Breakfast Bars
These hearty breakfast bars remind me of a granola bar or an omega-3 packed power bar. They're filling and tasty.
After I made a batch of these and was waiting for them to cool before cutting and stylizing them for a "photo shoot," my younger son proudly taunted me that he had picked out all of the raisins from the top of the bars.
Needless to say, I was quite miffed. Especially since I have a couple of half gallon jars full of raisins at the boys disposal which they freely dip into when they have a "sugar" fix.
Well, I found a corner of the bars that still had the raisins mostly in tact for the photo above.
1 ¼ cup blanched almond flour
¼ teaspoon celtic sea salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ cup grapeseed oil
¼ cup agave nectar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup shredded coconut
½ cup pumpkin seeds
½ cup sunflower seeds
¼ cup almond slivers
¼ cup raisins
- In a small bowl, combine almond flour, salt and baking soda
- In a large bowl, combine grapeseed oil, agave and vanilla
- Stir dry ingredients into wet
- Mix in coconut, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, almond slivers and raisins
- Grease an 8x8 baking dish with grapeseed oil
- Press the dough into the baking dish, wetting your hands with water to help pat the dough down evenly
- Bake at 350° for 20 minutes
- Serve
Makes 12-16 bars
None of the nuts and seeds in this low-maintenance bar are toasted. I wanted to make something quick and easy, that could be whipped up in just a couple of minutes before popping into the oven.
In other news, NPR just ran an interesting story on celiac disease that I think is worth checking out.
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Posted on June 16, 2009 in breakfasts by Elana
you might also like: Granola
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48 comments
Your bars are dangerously good!! I cannot wait to try these.
Your son should be ashamed for stealing the raisins! My friend and I made a cake for a baby shower a few weeks back and the next morning (the day of the shower) she came downstairs to find very small handprints and holes throughout the lovely glazed cake. Someone had figured out how to drag a chair across the room and climb up onto the counter! We ended up having to re-glaze it and we put pink M&M's all over the holes, it was still totally noticeable though!
I think I'll be whipping a bunch of these breakfast bars up soon.
They look so tasty - especially that one raisin teetering on the edge :)
Wow these look delicious! I just made something similar, but I wouldn't have thought to use almond flour or bake them. Genius! I made your sandwich bread last night, and it was sooo good! I'm already planning all the ways I'm going to enjoy it.
I am so excited to make these bars. I was just looking for a recipe like this. My son has a lot of food allergies and coconut is one of them so I am happy you used almond flour.
Thanks Elana!
Your bars look amazing! Unfortunately, I can't eat nuts:( I think it's so funny that your son likes raisins that much. My kids have never liked them in anything or by themselves.
Wanted to remind you that I am having an almond flour give away on my blog:)Don't miss out!
Yummy! I want to make these too!
I just found your blog and it is so inspiring. Thank you for the great recipes and photos!
Thanks Zoe, and welcome :-)
Yum! I can't get enough nuts, seeds and dried fruit! Making these asap! Thanks as always!
Love recipe and loved the NPR piece. It is amazing how far I have come. I have Lupus and Sjogrens syndrom and I feel so much better gluten free. My mother has Celiac and you know even with history that never factored in to my diagnosis. I had to do the research and the experimental diet to find out I was gluten sensitive. I stay away as much as I can. I so appreciate your hard work and fantastic blog. This site is a treasure and I tell everyone.
camille, welcome, it's so nice to "meet" you here and hear your story :-)
Great! A new nourishing breakfast idea ;).
I'm sure hubby will enjoy it too.
They still look scrumptious, Elana! I can only imagine how delightfully chewy they are. :-)
Off to check out the NPR story. More awareness--good deal!
Shirley
the bars look great!
NPR Story:
the boy is quoted "If they're in a rush, Jacob says, pocket sandwiches by the organic food company Amy's are easy to take and heat up."
however amy's does NOT make a gf pocket sandwich. I sure hope the boy is not eating those and I don't know of any gf pocket sandwiches only Glutenfreeda's gf burritos
Karen
Hi Elana,
thanks for all your work, I can't wait to try out these bars. I am always on the look out for breakfast foods, as I am in Europe and, at least in Germany, traditional breakfast ist either Muesli (during the week) or fresh buns from the bakery (oh how I miss that!) Sometimes I will have frozen gf kaiser buns (you get used to the taste, I guess...) or just my coffee. These seem like a great idea for having on hand for those "oh forget it, I guess I just won't eat anything" mornings!
I wanted to ask you if you have ever worked with Plantain or Banana Flour? I bought some a few weeks ago from my favourite gf-store and am really liking it. So easy to make a banana-coconut pudding: 50g Banana flour, 500 mL Coconut Milk, a bit of agave, a dash of salt and either a bit of vanilla or lime juice. Cooks up like cream of wheat and is very fulfilling. I'm sure it is possible to make baked goods out of it too, it says on the paket can be used for up to 40%!! in place of regular flour.
