Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bark. If you like Cookie Dough you have to try this. It looks like a bark but tastes like cookie dough. Only 5 ingredients to a delicious no-bake keto bark dessert!
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This keto bark recipe was a total accident. What I was really trying to do was make caramel without having cream on hand. But my botched caramel sauce became something amazing.
Who would've thought that adding cream cheese instead of heavy cream would turn caramel sauce into something that looks similar to chocolate bark but tastes like cookie dough?
I poured the sauce onto a wax paper lined tray, sprinkled on some nuts, coconut, and chocolate shivers I had left over from a different recipe, and forgot about it. The next day I remembered my creation and tried it.
I could not stop eating it. I kept sneaking pieces from the fridge. It tasted like a vanilla bark with hints of caramel which reminded me of eating raw cookie dough.
I decided then and there to make another batch to make sure I could replicate it. This time I just sprinkled on some chocolate chips. Perfection.
How to Make Cookie Dough Bark
You begin by cooking sugar-free sweetener and butter until it is thick in golden. Then just stir in some cream cheese, vanilla, and salt and pour onto parchment paper. Sprinkle with chocolate chips and chill. That's it!
Ingredients for Cookie Dough Flavored Keto Bark
Butter - I don't think this one needs an intro. I always use salted butter and normally just buy the regular kind from Wal-Mart or Costco.
Sugar-Free Sweetener - I like to use a blend of xylitol, erythritol, and stevia in my recipes. You can purchase this pre-mixed from the Trim Healthy Mama website or mix your own according to my recipe. By using a combination of sugar alcohols and stevia you can use half the amount required of regular sugar. Since these sweeteners can be more expensive this helps with my food budget.
Vanilla - With the price of vanilla being astronomical I decided to try a Mexican vanilla extract and have been happy with the results. It is much much cheaper than other vanilla extracts. I got 5 oz for under $6.
Cream Cheese - this is really the secret ingredient in this recipe that turns it from a caramel into a bark, sub in heavy cream for the cream cheese and you'll have a delicious caramel sauce instead
Sugar-Free Chocolate Chips - I use Lily's chocolate chips a lot because they are the easiest to find but Pascha makes a great 85% dark chocolate chip if you like dark chocolate.
LOVE cookie dough? Try these Keto Cookie Dough Brownie Fat Bombs next!
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Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon butter
- ½ cup Joy Filled Eats Sweetener (or see alternatives in recipe notes)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1.5 oz cream cheese
- pinch sea salt
- ½ cup sugar free chocolate chips
Instructions
- Combine the butter and sweetener in a small saucepan over medium low heat. Cook until light brown and thickened. Remove from the heat.
- Stir in the extracts and cream cheese. Stir until the cream cheese is thoroughly incorporated.
- Pour onto a small rimmed baking sheet lined with wax paper. Sprinkle the chocolate chips on top.
- Put in the fridge to let set. It might take a day or two. Once it is firm you can break it into pieces.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally Published on March 20, 2016. Revised and Republished on May 27, 2019.
Mal Edie says
How much swerve granular should i use for this recipe cuz i don't have trim healthy mama gentle sweet for sub instead? Wanna try making this recipe
Taryn says
I do not recommend subbing sweeteners in candy recipes because I do not test other sweeteners and candies can be tricky. If you'd like to try this anyway I'd use a little more than the amount listed.
Grace Layne says
I love mistakes that turn out to be fantastic! Do you think that I can you sweeten this recipe with honey? Thanks!
Taryn says
Granulated honey might work or maple sugar. I'm positive a liquid sweetener would not.
Helene says
Hi I can’t seem to get it to brown I used wholesome earth sweetener and it got very watery definitely not thick it was thick and he got very watery any ideas? I cooked it for at least 20 minutes
Taryn says
I'm sorry it didn't work. I've never tried that sweetener. And it looks like they have several varieties. Which did you use? I don't recommend subbing sweeteners in candy recipes because they can be difficult.
Kim says
So I just made myself some of this... besides burning it, I think I used way too much “sugar.” It tastes like I’m eating a sugar cube. I substituted 1 cup of Swerve Granulated for the sweetener you use since your recipe said your sweetener allows you to use 1/2 the amount of sweetener, saving you money and recipe calls for 1/2 cup of your sweetener. What did I do wrong?
Taryn says
I haven't made this recipe with other sweeteners. I generally don't recommend swapping out sweeteners in candy recipes because they are so finicky. I'm sorry it didn't work for you! If you are a coffee drinker it would probably taste great melted into your morning cup.
wilhelmina says
This is such a creative treat!
Liz says
This is such a fun idea! I think I have all these ingredients in my pantry (and fridge haha) so I'm excited to make it!
Bridget says
I’ve made this twice and neither time has my butter/gentle sweet mixture thickened. Following the directions to a T. Any thoughts on why it’s not thickening?
Taryn says
Hi Bridget, you probably need to increase the heat. You can turn it up to medium, just stay by the stove and watch it.
Bridget says
I’ll give it a try! I’ve found that the imperfect batches are fantastic mixed into greek yogurt or put on top a cheesecake. 😊
Amanda says
Can you use just a granulated stevia?
Taryn says
Hi Amanda, which one did you want to use? Some have a different conversion.
Cat says
I'm not sure if I made this recipe correctly but it was too sweet. Any thoughts on how I can change it and still capture the cookie dough taste?
Taryn says
You could use half erythritol and half xylitol. The stevia in the gentle sweet does add a lot of sweetness. This is a candy though and by nature they are pretty sweet.
Rae Schimmel says
What is THM GENTLE SWEET! Please and Thanks
Taryn says
If you hover over the words in the post there is a link. It is a Trim Healthy Mama brand sweetener which is a blend of xylitol, erythritol, and stevia.
Zoe Pickburn says
This looks so good! Sticking cheese in recipes is always a good idea 🙂
K. Williams says
Do you know what difference it would make to use regular sugar? I saw your tip about blending the sugar into powder first. Should I just buy powdered sugar instead? Thanks in advance, can't wait to try this recipe!
Taryn says
I'm sorry but I have no idea if cane sugar will work in this recipe. I would try regular sugar, not powdered sugar, since you need to melt it anyway. My sweetened is twice as sweet as sugar so you can try doubling the amount.
Liane says
How much is this recipe supposed to make? It only covered about a corner of the pan. Also, if I cook the butter and sweetener too long it clumps but it won't thicken or turn light brown otherwise...what am I doing wrong?
Taryn says
Hi Liane, this makes about a 5 x 10 inch rectangle. Which sweetener are you using?
Liane says
Hmm mine certainly didn't make that much either. I used spelnda...is that my problem?
Taryn says
I'm not sure how splenda reacts to heat. That could be the problem.
Sheri says
These had amazing flavor but they turned out grainy. What did I do wrong?
Taryn says
You might have needed to cook it longer. Or sometimes the sugar alcohols crystallize again. I've noticed if I keep any recipe that requires cooking the sweetener that that can happen after a week or two in the fridge. It helps to blend the sweetener to a powder first.
Sheri Coughlin says
Thanks, Taryn.
Jan says
This looks soooo good! Thank you! I need to use dairy free cream cheese and I just happen to have some so I'll give it a try.