Sensational Low-FODMAP Dream Bars; Gluten-free, Dairy-free

Who isn’t a fan of Dream Bars? They are my favorite dessert squares served around the holidays, that I could never get enough of.

Buttery, chewy, brown sugary-and chocolatey. Yummy!

This low-FODMAP recipe for Dream Bars avoids the sweetened condensed milk often found in this confection. That way, it can also be dairy-free and low-FODMAP!

I love this low-FODMAP Dream Bar recipe, and I guarantee you and your friends will too. It is super easy, you just need a little patience with the 2 bake times. Of course, you can always pre-bake the bottom layer and freeze it if you want to make the low-FODMAP Dream Bar topping at later date.  Also feel free to mix it up- you can modify with butterscotch chips (check ingredients to make sure low-FODMAP), peanut-butter chips, any low-FODMAP nuts or your other favorite low-FODMAP stir-ins!

Check out over 300 more low-FODMAP recipes on my blog 🙂

You may also love:

• low-FODMAP Nanaimo Bars
• low-FODMAP Happy Baking Fudgy Brownies
• low-FODMAP Lemon Bars
• low-FODMAP Blondies or
• low-FODMAP Oatmeal Cookies.

Be healthy and happy,

Rachel Pauls, MD

Delicious Low-FODMAP Dream Bars; Gluten-free, Dairy-free

Although this recipe has not been tested, a single serving should be low-FODMAP based on the ingredients

Serves 24

Prep time: 30 min, plus 20 minutes cooling

Bake time: 20 minutes for bottom layer, 40 min for final version

Total time:1H 50M

Bake 350 F

Equipment: 13 by 9 inch baking pan

Ingredients:

For the low-FODMAP Dream Bars bottom

• 2 cups low-FODMAP, gluten-free flour (I used Authentic Foods GF Classical Blend, my favorite low-FODMAP flour)
• 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon xanthan gum if not added to your flour
• 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, or vegan margarine such as Earth Balance (for dairy-free version) chilled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • I used vegan margarine
• vegetable shortening for greasing

For the low-FODMAP Dream Bars topping

• 1 & 1/2 cups finely shredded sweetened coconut (check ingredients to ensure no high-FODMAP additives)
• 1 cup canned coconut cream (either canned coconut cream or the cream layer from the top of canned coconut milk)
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons low-FODMAP, gluten-free flour
• 1 & 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup semisweet dairy-free chocolate chips

Directions:

Make the low-FODMAP Dream Bars bottom

• Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and pre heat the oven to 350°F
• Line your 13 by 9-inch baking pan with aluminum foil in 2 strips, allowing the excess foil to hang over the pan edges
• Coat the foil lightly with vegetable shortening
• Process the flour, sugar, pecans, and salt in a food processor with the steel blade until the pecans are coarsely ground, about 10 seconds
• Add the butter or margarine and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal
• Press the mixture firmly into the prepared baking pan
  • use the bottom of a glass to help with this
• Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes
• Cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes

While this is baking/cooling make the low-FODMAP dream bars topping

• Combine the coconut and coconut cream in a medium bowl
• In another large bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar, flour, baking powder, vanilla, and salt until smooth, by hand or with a small mixer
• Stir in the chocolate chips, then spread this mixture over the cooled crust
• Take the coconut/coconut cream mixture and using a tablespoon, drop heaping scoops over the filling
• Then spread the coconut mixture as evenly as possible over the bottom layer
• Bake until the topping is a deep golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes
• Cool on a wire rack, about 2 hours
• Using the foil overhang, lift the dream bars from the pan and serve- so much easier to cut this way!

• Refrigerate unused portions for about 1 week (as if they will last! Ha)

• Look at that gorgeous topping!

• And that buttery-crunchy low-FODMAP bottom is soooo good…

• Here is one delicious bite!  Hope you love this low-FODMAP Dream Bar recipe as much as my family does!