Cookie Butter Brownie Bars

Please don’t tell me you’re sick of the cookie butter already. You can’t be. This is only recipe #2. In fact, recipe #1 happened because the first time I tried this recipe it absolutely failed. I mean, it was delicious, but the brownies didn’t bake all the way through, and you couldn’t get it out of the pain, so you kind of had to sit there with a fork chowing down on a 9×13 pan of gooey half baked goodness. It kind of became a problem, and I had to give them away–well give it away, since it was kind of like one big bar. Anyway, I knew I was onto something with the taste, so I tried again.

Try #1 went brownie batter on bottom, cookie butter bar layer on top, bake. Try #2 included baking the brownie layer a little bit first, but still somehow came out looking like try #1. Third time’s a charm, I guess 😉

Cookie layer on the bottom because brownies cook more slowly–duhhh, Ari! The result? Gooey, brownie, cookie butter deliciousness that can actually be plated and served. See?

 

Cookie Butter Brownie Bars

yield approx 32 bars

• 1 box TJ’s reduced guilt brownie mix or No Pudge Brownie Mix
• 6oz nonfat vanilla yogurt (some other flavors also taste good mixed with brownie like red velvet–yum!)
• 1 cup cookie butter
• 1/2 cup apple butter
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
• white chocolate and caramel for drizzling (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Spray to 9×9 baking pans with nonstick spray. Set aside.
2. Combine brownie mix and yogurt. Set aside.
3. Beat together cookie butter, apple butter, brown sugar, Splenda, vanilla, milk and baking soda. Slowly beat in flour.
4. Divide cookie butter dough in half and press into the bottom of each 9×9 baking pan. Smooth out the top as much as possible.
5. Evenly divide the brownie batter between the two pans, using a spatula to smooth on top.
6. Bake for 18-22 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean. Careful not to over bake–you still want a little gooeyness in the middle, but you want everything set enough to come out neatly.
7. Cool on a wire rack, then slice and drizzle with white chocolate and caramel if desired.