Paleo Magic Cookie Bars

In a large pot set over high heat, whisk together coconut milk and 1/2 cup honey (or agave), reserving the remaining honey for later. Bring mixture to a boil and boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Turn heat down to medium and and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring frequently, until the sauce reduced by about half.

Transfer sauce to a large measuring cup to cool while you make the crust. You should have about 1 1/4 cups of sauce left after cooking it.

Once you’ve made the sauce, heat oven to 350ºF and line an 8×8 inch pan with parchment paper, spraying the sides generously with coconut oil spray. It helps to spray the bottom of the pan before putting in the parchment paper, to secure it.

In a large bowl, using an electric hand mixer, beat remaining 3 tablespoons honey with coconut oil until smooth and creamy. Stir in flour and pinch of salt until a wet dough forms.

Press dough evenly into the bottom of the pan. This will be a little bit tough, just be patient with it. I found it easiest to use the palms of my hands, and rinse them every so often, until dough was pressed in. Bake crust just until lightly golden brown, about 7 minutes. This would be a good time to chop the nuts if you haven’t already.

As soon as the crust comes out of the often, sprinkle chopped nuts on top, and lightly press them into the crust. Sprinkle chocolate chips evenly, followed by coconut flakes.

Pour 1 cup of the slightly cooled coconut milk mixture (you’ll have a little left over, but you don’t need to use it all for these bars) evenly over the top. Gently shake the pan around until the coconut milk mixture begins to sink between the layers.

Place into the oven and bake until sides are lightly golden brown, 27–28 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature. Cover with tinfoil and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, run a very sharp knife around the edge of the pan, slice into bars and devour.

Notes:
1. The coconut flour I usually use needed 3/4 cup, but I also tried it with a different brand and 66g was only 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon. So, please weigh your flour first before trying to make the crust.
2. You need to let these sit overnight to make sure the coconut milk really has a chance to chill and thicken.