Crazy Layer Bars || Made Healthier

I've been meaning to try this for a long time . . .

These Pinterest-popular bars pop up on my feed every week. I don't even know where they originated. Obviously they are tempting, but I've tried taming my cravings because they're just . . . so . . . much . . . sweetness.

I'm not going to pretend I've made them healthy. But certainly making a few swaps here + there made them healthier. Baking a smaller batch (most recipes I found were for 9 x 13 pans), it's more in moderation. Or something. Bargaining, er, enabling is going on here maybe.

Anyway. Here's my Mother's Day treat:


You'll need . . .

• Half Dozen Chocolate Chippers recipe x 2 batches
• 1 package Sans Sucre Fudge Brownie Mix (it's sweetened with Stevia)
• 16 Oreo cookies or Newman O's

Simply . . .

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a square baking dish (I believe mine is 8 x 8). Set aside.
2. Prepare your cookie layer. I didn't have enough flour, so I tossed in some oats for good measure. Then pour it into the pan and flatten.
3. Lay a layer of Oreos or Newman O's (they have at least one vegan option, I believe, if you're looking for that -- I have also read that Oreos are vegan strangely enough) cookies atop the cookie layer.
4. Then mix together the brownie mix + pour it on top. Follow the instructions on the box, but it's just a bit of olive oil and water that's needed there. Alternatively, you can make your own brownie, maybe my Favorite Vegan Brownies. Just make sure it's a small batch and consider alternative sweeteners if you'd like to cut down on the sugar.
5. Then bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until mixture firms and corners start to look done. You want it to be a bit gooey, though, so be careful not to over-bake.
6. Then cut into 16 squares and enjoy.

Again. Not necessarily healthy in any regard. But at least a 1/3 less sugar. Less butter + eggs, too. Plus, if you're vegan, you can use the substitutions above to make this recipe. And a smaller batch size helps with the moderation part.

So, that was a fun part of my not-so-fun weekend. But I won't get into it now. Tomorrow you can look for a fitness update, including info on my half marathon training plans for the fall + the new training log I'm going to add to this site. So many of you ask about my workouts, I thought I'd bring you along for the ride this time around!

Have you ever made a crazy recipe like this one healthier? I had a lot of fun. I'm sure they're "better" the old fashioned way, but honestly -- since I don't normally eat stuff like this, it was awesome even without pulling out all the stops!

Like what you just read? You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!