They’re HEREEEEE! Copy Cat Mid Day Squares COOKIE DOUGH flavour!
If you have no idea what a Mid Day Square Bar is – let me enlighten you!
They just so happen to be one of my favourite store bought bar options.
Not only are they delicious – each little square is loaded with 6 grams of protein, relatively clean ingredients, and happen to be the most perfect little mid day pick me up.
However, as I know many can relate – it can get tedious and expensive to buy store bought bars all the time. Not to mention the extra packaging and excess ingredients that inevitably end up coming along with store bought items.
Hence why I was first motivated to make a copy cat version of the Mid Day Squares Peanut Buttaaaa bar which was a rather big hit with fellow Mid Day Square lovers!
After being hooked on that recipe, it was time for a change up. Hence why I moved on to the cookie dough flavour!
The name says it all! These wildly tasty little bars actually have a resemblance of cookie dough – yet contain all the simple, nourishing ingredients you want from a healthy snack recipe <3
Being a harsh critic when it comes to my creations – I must admit I am genuinely thrilled with how this recipe turned out (after a few trials to get it perfect, of couse)!
Before you get to it, here are a few important recipe notes to know:
- A food processor is very helpful for this recipe! If you don’t have one – a high speed blender should work!
- Be sure to blend/ process your cashews BEFORE adding any other ingredients. You want to reach a fine flour like texture before adding the rest
- If you’ve never worked with cacao butter before – you’re in for a treat! It gives such a rich and unique flavour! However it can be temperamental to work with.
- You can find cacao butter from Whole Foods or almost any other natural health food store. It’s not cheap – but you don’t need much to make this recipe and trust me it’s SO worth it!! I like the Organic Traditions brand
- When melting the cacao butter – DO NOT over heat! Remove from heat just before it’s fully melted! this is very important.
- IF it so happens you over heat your cacao butter and after you add it to the food processor it begins to separate from the mixture – don’t worry this is totally fixable! All you need to do is pop the entire mixture into the freezer for 20-30 mins to allow the cacao butter to re-solidify and then process again.
Ingredients
Bottom Layer:
– 1 cup cashews
– 1/4 cup dates (well packed into measuring cup)
– 3/4 cup cashew butter (such as this one)
– 1/4 cup maple syrup
– 2 Tbsp. cacao butter (such as this one)
– 2 heaping Tbsp. vanilla protein powder (as always I recommend Botanica Perfect Protein Vanilla) *See note a)
– 1/8 tsp sea salt
– 1/8 tsp vanilla extract
– 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips * see note b)
Top Layer:
– 225g dark chocolate chips (approx. 1 and 1/4 cup) * see note c)
– 2 Tbsp. coconut oil
Instructions:
– Please read the important notes above before starting the recipe – it’ll ensure these special bars turn out perfectly 🙂
– Place cashews in a food processor or high speed blender and process until you reach a fine flour like texture
– After the cashews have been blended add the dates and continue to process until broken up
– Melt your cacao butter by placing in a double boiler or in a small pot on the stove. Just be careful to NOT over heat! Continuously stir, keep the heat on low, and just before all pieces are melted remove from heat and allow to fully melt off the heat.
– Next add the melted cacao butter, cashew butter, maple syrup, vanilla protein, sea salt, and vanilla extract
– Process on low until you reach a smooth homogenous texture
– Next fold in the mini chocolate chips (can quickly pulse them in or just mix in with your hands)
– Place base layer into an 8 x 8 pan. Press with a fork to ensure it’s evenly distributed throughout the pan
– Place the base layer in the freezer as you move on to melt your chocolate
– Pour the chocolate chips into a small pan or double boiler. Add the coconut oil. Consistently stir until the chocolate has melted and no chunks are left. Again being careful not to over heat/ burn!
– Remove base layer from freezer and then pour the melted chocolate layer on top
– Place back in the freezer for at least 1 hour or until chocolate has completely hardened
– Once hardened, remove from the freezer and cut into squares (you might need to let sit out of the freezer for a few minutes to prevent cracking as you cut)
– These bars are best stored in the fridge for up to 5 days or the freezer for any longer. I typically keep mine in the freezer all the time because I actually love the taste of them frozen!
ADDITIONAL NOTES:
a) The protein powder you use here really matters as it WILL impact the taste! Botanica is my all time fave, but if you can’t find that – try using another simple ingredient organic vanilla protein. Iron Vegan Vanilla is another favourite of mine.
b) I highly recommend using MINI chocolate chips for inside the bars! It gives the best taste and texture in my opinion. If you can’t find mini chips, try chopping up regular sized ones. You can also omit them if you prefer a less chocolate-y option!
c) I love using Camino dark chocolate chips here (regular sized) – the quality is amazing and you can really taste the difference. And it’s easy as you can simply use the full 225g bag without needing to measure!
