Cherry Vanilla Power Bars
Way back when, in 1997, during the dark ages of gluten free, I was diagnosed with celiac disease. Now, 14 years later, this disease has had a devastating effect on my family –my mother has celiac, my sister has it, even my 12 year old son was diagnosed with celiac when he was 3 years old. On the other side of the family, my mother-in-law lives with celiac disease. This disease has been a scourge on my loved ones.
Celiac is a serious disease, many in the medical community think of it as a gateway auto-immune disorder –something that can lead to thyroid disease, diabetes, multiple sclerosis and even cancer. This is why the gluten free diet is so important for people that have been diagnosed with celiac. You can’t be on a “low gluten” diet. If you have celiac you need to be 100% gluten free every single day of your life. Thankfully, in my house we are.
While the gluten free diet is paramount for people that have celiac, some people are in the habit of saying that eating gluten free is such a challenge it will ruin your life. I’m here to tell you that’s not the case. Most wholesome natural foods are naturally gluten free. Think veggies, fish, poultry, meat, fruits, nuts, seeds and a whole lot more.
That’s why I’m so pleased to be a part of Diane’s blogging event called 30 Days to Easy Gluten-Free Living. Here’s how Diane summarized the event:
“I often read how difficult it is to live gluten free. How gluten free tastes terrible and you’ll spend tons of money. Some people talk about it like it’s a death sentence. Well we’re here to tell you they are flat out wrong. They are exaggerating to get you to buy their products. We are going to show you in 30 different ways over 30 days how living gluten free is easy, tasty and as inexpensive or expensive as you want to make it.”
This super quick and easy power bar recipe is my contribution to Diane’s fabulous event. If you’re taking mom out for a hike this Sunday, pack these gluten free, vegan, high protein Cherry Vanilla Power Bars for a yummy Mother’s Day, energy boosting snack.
Cherry Vanilla Power Bars
- 2 ½ cups slivered almonds (I used unblanched)
- ⅓ cup golden flaxmeal
- ⅔ cup dried cherries
- ⅓ cup dried cranberries
- 10 drops vanilla crème stevia
- 2-3 tablespoon water
- Place almonds, flax, cherries, cranberries and stevia in food processor
- Pulse until well ground, then pulse in water until the mixture begins to form a ball
- Remove from food processor and press into an 8 x 8 inch baking dish
- Slice into bars and serve
Makes 12 bars
I just want to take a moment to thank Diane from The W.H.O.L.E. Gang for organizing this amazing event. Diane is a very inspirational person and blogger. She is a social activist who brings people together and educates the public at large. Frankly, I just don’t have enough good things to say about her!
Here are some more yummy gluten free power bar recipes you may like:
-Melissa’s Mile High Energy Bars by Melissa from Gluten Free For Good
-Chocolate, Cardamom and Coconut Power Bars from Naomi of Milk for the Morning Cake
-Popeye Protein and Fruit Bars from Shirley of Gluten Free Easily
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This is such an important post. You always cover so much in such few words, Elana. Thank you for sharing your family’s story, the critical points about celiac and eating gluten free, and then such beautiful power bars! Thanks, too, for the link love, dear!
xo,
Shirley
Shirley is so right Elana! You are so good with words. I agree with you, a gluten-free diet doesn’t have to be a bad thing. For us it’s been a blessing. For most people it leads to a much healthier lifestyle. Thank you for another fantastically simple recipe!
I’ve read that they are realizing no one is meant to eat grains in the fashion our grains are used. Most animals that eat gluten all day without issues have special stomachs just for it.
That’s why I’m a huge low carb advocate. Our bodies weren’t designed for this modern diet that has brought about all these modern diseases.
I send a lot of people to this site so they don’t have to lose their dessert when they go low carb. I have to cut most of your sugar in half, but beyond that I can usually eat anything you post. Anything that keeps me in brownies makes me happy!
ooooh, please be careful about differentiating low carb from grain-free – they are very very different concepts.
Most animals that eat gluten all day without issues have special stomachs just for it. ANIMALS or people?
Also, most of the “expensive” of low carb and gluten free is buying all those ready made mixes. Personally, I think the gluten free mixes are terrible. Much better to come here and get some almond or coconut meal and make something delicious but non toxic!
I love these power bars. I love how you come up with wonderful and easy recipes. Thank you for being a part of the 30 day event and thank you so much for all your kind words. You are the true blessing to the gluten free world.
Mmmmm, love this power bar recipe. No added sugar, just pure, delicious, raw foods.
So great to meet the lady behind the books and the blog!
Dear Elana,
I just discover your blog and found it so interesting. I don’t have celiac disease, but your recipes look wonderful for everyone. Besides, I think gluten, if not properly prepared, can be difficult for anyone to digest. And not everyone has time to properly prepare all their grains. So avoiding them can be a good thing. Besides, isn’t gluten an anti-nutient? I’ll have to check on that.
