Gluten Free Granola Bars Recipes

OAT-FREE AND GLUTEN-FREE GRANOLA BARS (CLEAN EATING)

Steps:

• Place 3/4 cups almonds and 3/4 cups sunflower seeds into a food processor; chop until nuts are in 1/4-inch pieces, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from food processor and pour in a bowl. Place the remaining almonds and sunflower seeds into the food processor; roughly chop into larger pieces, about 1 minute. Mix remaining nuts, seeds, shredded coconut, and dried apricot into the 1/4-inch nuts until fruit and nut mixture is combined.
• Combine coconut oil, honey, ground cinnamon, vanilla extract, and salt in a sauce pan over medium-low heat; cook until the coconut oil mixture bubbles and turns a lighter color, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Pour coconut oil mixture over the fruit and nut mixture; stir until the granola mixture takes on the consistency of wet sand, about 1 minute.
• Line a baking sheet with waxed paper. Pour granola mixture onto the sheet; place a second sheet of waxed paper on top of the granola mixture. Push down on the waxed paper with you hands until the granola mixture has been evenly spread. Pack tightly to ensure that the granola will not fall apart.
• Cool until granola has hardened, 2 to 3 hours. Cut into bars.

GLUTEN FREE "GRANOLA BARS

Steps:

• Butter an 8 X 10 inch pan generously OR line it with parchment paper than also comes up the sides of the pan about 1/2 of an inch.
• Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• Toast your nuts/seeds in the oven for a few minutes until slightly golden. While you are doing this, make your "granola glue" or peanut butter sauce.
• To make the "granola glue" or peanut butter sauce, combine honey and brown sugar in a small saucepan. Heat, while stirring, until the brown sugar dissolves. Bring mixture to a simmer and simmer for 1-2 minutes until evenly foamy/bubbly on top. Remove from the heat. Add one teaspoon vanilla extract. Stir (it will steam a bit). Add peanut butter and stir briskly until lumps are gone and the consistency is uniform.
• Mix granola base (oats or cereal) with your toasted nuts/seeds. Pour peanut butter mixture over the top and stir until evenly distributed. Add dried fruit and stir again to distribute.
• Pour mixture into pan (on to parchment paper). Spread evenly and then press down in to the bottom of the pan. Press the granola together firmly.
• Bake for 20 minutes at 350°F.
• Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely (it will firm up as it cools) before cutting.
• Cut into bars (1″ wide and 4″ long). Wrap bars in cling wrap or wax paper and store in a Ziploc bag or airtight container on the counter until consumed. (I've store mine up to 10 days, but it depends on the weather.) These can be refrigerated; however, I haven't tried freezing them yet.