Chocolate Chip Dream Bars

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So excited to share our new favorite bar cookie… Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Dream Bars!

Recipe adapted from my aunt, who adapted it from a King Arthur Flour cookbook, they have been on repeat in our house the last few weeks!

It is a really simple recipe, using ingredients you probably already have in your pantry and it comes together quickly.

And they are soooooo yummy!

A brown sugar shortbread base and a chocolatey toffee-like chewy (gooey when it’s warm!) topping…. what’s not to love?

I did a little research and found out that Dream Bars actually originated during the Great Depression when people were badly in need of sweet dreams… feels a bit ironic that I’m sharing them for the first time during a pandemic…

Along those lines, it is no surprise that these Gluten-Free Dream Bars remind me of my grandmother’s Magic Bars (which I need to share with you!) but have a shortbread base rather than a graham cracker crust.

So let’s make them!

First we need to make the brown sugar shortbread base…

It’s just 4 ingredients and comes together quickly.

You’ll need butter or dairy free butter, brown sugar, gluten-free all purpose flour (we use GFJules – affiliate link), and salt.

As an aside, you may have noticed that we are affiliate for GFJules.  To learn more about why we love GFJules flour and why we have used it for 10 years, click here. Bonus: at the bottom of that post is a one-time use affiliate Discount Code.

And importantly, purchasing through an affiliate link does not change your cost at all. It generates a small percentage of the sale for me, and purchasing through an affiliate link helps me fund this website and all the recipes I share, so thank you!

Back to the Gluten-Free Dream Bars….

To make the shortbread base, all you do is cream the butter (make sure it’s softened to room temp) and brown sugar, then add in the flour and salt and mix until a dough forms.

As I am often asked, I made this in my Kitchen Aid stand mixer (Amazon affiliate link). If you followed me a while, you know I use our Kitchen Aid for everything and have had the same one for yearrrrs.

Press the batter into a pan either lined in parchment paper or greased and floured. And bake 10 minutes.

When you take out after 10 minutes, it may not look “fully” baked but it’s perfect.

Just note the the shortbread base cooks at 300 degrees F and the topping at 325 degrees, so after you remove the base from the oven, also raise the temperature.

Meanwhile, while the base cooks, put together the top layer.

The top layer is chewy, and gooey when warm, and tastes like a combination of a chocolate chip blondie and a toffee-bar and is sooooo yummy!

You’ll need brown sugar, gluten-free all purpose flour (we use GFJules – affiliate link), 1 egg, baking powder, unsweetened shredded coconut (I always use Let’s Do Organic Brand (amazon affiliate link), diced walnuts (or pecans or nut of choice), and semi-sweet chocolate chips (I’ve made them with both Nestle semi-sweet chips and enjoy life dairy free chocolate chips (amazon affiliate link)).

This too come together quickly.

You first mix the brown sugar, flour and baking powder. Then you add in the egg. Then add in the coconut, walnuts and chocolate chips.

The topping will be very thick.

Top baked shortbread base with the topping by spooning it on and then spreading with a spoon or spatula.

Top with extra chocolate chips if desired (always in my house!) and bake!

That’s it!

25 minutes later, your house will smell amazing and you’ll have the yummiest Dream Bar ever!

If you eat them warm (even though you’ll be tempted, let them cool a little so don’t burn your mouth!), the topping with be not only chewy but a little gooey with lots of melty chocolate chips.

Hope you love them as much as we do!

Scroll down for recipe and leave a comment if you make them.