I wanted to mention…do you and your family members take fermented cod liver oil and high-vitamin butter oil? I think they would help you tremendously. Are you familiar with Sally Fallon, author of Nourishing Traditions? She is a goldmine of information about traditional diets. Check out her foundation’s website at:
http://www.westonaprice.org/
Love,
Mary
I am allergic to wheat not celiac. When I found this out in late 2005 there wasn’t a huge market of gluten free products in my area. I found your website about 2 years ago and ordered The Almond Flour cookbook. The foods have been so satisfying. Now the markets seem overrun with GF foods but I realize they are junk food (expensive at that). I’m hypoglycemic too so those prepackaged GF foods spiked my blood sugar. I came back to your cookbook and now make something from it just about every day! I’m losing weight and feel great:D
I just made these and they are wonderful!! I added 2 tablespoons of chia seeds (only because I’ve been adding it to just about everything recently to get some extra calcium in the kiddos), an extra tablespoon of water, and stirred in a half cup of dark chocolate chips before pressing (my BRILLIANT 4 year olds idea :).
Thank you Elana for the time, energy, and love you pour into this site. You are such a blessing to the gluten free world…
Melissa
Elana, thank you for sharing your history and your family’s history. I discovered my intolerance to gluten while trying to get healthy again after being diagnosed with hypothyroidism. There is definitely a connection there. I’ve been trying to get family members to get tested. Some are resisting, but some are open. The power bars look delicious and I love how simple they are! Can’t wait to try them. :D
Debi
I cant agree with you more! I feel truly blessed that I can control celiac with the gluten free diet. I am more healthy today than ever! Life is what you make it. It is overwhelming at first, but once you see how healthy it can be and how much better you will feel, it is so worth it. My husband and children have it too, so it is a family affair and we spend time in the kitchen cooking up new creations makeing it fun. I am so thankful for all your amazing recipes that have become family favorites : )..They will be passed down for generations.
Making these tonight for sure – perfect timing not only for my mothers day treat for ME, but also just ate my last chocolate cranberry power bar.
Dear Elana,
Our family, while not celiac, is on the gluten-free journey. My husband has suffered all of his life with IBS, and my son and daughter with other issues (aching joints, high oxalate levels, constipation, etc.) and being gluten-free and grain-free has changed that for them!
I have at times seen this as a blessing, as eating healthy is not just a choice now, but the only option. As you know it can be difficult, especially for children, but they are very resilient and adapt easily.
You are a pioneer in great gluten-free, grain-free cooking and you make it so much easier for the rest of us. It is websites and books like yours that inspire me to find new recipes and try new things. Words cannot express the gratitude I have for you and your website. Thank you so much for your passion and dedication!
Yours in good health,
Karen
A nod to an extraordinary mother,teacher and gluten free friend. You are an inspiration to so many. Chiming in with the others here, I also want to thank you for your easy, delicious recipes. I can’t keep up! But am a very willing participant;-)
I love this recipe but can’t tolerate stevia. Any ideas on a substitute…I am thinking raw honey.
Elana,
I love how concise you are. Like Shirley mentioned, you cover a lot of information in few words. Plus a recipe! I’ve never used any type of liquid stevia, but oddly enough, I just bought some vanilla creme stevia at Vitamin Cottage the other day. Perfect timing as I’ll try it with this recipe of yours. It’s time to start wandering around the high country and home-made power bars are a necessity.
Thank you for link-love. I appreciate it and am glad you provided us with several different versions to try. And yes, I couldn’t agree more. Living gluten-free is a blessing, not something to complain about.
Hope you can get out and enjoy this lovely Colorado spring weather!
Melissa
Thanks for this post. It seems that lately a gluten-free diet has become a fad, and the merits have been debated in the media. But for those of us with celiac disease, it’s not optional, it’s critical to our health.
I have not one but two parents diagnosed with celiac disease… so guess who else does? Yep, me and my siblings and my nephews. We are all immensely grateful to people like you who create delicious GF recipes. Keep up the good work !
This looks incredible! Thank you for always sharing valuable info about celiac for those who might not be in the know :)
Another great recipe to add to my collection! Look and sound so yummy! Now all I have to do is collect the ingredients and I’m go to go! A special thanks for linking the products to an easy source to purchase. I’m wondering if Vitacost would have the stevia as well and possibly for a lower price. Tracy
I love how easy these are – so many bar recipes have like 40 ingredients. Thanks for sharing your story as always!
They sound fabulous, Elana! I used to make a fig & cherry bar that’s very similar, but I can’t have figs on the anti-candida diet (no sweet fruits) so I stopped making them. But these, I could have! Yay! I’m really enjoying the 30 Days event as well and looking forward to the rest of the month. :)
Hello Elana,
I just have to say thank you. I have celiac and was introduced to your blog last summer. My family and I love your Almond Flour cookbook and the recipes that you post here. As I read some of your background, I heard about the SCD diet and “Breaking The Vicious Cycle”. I am one of those celiacs who has not responded to a gluten free diet, BUT thanks to your story I am now on the SCD diet (5 days) and have had TREMENDOUS improvements in energy and other things (I think you will know what I mean). Thank you for caring for others by sharing your experience. I am one life that has been positively impacted!
