Buttery cookie crust,ย inspired by Grandma’s homemade shortbread, layered with a not-too-sweet, dairy free chocolate fudge and of course it’s vegan, gluten-free and allergy friendly.ย
The months of October and November are always busy month in our home. We celebrated the adoption date of my oldest, then a week later, the birthdays of our other 2 children, who are a day apart. Throw in a friend’s birthday party, a Halloween party, then Thanksgiving and needless to say, it’s not only busy but its full of sweets and treats, like these amazing bars.ย Shortbread Fudge Bars, to be exact!
I actually made these for my youngest as he was heading to that birthday party I mentioned earlier. One of his best friends share his birthday and had this really cool “Art” themed party with adorable cupcakes that looked like they were splashed with a canvas of colors. Unfortunately, they were not “allergy-safe” and I needed to bring an allergy free dessert for X-man.
I don’t know if you have ever been in that situation or not, but if you or your child have a restrictive diet, it can kinda stink to sit and watch everyone else eating cake or cupcakes while you’reย chomping on a fruit kabobย as a consolation treat. And although there are worse things in life to go through, I understand that for my son, this is a HUGE deal and so I choose toย make it a little easier for him. I choose to make an AMAZING allergy-friendly dessert, whatever the celebration, so he can enjoy a treat like everyone else and not feel left out.
This time around, our Shortbread Fudge Bars came to the rescue. It combines two of our favorites, Grandma’sย shortbread and chocolate fudge, made from Enjoy Life Foods chocolate chips. Was it a HIT!!! Not only did my little guy absolutely love having his own special treat, but also, his friends couldn’t resist these bars either. You know you have something good when your friends tell you they’d go vegan with desserts like this.
Shortbread Fudge Bars are so simple to make! Just watch it here:
How to Make Shortbread Fudge Barsย
This recipe is ridiculously easy to make! Simply….
- Make your Shortbread Layer
- Top with Fudge Layer (add homemade caramel if desired)
- Top with Shortbread crumbles
- Bake & Refrigerate
Made with Allergy-friendly ingredients
I originally made this with all-purpose flour but switched toย 1-to-1 Gluten Free Flourย a few years ago.ย Just know that both options give you a wonderful, buttery, flaky shortbread base, so you won’t miss out on flavor or texture if you are making this gluten-free.
Oh, and don’t forget to save a bit of the dough so you can add it as a crumbly top layer.
The most delicious part of this recipe is the chocolate fudge, made with 3 ingredients: coconut milk, Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips & brown sugar.
When its liquid gold (or melted chocolate), simply pour on top of the shortbread layer. But just a note of warning….keep the kids away because this fudgy topping may not make it to the cookie base if they get a taste of it beforehand. It’s seriously that good!
Then,ย use the remaining shortbread batter and crumble on top (kinda like a cobbler topping).
Bake, cool then refrigerate. And don’t forget the refrigerate part because while its sitting, the magic happens. That warm, rich chocolate middle layer sets into a fudge-like center. So you’ll just have to be patient and plan ahead, or at least throw this together the night before and “WOW’ your loved ones the next day.
The hardest part is waiting, but it’s sooooo worth it!
Let’s get baking-Shortbread Fudge Bar Recipe
Shortbread Fudge Bar
Not-too-sweet, cookie bars made with a rich and buttery shortbread crust, layered with chocolate fudge.
Ingredients
- 2 C. all-purpose flour
- 1 C. dairy free butter (Earth Balance, soy free butter sticks)
- 1/2 C. organic brown cane sugar
- 1/2 tsp. pink himalayan salt
- 3/4 C. canned coconut milk (stirred well before measuring)
- 10 oz (1 bag) dairy free chocolate chips (Enjoy Life mini-chips)
- 1/4 C. organic brown cane sugar
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350°. Line 8" square pan with parchment paper and allow for extra to overhang the edges.
- In a food processor, pulse the flour, butter, 1/2 C. brown sugar and salt until crumbly but blended. Reserve 1/2 cup and set aside. Press remaining dough into the prepared pan.
- In a medium saucepan, combine coconut milk, chocolate chips and 1/4 C. brown sugar. Stir over low heat until melted. Remove from heat and pour filling over shortbread crust.
- Crumble reserved dough over the top in large and small clumps.
- Bake for 35 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool before refrigerating 8 hours.
- Once set, pull ends of parchment paper to release the bars and set on counter to cut into squares.
- Refrigerate until ready to eat.
Notes
*Use Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten free flour in place of All Purpose Flour for a GF dessert. **Make this dessert overnight. The fudge needs to chill and set in the refrigerator at least 8 hours.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 18 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 304Total Fat: 19gSaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 27mgSodium: 128mgCarbohydrates: 34gFiber: 2gSugar: 21gProtein: 3g
Nutritional information is only an estimate based off of using an online calculator. Numbers will change depending on brands used.
This sponsored post was created through my partnership with Enjoy Life Foods. As always, all opinions are my own. Collaborating with brands I love allows me to keep bringing you new and varied recipes! Thanks for your support!
Craving More Chocolate Treats?
Here are a few hard-to-resist desserts made with Enjoy Life Foods that I know you’ll love as well.
How to Make Vegan Chocolate Covered Stuffed Dates
Gooey Triple Chocolate Brownies (vegan, gluten free, nut free)
Flourless Chocolate Chip Cookies (Vegan+Gluten free)
These shortbread fudge bars are going on my dessert must make list! Those layers look so delicious!
You will love them! Enjoy.
What did you use for the caramel?
I make a batch of this caramel sauce then refrigerate it until I need it, although the recipe is just as yummy if you need to omit the caramel
It says gluten free but the flour is not ???!!!