Anyways, I don't usually comment on blogs, but I have been "consuming" yours for such a while now that I wanted to say thanks for helping so many of us!
Best regards,
Stephenie
Thanks Stephanie, I appreciate your comment! No, I haven't tried plantain flour, though it sounds interesting. xoxo
Love these! Wish I found them a few days earlier, though, I was considering making some sort of gluten-free granola bars for a road trip. I'll definitely need to make these when I get back though. I love that you put pumpkin and sunflower seeds in them, those are my favorite munchies!
I made these last night and they are delightful!! I was concerned that they would be really "seedy" but they have a lot of flavor and a hint of sweetness!
I'll be posting my pictures on my blog this weekend. Thank you!!
We had your breakfast bars this morning, they were excellent!
I used maple syrup and almond oil instead of agave & grapeseed oil (I'll make them a little less sweet next time).
I think these will make fine hiking snacks too.
Stephenie, I have plantain flour too but don't really know what to do with it. I will probably try your "cream of plantain" recipe but would love for you to share other ones.
The supplier (Barry Farm) has a plantain crepe recipe on his website.
Just made these bars today and was pleased with how they turned out. I didn't have any pumpkin seeds and I decided to throw a sprinkling of dark chocolate chips on top. I am sending these bars with my boyfriend who is embarking on a three day bike trek across Maine. I think they will do wonders for his energy levels! Thanks for the great recipe :)
Hi Alchemille,
I just tried waffles with Plantain flour today. I will post the recipe in the forum.
I made these yesterday and they were gone last night. My husband couldn't believe they were healthy, which is so fun. I have a friend with pcos and she thought they were wonderful. I also took some of your banana cake/bread I made today to her. She was very emotional about having something so wonderfully bread like in her mouth. Very emotional and grateful for you and all you share.
Thank you
I am always looking for "fast" food that we can eat. I have to cringe when I say I eat my breakfast driving to work in the morning (and they say meals in front of the t.v. are bad). Having these on hand for the busy work week is perfect!
I've been playing around with granola bar recipes that use agave nectar, nuts, seeds and either almond meal or almond flour. These are EXACTLY what I've been dreaming of!
Consider yourself officially bookmarked! Keep up the great work! Very excited about the cookbook!!!
Thanks for your wonderful comments, everyone!!!
I want to point out my favorite substitution idea which was created by Alchemille --the maple syrup and almond oil sound delicious.
Enjoy the bars,
Elana
Thanks Elana!
I tried another version with 1/4 to 1/2 tsp of spirulina for extra nutrition.
The bars have a greenish hue ;).
Elana, I made these bars and was disappointed when they burned on the tops and sides. I will try them again because it seems like a great recipe!
Hi Elana - Your website has helped me immensely! I am GF and an avid cook. I would like to share my recipe for a protein bar that is not cooked! 1 cup pecans, 1 cup unswt coconut, 1 cup slivered almonds. Brown slightly together in the oven. Process until chunky in the food processor. Melt 1/2 cup of coconut oil with 1/2 cup almond butter, stir in 1tsp vanilla and 2 tblsp agave (I usually taste at this point for sweetness). Stir a tsp of sea salt to the wet mix,stir nut-coconut into wet mixture, add 1/2 cup of almond flour. Smooth into a bread baking dish greased with a little coconut oil and cool in the fridge for an hour. Thanks for all you do!
Thanks for the great recipe Elana! I am going on a 5 day canoe trip in the Adirondacks and needed something healthy and full of protein for breakfast. This recipe is such a great alternative to the bars you see in the grocery. Even ones marked as healthy and organic are full of sugar and wheat. I made a few substitutions because I didn't have everything on hand:
-1/2 c of cashews (pulsed in the blender for a few seconds) for the shredded coconut
-dried cranberries instead of raisins
-1/3 c pistachios for pumpkin seeds
-I added a couple tablespoons of applesauce to help bind the cashews
I hope other readers enjoy :) Thanks again Elana!
We had these at the brunch the day after my daughter's wedding for a few of us that are gluten free and we had to fight the gluten eaters for them. Really delicious. I am going to make a batch for myself as part of my wedding recovery program. Thanks so much for offering up these great recipes. They really are inspiring!
Hi Elana! I've been using your recipes for the last four months since my daughter and I started a candida diet, and I can't tell you how much I appreciate being able to log onto your website and find a "legal" recipe for whatever we're hungry for.
These breakfast bars are BY FAR my favorite recipe so far and I've been making them since you posted it a few weeks ago. I have an egg sensativity and can only do eggs every 4th day so I make a batch of these and they make breakfast ready to go until I can do eggs again. I do substitute 1 Tbsp. of NuNaturals white stevia powder + 1/4 c. water for the agave nectar and sugar free chocolate bits for the raisens. I have found that this version comes out very crumbly so I also added 1 Tbsp. ground flax + 1 1/2 Tbsp. water (an egg substitute). I have found that they do better when chilled, but I'm wondering if your version holds together well as maybe the agave acts as a glue (?) or do yours crumble as well?
