{
  "$schema": "https://francespopsicle.com/data/recipe.schema.json",
  "schemaVersion": "1.2",
  "slug": "vegan-chocolate-peanut-butter-chip-cookie-bars",
  "title": "Chocolate and Peanut Butter Chip Cookie Bars",
  "description": "Dairy- and egg-free cookie bars with two sticks of vegan butter and optional walnuts.",
  "category": "Desserts",
  "eyebrow": "RECIPE",
  "status": "complete",
  "statusLabel": "Complete recipe",
  "sourceType": "meal-planning-record",
  "sourceDocument": "",
  "url": "https://francespopsicle.com/recipes/vegan-chocolate-peanut-butter-chip-cookie-bars/",
  "dataUrl": "https://francespopsicle.com/recipes/data/vegan-chocolate-peanut-butter-chip-cookie-bars.json",
  "recipeYield": "20–24 bars",
  "meta": [
    "20–24 bars",
    "Desserts"
  ],
  "ingredients": [
    "2 sticks vegan butter (1 cup total), softened",
    "1 cup packed brown sugar",
    "½ cup granulated sugar",
    "¼ cup unsweetened applesauce (replaces egg)",
    "2 teaspoons vanilla extract",
    "2¾ cups all-purpose flour",
    "1 teaspoon baking soda",
    "½ teaspoon baking powder",
    "1 teaspoon salt",
    "1 cup dairy-free chocolate chips",
    "1 cup dairy-free peanut butter chips",
    "½–¾ cup crushed walnuts (optional)"
  ],
  "instructions": [
    "Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving some hanging over the sides.",
    "Cream the butter and sugars. Beat softened vegan butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar together for 2–3 minutes until creamy.",
    "Add wet ingredients. Mix in applesauce and vanilla.",
    "Combine dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.",
    "Make the dough. Gradually add dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Mix until just combined. The dough should be thick.",
    "Add chips and nuts. Fold in chocolate chips, peanut butter chips and optional walnuts. Reserve a small handful of chips for the top.",
    "Press into pan. Spread dough evenly, pressing it into the corners. Sprinkle reserved chips over the surface.",
    "Bake for 25–32 minutes. The edges should be golden and the center set but still slightly soft.",
    "Cool at least 30–45 minutes before cutting. The bars firm up as they cool."
  ],
  "ingredientGroups": [
    {
      "title": "Wet ingredients",
      "items": [
        "2 sticks vegan butter (1 cup total), softened",
        "1 cup packed brown sugar",
        "½ cup granulated sugar",
        "¼ cup unsweetened applesauce (replaces egg)",
        "2 teaspoons vanilla extract"
      ]
    },
    {
      "title": "Dry ingredients",
      "items": [
        "2¾ cups all-purpose flour",
        "1 teaspoon baking soda",
        "½ teaspoon baking powder",
        "1 teaspoon salt"
      ]
    },
    {
      "title": "Mix-ins",
      "items": [
        "1 cup dairy-free chocolate chips",
        "1 cup dairy-free peanut butter chips",
        "½–¾ cup crushed walnuts (optional)"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "notes": [
    "Check peanut butter chips for milk ingredients.",
    "Main ingredient list specifies 1 cup peanut butter chips; a later first-batch suggestion uses ¾ cup with ½ cup walnuts. Both are suggestions, not a reported successful batch.",
    "If dairy-free peanut butter chips are unavailable, the thread suggests swirling in ½ cup creamy peanut butter.",
    "9-by-9-inch thicker-bar alternative: approximately 35–45 minutes; check center."
  ],
  "servingSuggestions": [],
  "francesNote": "",
  "editorialNote": "",
  "mealPlanWeeks": [],
  "vegan": true,
  "social": {},
  "icon": "🍪",
  "ingredientDetails": [
    {
      "text": "2 sticks vegan butter (1 cup total), softened",
      "name": "2 sticks vegan butter (1 cup total), softened",
      "quantity": "",
      "unit": "",
      "category": "Other",
      "optional": false,
      "group": "Wet ingredients",
      "approximate": true,
      "normalizationConfidence": "low"
    },
    {
      "text": "1 cup packed brown sugar",
      "name": "packed brown sugar",
      "quantity": "1",
      "unit": "cup",
      "category": "Other",
      "optional": false,
      "group": "Wet ingredients",
      "approximate": false,
      "normalizationConfidence": "medium"
    },
    {
      "text": "½ cup granulated sugar",
      "name": "granulated sugar",
      "quantity": "½",
      "unit": "cup",
      "category": "Other",
      "optional": false,
      "group": "Wet ingredients",
      "approximate": false,
      "normalizationConfidence": "medium"
    },
    {
      "text": "¼ cup unsweetened applesauce (replaces egg)",
      "name": "unsweetened applesauce (replaces egg)",
      "quantity": "¼",
      "unit": "cup",
      "category": "Other",
      "optional": false,
      "group": "Wet ingredients",
      "approximate": false,
      "normalizationConfidence": "medium"
    },
    {
      "text": "2 teaspoons vanilla extract",
      "name": "vanilla extract",
      "quantity": "2",
      "unit": "teaspoons",
      "category": "Other",
      "optional": false,
      "group": "Wet ingredients",
      "approximate": false,
      "normalizationConfidence": "medium"
    },
    {
      "text": "2¾ cups all-purpose flour",
      "name": "all-purpose flour",
      "quantity": "2¾",
      "unit": "cups",
      "category": "Other",
      "optional": false,
      "group": "Dry ingredients",
      "approximate": false,
      "normalizationConfidence": "medium"
    },
    {
      "text": "1 teaspoon baking soda",
      "name": "baking soda",
      "quantity": "1",
      "unit": "teaspoon",
      "category": "Other",
      "optional": false,
      "group": "Dry ingredients",
      "approximate": false,
      "normalizationConfidence": "medium"
    },
    {
      "text": "½ teaspoon baking powder",
      "name": "baking powder",
      "quantity": "½",
      "unit": "teaspoon",
      "category": "Other",
      "optional": false,
      "group": "Dry ingredients",
      "approximate": false,
      "normalizationConfidence": "medium"
    },
    {
      "text": "1 teaspoon salt",
      "name": "salt",
      "quantity": "1",
      "unit": "teaspoon",
      "category": "Other",
      "optional": false,
      "group": "Dry ingredients",
      "approximate": false,
      "normalizationConfidence": "medium"
    },
    {
      "text": "1 cup dairy-free chocolate chips",
      "name": "dairy-free chocolate chips",
      "quantity": "1",
      "unit": "cup",
      "category": "Other",
      "optional": false,
      "group": "Mix-ins",
      "approximate": false,
      "normalizationConfidence": "medium"
    },
    {
      "text": "1 cup dairy-free peanut butter chips",
      "name": "dairy-free peanut butter chips",
      "quantity": "1",
      "unit": "cup",
      "category": "Other",
      "optional": false,
      "group": "Mix-ins",
      "approximate": false,
      "normalizationConfidence": "medium"
    },
    {
      "text": "½–¾ cup crushed walnuts (optional)",
      "name": "crushed walnuts (optional)",
      "quantity": "½–¾",
      "unit": "cup",
      "category": "Other",
      "optional": true,
      "group": "Mix-ins",
      "approximate": false,
      "normalizationConfidence": "medium"
    }
  ]
}