Published: · Modified: by Carolyn
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These easy-to-make Keto Tagalong Bars taste just like the original Girl Scout Cookie! You won’t believe they are low carb and sugar-free.
Way way back, in the early days of dreaming up low carb recipes, I created some peanut butter shortbread bars. And it took me by surprise, how good they were. Everything came together just perfectly.
My husband took one bite and said they tasted like his favorite Girl Scout cookies, Tagalongs. I was absolutely thrilled with such a comparison. And we made them frequently for a few months.
But as a recipe creator is wont to do, I moved on to make many other wonderful keto cookies and cookie bars. I perfected my Keto Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe. I created some gorgeous Salted Caramel Bars. And I conquered the perfect texture for Keto Shortbread Cookies.
I all but forgot my lovely Tagalong Bars in the meantime. Until now!
Why you need these in your life
If you find it difficult to resist the siren’s call of Girl Scout Cookies, then this recipe is for you! They are a delicious sugar-free copycat of the famous Tagalong Cookies.
But unlike individual cookies, these bars are remarkably easy to make. You press the crust into a pan and bake it. You make an easy peanut butter filling and pour it over. Then you melt some sugar-free chocolate and spread it on top. Done, finished, finito!
I actually have a recipe for Keto Tagalong Cookies as well and I love them. But they are definitely more time consuming.
And these bars have just a fraction of the carbs compared to real Girl Scout Cookies. Only 4.1g net carbs per serving!
Ingredients you need
- Almond flour: A good fine almond flour makes the best shortbread crust. I do not recommend coconut flour here. But if you can’t eat almonds, you can try sunflower seed flour.
- Sweetener: I recommend an erythritol based sweetener for the crust, such as Swerve Granular. Don’t use allulose or BochaSweet, as they will prevent the crust from crisping up. You will need a confectioner’s style sweetener for the filling.
- Butter: Good shortbread crusts always use butter!
- Peanut butter: I use a good creamy natural peanut butter like Santa Cruz. They have a no-stir version that means you can just scoop it and measure it out.
- Heavy cream: Heavy cream helps create a delicious peanut butter filling with a frosting-like consistency.
- Caramel or vanilla extract: Vanilla extract is an easy pantry staple. But if you can get your hands on some caramel extract, it adds amazing flavor!
- Sugar free chocolate: ChocZero is one of my favorite brands and you can use the dark chocolate or milk chocolate chips for these bars. Also use FOODDREAMER for 10% off your order!
Step by Step Directions
1. Prepare the shortbread crust: Combine the almond flour, sweetener, and salt in a food processor. Pulse a few times to combine. Sprinkle the butter pieces overtop and continue to pulse until the mixture resembles fine crumbs.
2. Bake the crust: Press the mixture evenly into the bottom of a greased 8×8 inch baking pan and bake at 350ºF for 12 to 15 minutes. Remove and let cool.
3. Make the peanut butter filling: In a microwave safe bowl, combine the peanut butter and butter and cook until melted and it can be stirred together. You can also do this in a pan on the stove over very low heat. Stir in the powdered sweetener until well combined and then whisk in the cream and the extract.
4. Spread over the crust: Pour the mixture over cooled crust and spread evenly with an offset spatula. Refrigerate until set, about 20 minutes.
5. Make the topping: In a microwave safe bowl, combine the chopped chocolate and the butter. Heat on high in 30 second increments, stirring in between, until smooth. Be careful not to overheat and make your chocolate seize.
6. Spread over the filling: Spread over the chilled filling. Return to the refrigerator for 30 minutes to set the chocolate.
Expert tips
While almond flour makes the crust more like real shortbread, you can use other nut or seed flours for these bars. It won’t be as fine looking, and you may need a little additional butter to help it hold together better. I do not recommend coconut flour for a crust like this.
Many natural peanut butters don’t contain any salt. If you use unsalted butter and unsalted peanut butter, you may want to add ¼ teaspoon fine salt to the filling. It will bring out the sweetness more.
Melt the chocolate carefully in the microwave, in short increments. But you can also do it in a pan over very low heat. I like to use the same bowl or pan I did the peanut butter filling in so there are fewer dishes to wash at the end!
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Tagalong cookies?
Tagalong cookies are a popular treat sold by American Girl Scouts. They feature a shortbread cookie covered in chocolate, with a sweetened peanut butter filling. They are also known as Peanut Butter Patties.