Thanks again for your wonderful work and sharing with all of us!
Elana, I have just recently discovered your blog and love it... my oldest son has autism and is on a gfcf diet. I have been looking for something just like this! Can you (or someone) tell me about almond flour and its benefits? I have been making a bread for him that uses garbanzo bean flour, tapioca starch and corn starch. But I have yet to learn about almond flour. Any info that you can share would be a blessing! Thanks again for all you have done here...
Check out her Almond Flour post... :-)
I don't have grapeseed or any nut oil. Can I use canola or regular veg oil? The others are out of my league especially right now.
Thanks
snow
I have used a very mild flavored olive oil many times and it works great!
I found your website the other day and these treats looked yummy....I used coconut oil and maple syrup as subs (it's what I had) and they are the most addictive things ever!! Hubby, who is free to eat anything he wants, has proclaimed them as his new favourite treat.
Thanks!!
I found your website a few weeks ago and LOVED these bars!! My family and I are fortunate to not have any dietary restrictions, but I am always looking for healthy snacks to satisfy my sweet tooth! My kids enjoyed these and loved your Gluten-Free brownies, as well. I will definitely tell everyone about your site!
HI Elana,
I finally had a chance to try these bars -- of course I had to add my own flavor. What I love about this recipe is that it is so forgiving and the possibilities are endless.
I didn't have almond slivers so I used pignoli's (pine nuts), I added a handful of dried cranberries and of course a handful of chocolate chips -- my husband said that they taste like trailmix in a bar.
Thanks so much -- this is an awesome recipe -- maybe fresh cranberries when in season would be a nice addition, maybe some chopped dates or other dried fruits -- YUM -- thanks for all your inspiration.
Theresa Watson
Merritt Island, Florida
I have made this recipe and variations of it thereof about three or four times now, and wanted you to know how much I love it and just how THANKFUL I am that you created and posted this! It's been a lifesaver as I made these for traveling on a recent trip from Paris to Canada. These bars were all I had to eat at some meals while in transit. :)
Much like Alchemille, I've used maple syrup (I discovered that agave nectar really bothers my system as it is too high in fructose for me) and regularly use sesame oil instead of grapeseed.
Also, I just made these bars again this past Monday and was scrounging for ingredients to add in (I did not have raisins nor almonds on hand...). I used ground hazelnut flour instead of almond, and I threw in not only pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and coconut, but a quarter cup of sesame seeds, too and they tasted GREAT!
I am going to the store now to get more ingredients to make these simple and delicious bars. Many thanks, again. :)
FANTASTIC- the only problem is waiting until breakfast to eat them! So very glad to have a great GF "breakfast on the run" after years of far lesser commercial offerings. Now, when I have to run kids somewhere (and everyone else somehow manages to fit in breakfast but me), jumping in the car with a breakfast bar and cup of joe doesn't seem punitive. Thanks so much! The first recipe from your blog I have tried but will definitely be trying more.
I have made these several times, and each time they come out AMAZING!!! Like one person pointed out in the comments, the hardest part is waiting to eat them for breakfast. I didn't have grapeseed oil or almond flour so I had to make some changes. Instead of the grapeseed oil, I used coconut oil. And instead of the almond flour, I used a mixture of flax seeds ground up, rolled oats ground up, raw almonds ground up, and a bit of barley flour. I realize that the oats are not gluten free, but I thought I would just put it out there that even with these substitutions they came out delicious! If you use these substitutions, though, make sure you chill them before slicing them. It helps keep them from crumbling. :-)
I made these and they fell apart but wwere good:)
A couple of years ago I did the Avon walk and, of course, they don't have provisions for food allergies so food was quite an issue that weekend. This next summer I'm doing it again and these will be a perfect thing to bring a long!
Kim
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I love these. Since Christmas I've developed an addiction to baked goods for brunch; not so healthy. These are perfect for a healthier substitue to my baked goods breakfasts, thanks Elana :)
[...] round off and bid adew to my baking spree I would like to refer you to this recipe for a great, gluten-free, vegan breakfast bar I found on Elana’s Pantry. It’s [...]
I found the bars crumbled once cooked and cut - not sure what I could do to make them 'stick' Any suggestions? Delicious though - even if I have to eat it with a spoon!
I've made these oddles of times and found that having ingredients room temp makes a big difference to how well they hold together. Also, measuring ingredients pretty precisely and really packing down with wet hands as last step per Elana's directions. Lastly, I find that they hold together a little better when refrigerated after cooled and before taking out of pan. I like to cut into bars and then take in snack bags instead of Larabars and the like and they hold together fairly well that way. Plus, gets them off the counter where I can't resist. :-)
Going Paleo, you can try adding an egg or egg substitute such as 1 tbsp flaxmeal mixed with 3 tbsp water.
Both options are paleo friendly ;).
Made these last weekend and they were delicious!! Parts of mine held together and parts were crumbly (thanks Eileen for the tip to cool them in the fridge before cutting - will try next time), but either way, I loved them and will make them again soon. Thanks, Elana!!