These I actually used Bob’s 1-1 GF flour….I’ll make sure it says that in the recipe itself. Its an older recipe that I revised to make it GF so I probably missed that edit. Thanks so much
I just love this recipe and am planning to make it for part of our Christmas dessert table. Looks amazing!
YES!!! Can’t wait to be a part of your Christmas celebration !!!! Hope it’s a great one.
First time I made this I messed up and used only 1/2 C butter. (1 stick Earth Balance) it was really good so this time I used the 2 sticks and must have whirled one too many times in food processor so it was a dough and not crumbly but it will still work out. Iโm wondering if the butter should be directly out of the fridge and cold instead of room temperature? Excellent recipe. I think next time Iโd like to do a thin layer of almond butter spread of some sort and then pour the fudge sauce over that. Yum!
Julz, as long as it will all stick together, then it’s perfect. Sometimes if your butter gets too warm, it’ll be a softer dough, but it will still work alright. I use cold butter, almost like making a pie crust. Glad you enjoyed all the flavors. A layer of almond butter sounds like a great addition.
I love that these have both chocolate and shortbread! They look divine!
Can’t go wrong with either ๐
You’ve done it again, another show-stoppijg dessert! I LOVE how easy this recipe is and cant qait to give it a try! Reminds me of the magic cookie bars my mom used to make.
Thanks Celeste. I actually have GF/Vegan Magic Bars on the blog too. My mom and grandma always made the yummiest desserts.
This looks really yummy! I think I can also make it gluten free. What do you think?
I can’t wait to try it.
These actually were made using Bob’s 1-1 Gluten free flour. SO they will definitely work out.
I love the simple ingredients and that oh so fudgy center! Yum!
Thank you Kristen! That fudgy center has me too
These bars are calling my name! They look and I bet taste delicious! I’d struggle to stop after tasting one…
You won’t be the first one struggling to stop at 1.
Can almond milk or Ripple pea protein milk / half & half be used instead of the coconut milk? I have dairy-free in my house, but I cannot have anything coconut related. Regular chocolate chips are fine for us, so that dairy is ok.
I haven’t used either in this recipe but I would think that a thicker milk, like Ripple would be a good alternative. You may just need to decrease the liquid slightly at first, just to make sure its not too watery.
Shortbread AND fudge together?!! What a great idea! And very dangerous for me…you see I would eat half of that pan before my family even comes home! ๐ Looking forward to trying this!
That’s too funny and yet, I totally get it! That’s why I make these when I KNOW I will be serving them for guests, or else I’d do the same.
Are these supposed to be refrigerated even after the 8 hours?
I refrigerate to set and then keep them in the fridge until I serve them. After that, if there is any left over, I keep refrigerated just because they last longer that way.
They don’t have to be, but I like to keep them in the fridge.
These look soooo good! Do you use whole fat coconut milk (canned), light canned or carton?
I use whole fat, canned and shake it up real good. Light is too light for creating a fudge-like layer.
I love how easy these are to make! They will be absolutely devoured in my house! ๐
Oh yes….devouring them just may happen.
Can I substitute the coconut milk for something else? I’m allergic. Would I be able to add a thickener to hemp milk?
You could try hemp, since it is thicker, but I cannot say I’ve ever used it in this recipe so I’m uncertain of the results. Maybe a non-dairy creamer would be another option, since that is thicker as well? Let me know though what you you and how it works out.
Thanks Holly! And you’re right…they are easy to devour as well.
For those without a dairy allergy, would you use whole milk or heavy whipping cream?
Heavy whipping cream would work best if you don’t have a dairy allergy.
Yum — looks delicious.
These look great. Any idea if substituting with stevia is doable?
I would think itโs doable if you have a granulated version of stevia. Iโve used Allulose in several recipes and thatโs an equal exchange but Stevia, Iโd use a little less to start.
I would think itโs doable if you have a granulated version of stevia. Iโve used Allulose in several recipes and thatโs an equal exchange but Stevia, Iโd use a little less to start since itโs typically sweeter.
Does anyone who actually made these desserts ever comment? All of the comments I see are โcanโt wait to try it…โ
Hi Peggy, I’d love for you to comment when you make any of the recipes. A lot of people end up directly messaging me or sharing on Instagram which I know doesn’t help you when you’re looking for tips, but it lets me help them troubleshoot if they had any problems. If you have any questions along the way, you can always email me or message me!
Your video for this recipe shows Carmel sauce but your recipe doesnโt include that anywhere. What kind of Carmel sauce do you use? Thanks!
The caramel sauce used is the one on the blog (https://allergylicious.com/easy-vegan-caramel). The recipe should link to it, but I added it, just in case!
Can you use almond flour?
Since we have a nut allergy, I haven’t tried. BUT, I would think it is possible, however, you may need to adjust with a little extra liquid to keep it from being too crumbly.
These are soooo delicious!!! Made them for Easter and everybody loves them. Thanks for the great receipt. ๐
You’re so welcome and thanks for sharing. I hope you all had a wonderful, stay-in Easter!
Our family love these. I was thinking of making it into a tart as a birthday dessert. Do you think that pressing the shortbread in a tart pan and then doubling the chocolate recipe would work? Topped with coconut whipped cream and fresh fruit?
That sounds delish! I made a Chocolate Cream Pie that would made a great filling too. Come back and let me know how it works for you .
Can I replace the vegan butter with coconut oil? Thanks!
I can’t say for sure since I haven’t tried it, but I would use it in solid form. Please let me know how they turn out.
This looks so good! What a great combination of of flavors!
Thanks for sharing! Does it keep long?