How many carbs are in tagalong Girl Scout cookies?
Conventional Tagalongs have 13g of carbs per serving. These Keto Tagalong Bars have only 6.8g carbs and 2.7g fiber per serving. So they have a net carb count of 4.1g.
How to you store Keto Tagalong Bars?
You can store the bars on the counter in a covered container for up to 4 days, or in the fridge for up to 8 days. They can also be frozen for several months.
More Girl Scout Inspired Recipes
- Keto Thin Mints
- Samoa Bundt Cake
- Sugar Free Do-si-dos
- Samoa Cookie Bars
- Thin Mint Cheesecakes
Keto Tagalong Bars Recipe
These easy-to-make Keto Tagalong Bars taste just like the original Girl Scout Cookie! You won't believe they are low carb and sugar-free.
4.98 from 71 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: keto tagalong bars
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes minutes
Servings: 16 bars
Calories: 218kcal
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 ¼ cups almond flour
- ⅓ cup Swerve Sweetener
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup butter chilled and cut into small pieces
Peanut Butter Caramel Filling
- ⅔ cup creamy natural peanut butter
- ¼ cup butter
- ½ cup powdered Swerve Sweetener
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
- ½ teaspoon caramel extract can use vanilla extract
Chocolate Topping
- 3 ½ ounces dark chocolate chips, sugar-free
- 2 tablespoon butter
US Customary – Metric
Instructions
Crust
Preheat the oven to 350ºF and lightly grease an 8×8 inch metal baking pan.
Combine the almond flour, sweetener, and salt in a food processor. Pulse a few times to combine. Sprinkle the butter pieces overtop and continue to pulse until the mixture resembles fine crumbs.
Press the mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan pan and bake 12 to 15 minutes or until light golden brown. Remove and let cool.
Peanut Butter Filling
In a microwave safe bowl, combine the peanut butter and butter and cook until melted and it can be stirred together. You can also do this in a pan on the stove over very low heat.
Stir in the powdered sweetener until well combined and then whisk in the cream and the extract. Pour over cooled crust and spread evenly with an offset spatula. Refrigerate until set, about 20 minutes.
Chocolate Topping
In a microwave safe bowl, combine the chopped chocolate and the butter (you can use the same bowl or pan from the peanut butter mixture).
Heat on high in 30 second increments, stirring in between, until smooth. Be careful not to overheat and make your chocolate seize.
Spread over the chilled filling. Return to the refrigerator for 30 minutes to set the chocolate.
Video
Notes
Storage Information:You can store the bars on the counter in a covered container for up to 4 days, or in the fridge for up to 8 days. They can also be frozen for several months.
Dairy-Free option:Use coconut oil in place of the butter in the crust, filling, and topping. It will make the topping set harder so make sure to cut it with a warm knife so the chocolate doesn’t crack.
Nutrition Facts
Keto Tagalong Bars Recipe
Amount Per Serving (1 bar)
Calories 218Calories from Fat 179
% Daily Value*
Fat 19.9g31%
Carbohydrates 6.8g2%
Fiber 2.7g11%
Protein 4.7g9%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them.I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
Reader Interactions
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dawn says
this looks delicious and based on your desserts that I have made in the past – Many of them… these will be wonderful and yummy
I would like to double this recipe – small size pan desserts (cookie bars). don’t last long in a home of 4
have you doubled this before and what would the bake time be?thanks
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Marie says
Hi! Last time I made a triple recipe! The bake time is about the same, just check the first layer in the oven and wait until it’s light golden on the sides. It might take a few more minutes than a single recipe.It freezes very well, and I’m glad to have more ready, because it doesn’t last long here either!
