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You know what hours of endless brainstorming results in?
Combining two desserts to make one awesome… dessert love child. Dessert love childs are kind of a thing in the food blogging world.
Think about it. Without food bloggers we would not have the Better than Crack Brownies, 7 Layer Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars, Oatmeal and Chocolate Cookie Bars, Peanut Butter S’more 7 Layer Bars or Oreos stuffed in just about anything.
Dessert would be just plain boring with out us. I mean really, we all need brownies, ice cream and cookies rolled into one. Right?
Yeah, yeah. Dont answer that.
Seriously though, I thought these up because of my brother, Kai.
Poor broken Kai. It seems like he is always broken. This time it’s his collarbone, for the second time. He had surgery on it the other day, which totally gave me an excuse to make Special K-Bars. Cause obviously they are special. Oh and they are his favorite.
But then I went hiking……
The dot, dot, dots are my way of saying, oh no here I go. Cause when I go hiking, I brainstorm. Some things are just gross, somethings could be ok, but then there are some things that just work. These, these and these were all hiking creations.
Kai, he loves only three desserts. Yeah, three. Chocolate chip cookies (and just chocolate chip, no crazy add ins), Special K-Bars and cookie dough (the real stuff with eggs and all).
So yeah, you get where this is going. I put cookie dough in the K-bars. Minus the raw egg of course.
I used this dough recipe from the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cups I made earlier this year and it just so happens that they are like kind of, NOT all that bad for you. Yeah, skinny cookie dough.
And it’s actually good. Kai approved. Promise.
Here’s the funny thing. I presented these to Kai and he said, “what the heck, you put cookie dough in the K-Bars. Tieghan, come on you can’t do that. I want K-Bars and Cookie Dough, but I don’t want them together!”
Kai, he hates all love childs. The rest of us?
We love um. He’s just plain boring. Oh and since they’re “skinny” you can totally have like four, five, or maybe six!
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Special K-Bars
Ingredients
Special K-Bar
- 1 cup karo syrup, or brown rice syrup
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/2 sugar
- 4 1/2 cups corn flakes
Cookie Dough
- 2 cups roasted, salted cashews
- 1/2 cup raw unsalted pecans
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons sucanat or brown sugar
- 1/2 tablespoons butter, softened
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
- 2 1/2 cups dark chocolate chips or milk chocolate chips
Instructions
- Grease 9×13 inch pyrex pan.
- Place cashews and pecans into a food processor and process until the mixture resembles a smooth nut butter, stopping to scrape down the side of the bowl if necessary. This can take 5 to 10 minutes of processing, so be patient.
- Process in the sugars, butter and vanilla. The sweeteners will at first thicken the nut butter quite a bit, but keep processing and the heat will eventually melt the sugar and smooth out the nut butter. Once again, if it still looks too thick, keep processing!
- Now here is the hard part – when your nut butter is finished processing, you need to pop it into the fridge to chill. If you don’t chill it, the chocolate chips will melt right into the nut butter and turn everything brown (yes, this happened!). Once it’s chilled, about 25 minutes, stir in the mini chocolate chips.
- While the "cookie dough" is cooling off, mix Karo syrup, peanut butter and sugar all together in large saucepan. Heat almost to a boil, being careful not to burn. Turn off heat and mix in corn flakes. Press into the greased pyrex pan.
- When the cookie dough is ready spread an even layer. Just do the best you can, I used my hands and patted the dough in that way.
- Melt the chocolate chips (I do mine in the microwave, heating on full power for 30 seconds, stir, 30 seconds again, and stir until melted). Pour the melted chocolate over the cookie dough and spread out in an even layer. Refrigerate at least 2 hour. Let the bars sit 15 minutes at room temperature before cutting. Dont freak if the top chocolate layer cracks. This is going to happen and there is nothing you can do about it. Store in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Addicting? Definitely.
These look incredible! Just yesterday I was thinking to make some cookie dough bites to keep in the fridge for noshing. These sound much yummier & look so pretty too!
Thank Jelli! Cookie dough is so good!
Oh my these look heavenly!!! I really really want to try these. I assume they have zero calories, am i right?
hugs x
Crystelle
Crystelle Boutique
Yup, zero!! LOL Hope you love these and thanks for reading!
Ummm? Yum!!!! Thank you so much for sharing on Show Me Your Plaid Monday’s!
Thanks!
Another scrumptious recipe pinned! 😉 Thanks for sharing!!
Thank you!
WOWZERS!!! These look and sound mouth-watering to the nth degree!! HOLEY MOLEY!! I am in love with this fantastic recipe. Thanks ever so much for sharing at Weekend Potluck. Please come back soon.
Thank you!! I love your excitement!
Seriously Tieghan – OMG. Jaw-dropping, drool inducing, eye popping OMG!
HEHE!! Thanks Dorothy!
I hope Kai gets mended very soon. How nice of you to make this fabulous bars for him! This is a keeper recipe… my family will love it!!!
Thanks for joining ON THE MENU MONDAY and sharing your yummy bars!
Kai is doing good!! Thank you and I hope you guys love these!
What a great combination. I bet it’s fun making the nut butter. These treats combine the best in one. I can’t wait try them!
The nut butter is fun! I hope you love these!
You come up with the most amazing recipes time and time again! Pinning 🙂
Aw, thank you and thanks for pinning!!!
Wow they look so yummy your photos are amazing. I would love it if you came and shared them at my linky party at http://www.twiggstudios.com/2013/04/sunday-show-off-linky-party_13.html
Thank you!
These look delicious. Thanks for sharing on Foodie friends Friday.
These are a must try! Wish I had the ingredients on hand right now!!
Let me know if you give them a try!I hope you love them!
Oh my goodness, how yummy do these look?! Thanks for the recipe 🙂
Found you via I Heart Naptime.
Thank you!
These look so amazing. I’m going to make and share with my coworkers!!
Thank you and let me know what you and your co-workers think!
These sound ridiculously good! Your photos are making me hungry!