oil, I am confident that it should work well as a substitute for the margarine, given its similar solid state at room temperature and high fat content. If you choose to use coconut oil, make sure it’s refined coconut oil to avoid any strong coconut flavor, unless that’s a profile you desire in your bars. Always ensure your chosen vegan fat is softened to room temperature for optimal creaming with the sugars, which is crucial for a light and airy base for your bar batter.
These thoughtful ingredient choices are what make these Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Pecan Bars so exceptionally delightful – proof that vegan treats can be just as, if not more, satisfying than their traditional counterparts!
More Delicious Vegan Snack Bar Recipes to Explore
If you’ve fallen in love with the ease and deliciousness of these Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Pecan Bars, then you’re in for a treat! There’s a whole world of plant-based snack bars waiting to be discovered. Here are some other fantastic vegan bar recipes that are perfect for satisfying sweet cravings, packing into lunchboxes, or enjoying with a cup of tea or coffee:
- Vegan fruit and nut flapjacks: A hearty and wholesome option, packed with dried fruits and crunchy nuts.
- Berry crumble bars: Layers of sweet berry filling nestled between a delicious crumble topping.
- Pumpkin chocolate chip cake bars: A seasonal favorite that’s moist, spiced, and studded with chocolate.
- No-bake superfood granola bars: Perfect for when you need a quick, energy-boosting snack without turning on the oven.
- Ginger and coconut flapjacks: An exotic and flavorful twist on a classic, offering warmth and tropical sweetness.
Each of these recipes offers a unique flavor profile and texture, proving that vegan baking is incredibly diverse and full of exciting possibilities. Whether you prefer fruity, nutty, or chocolatey, there’s a vegan snack bar out there for everyone!
If you tried this recipe, we’d love to see your creations! Why not tag @domestic_gothess on Instagram and hashtag it #domesticgothess to share your delicious vegan bars with our community?
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Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Pecan Bars
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp ground flaxseed/linseed/chia
- 3 Tbsp water
- 160 g (⅔ cup) vegan margarine (block rather than tub is best; I used Stork) softened
- 120 g (½ cup) smooth peanut butter
- 180 g (1 cup) light brown soft sugar
- 120 g (½ cup + 2Tbsp) caster sugar
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
- 260 g (2 ¼ cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 120 ml (½ cup) unsweetened plant milk (I used soya)
- 200 g (7 oz) dairy free chocolate chunks/chips
- 150 g (5 ½ oz) pecans roughly chopped
Instructions
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Preheat your oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Lightly grease a 23cm (9-inch) square cake tin and line it with baking parchment, leaving an overhang on two sides to easily lift the bars out later.
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In a small bowl, thoroughly mix together the ground flaxseed (or linseed/chia) and the 3 tablespoons of water. Set this mixture aside for at least 10 minutes to allow it to thicken and become gelatinous – this is your flax egg.
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In a large mixing bowl, combine the softened vegan margarine, smooth peanut butter, light brown soft sugar, and caster sugar. Beat these ingredients together with an electric mixer or whisk until the mixture is light, fluffy, and smooth. Once combined, whisk in the prepared flax egg and the vanilla extract until fully incorporated.
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In a separate medium bowl, sift together the plain (all-purpose) flour, bicarbonate of soda (baking soda), baking powder, salt, and ground cinnamon. Gradually add half of these dry ingredients into the wet peanut butter mixture, folding gently until just combined. Then, pour in half of the unsweetened plant milk (such as soya milk), mixing until smooth. Repeat with the remaining dry ingredients and the rest of the plant milk, mixing until the batter is just smooth and no pockets of flour remain. Be careful not to overmix.
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Set aside a small handful of both the dairy-free chocolate chips and the roughly chopped pecans for topping. Gently fold the remaining chocolate chips and pecans into the prepared batter until evenly distributed. Pour the rich batter into your lined cake tin and spread it out evenly using a spatula. Finally, scatter the reserved chocolate chips and pecans over the top of the batter for a beautiful finish.
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Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 40 minutes. The bars are ready when the top is lightly golden and set, and a skewer inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs clinging to it, but no wet batter. If the top appears to be browning too quickly, loosely cover the tin with aluminium foil for the last half of the baking time.
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Once baked, remove the tin from the oven and allow the bars to cool completely in the tin on a wire rack. This is crucial for them to firm up properly. Once fully cooled, carefully lift the bars out using the parchment paper overhang and slice them into 16 even squares. Store these delicious bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2-3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to a week for extended freshness.