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Patricia Christiansen says
Definitely a winner! These will be in regular rotation.Marie says
This is my new favourite dessert! My husband loved it as well. Very easy to bake, and even much more easy to eat! Peanut butter and chocolate, the combo that never fails! Thank you for the recipe!Reply
NLK says
This a scrumptious dessert with the 3 layers. It’s so good, my husband makes sure every crumb is accounted for.Reply
Barbara says
Love these! Just so you know – in the early section ‘Ingredients you’ll need’ it calls for powdered sweetener. On the actual recipe card it doesn’t specify powdered…
My last batch the bottom layer was pretty crumbly w/o powdered so will try w/powdered this time. Will also add a tiny bit of xantham gum as I also love the consistency of your shortbread cookies. ☺️Reply
Barbara says
Ugh. Pls disregard this – i just looked again and saw both granular and powdered. 🤦♀️
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Christie says
Every year at work we have a Christmas party potluck lunch. I eat low carb, so I bring a tray of deviled eggs and a low carb dessert so I know that no matter what anybody else brings, at least I’ll have something I can eat. This year I made these Tagalong bars. I labeled them low carb and sugar free so people who were eating low carb or needed sugar free stuff would know. One of my coworkers grabbed a bar and looked at it skeptically. She took a bite and her eyes got huge. She ran back to the dessert table and grabbed two more bars. Needless to say, they are delicious (“were,” actually, because everybody at work ate them all up and they’re now past-tense bars). The only change I made was making them in a pie plate rather than a 10 inch square pan because I couldn’t find the right pan. I cut them into 16 wedges and they were perfect. They are plenty festive for Christmas just as they are. I liked how clear the layers are. They were easy to make, too. I used a knife dipped in really hot water to slice them so the slices came out clean.
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Anna says
Could I use coconut flour instead of the almond flour? I’m not a big fan of the almond flavour.
If so, would I use the same amount?Reply
Carolyn says
No, this recipe will not work with coconut flour.
Reply
Wendy Shelledy says
Love these things! Maybe a little too muchReply
Melissa R Thompson says
These were easy and delicious. So indulgent. Enjoyed by Keto and non-Keto family members.Reply
Kathi S. says
Carolyn, Thank you for this delicious recipe. It’s a favorite in our house. I just noticed it now has metric weights, which I love, thank you, I’ve been making it from a printed copy on which I wrote the weights. I think there’s an error in the metric weight for the peanut butter. Per my calculations the weight should be 340 grams for 2/3 cup. I wouldn’t want someone to make this for the first time using the metric weights and have the recipe fail.Reply
Michelle says
These are the bomb!! Tried them at a friend’s house last night and am now getting out all the ingredients to make them myself.Reply
Jana D Rasmussen says
One of my favorite recipes!!
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Marguerite says
My favorite cookie recipe is your Tag Along Bars, although they are technically a bar not a cookie. I love your Italian Christmas Cookies, too.
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Eileen Dame says
I have made these weekly since finding the recipe. #obsessed. Easy, delicious, and keep very well. All day I dream about these amazing cookie bars. Thank you for this recipe, and so many others!Reply
Carolyn says
Thank you!
Reply
Mary M says
Made this recipe to great success, as written, in my 8″ USA Pan, just like yours! (Based on your love, I scoured the net on Black Friday and bought myself quite a few…ok, an obscene amount of pans. So happy with them!)Wow, I don’t think ANYONE would imagine these Tagalongs were keto. They are that good, very sweet, like most traditional American bars I ate as a teen in the 70’s. A really good recipe to take to a holiday cookie exchange!
For the chocolate, I did use Lily’s….1/2 dark and 1/2 semi sweet. I thought it did need the recommended extra salt, and had to tweak it with a hit of cayenne pepper. YUMMO!
Thank you, this is a huge success.
PS…You handled the erythritol drama with real class in your video.Reply
Carolyn says
So glad you enjoyed them!
Reply
Lisa Morrison says
Holy smokes, these are so good. And so “not-fussy” to make! Paired well with the near-record snow we had in Portland, Oregon this week. It was nice to have a low-carb treat to make — and then nibble on — while watching the snow fall.Reply
Cherri says
These are really yummy. My non-keto husband even loved them, so I will definitely make them again. I have been trying to incorporate keto friendly meals for my entire family and you have made that much easier.Reply
Carolyn says
Great to hear!
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Mary Hackbarth says
Carolyn, would it work to double in a 9 x 13 pan? Making for a church pot luck.
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Carolyn says
That should work, yes. Keep your eye on the crust as it bakes.
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Denise says
These are the BEST keto cookie bar recipe I’ve made. I don’t like to use the word “best” since that can be so subjective. Thank you for a delicious treat and now I can enjoy Girl Scout cookies when the family eats the high sugar/carb cookies. Note I used maple extract as I didn’t have vanilla or caramel. 😉Reply
Leah says
These are very good! We used vanilla but I am buying caramel extract to try it that way next time! They turned out perfect and satisfied my sweet tooth.Reply
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