Blessings,
Angela
This is so great! Love the nourishment you provide for people with dietary needs. It’s wonderful!
1997 really WAS the dark ages of celiac, wasn’t it? My dad was diagnosed before then…1994ish or something. He only received the diagnosis after he did his own research and the doctors couldn’t figure anything out. Since then, my sister, my brother, and I are all gluten-free after suffering from similar issues as my dad did. My, how times have changed, but there’s still such a ways to go.
These power bars DO really make gluten-free on the go easier. I love the simplicity of these. I tend to throw way too many things in my food processor, trying to get the flavor just right, and you always are so good at streamlining your recipes. Love it.
I am just amazed. I wish we had found out about some of the problems in our family before 2007, things would sure be different – we don’t have celiacs, just issues. I wouldn’t be having such struggles with my kids at getting them to quit. If it had been earlier, they wouldn’t have been born and would have been born into this style. Not too say it would super easier, just better. I will have to try these, but not sure what I will do about the vanilla creme stevia…guess I’ll improvise as usual = ( We just don’t have the stuff handy in our area.
I made these today. They taste delicious, but mine are falling apart. I used all 3 tbsp. of water. Any thoughts on how to make them “stick”?
Sandy,
I would try adding additional tablespoons of water until they hold together.
Elana
These look fantastic! Wonder if I could sub walnuts or pecans–I have an almond allergy. And does anyone know if they would freeze well? I want to make a batch and wrap them individually for the freezer to grab and take when I’m leaving the house.
I cook gluten free by choice and love it.
My family is lucky, we can handle gluten, but we ENJOY eating without it. We started eating this way just control the carbs…but found we felt better and better as I followed more of your gluten free recipes. Moreover, we actually prefer eating this way: your recipes are so good my family tells me that I’ve become a better cook and I have so much more fun cooking.
THANK YOU. Gluten free isn’t just for those that must eat that way, it can be a wonderful choice.
-Amy
it’s interesting how many people are shocked when the come over and we serve roast lamb with veggies, beautiful (decadent) salads, flavorful omelets, and rich desserts- all gluten-free. they assume we’re dependent upon expensive gluten-free products in order to live.
but by cutting out all packaged foods (excepting coconut milk and hummus), our diet is not only delicious, but also not pricey in the way that buying prepared foods is.
thanks for the delicious recipe too! i’m moving into raw land for the summer months, and love having snack bars on hand for all us hungry people!
Elana, these bars look wonderful. It confuses me when people think living gluten free is difficult. We do not have Celiac disease in my house, but I live a virtually GF diet anyway. I feel lighter and I enjoy most of the GF flours better anyway. Since I also eat mostly veggies and protein I can go to any restaurant in the world and order gluten free without even having to think about it.
Have a wonderful Mother’s Day my friend :) xo
These are beautiful. I just made some homemade “power bars” because we had so leftover dried black mission figs. I love how flexible these recipes are, you can basically add your favorite combination of dried fruits, nuts and chocolate! Yum.
I am not celiac, but I am sensitive to gluten. I think the hardest part about a gluten-free diet is during the transition stage and dining out, where you learn that many of the convenient food contains gluten. Being on a gluten-free diet has surely taught me that the most nutritious foods on earth are gluten-free. These bars look lovely:)
gluten free life style is what you make of it. now a days with all that i have learned from gluten free bloggers and their information and recipes, tips, tricks and short cuts. it’s amazing how much information is out there. you just have to want to learn and be curious and surf the web! it’s a wealth of information for many things including living gluten free. everything i know about gluten free living i have learned from the gluten free bloggers and a little from books at the library. Now, i would like to let Elana know that i had tried to enter the Double Chocolate Dagoba Giveaway but for some reason i was unable to leave a comment on your web site. something is wrong with it! This is the only way i know how to make contact with you. Thanks, Theresa P.
Theresa,
Thanks for your comment. The Dagoba giveaway officially ended on May 3rd and comments were closed on that date.
Elana
Elana, thank you for writing about celiac being considered a gateway auto-immune disorder. This is the first time I have heard this opinion.
And all the while I thought that celiac was just another auto-immune complication I am going through. Could it be that the celiac was there long before the rest? It’s a distressing thought.
oh my gosh Elana that is so true – it’s NOT that hard (or expensive really) to eat gluten free – nor is it a death sentance! I know a number of people affected by Coeliac Disease, yet once diagnosed and following a gluten free diet their lives change – FOR THE BETTER! Thank you for this post and to Diane for hosting such a fabulous event!
I can’t imagine what it must have been like going gluten-free back in the late 90s.
I’ve only been on this journey a year, and your blog has been a godsend to me.
One of your other commenters mentioned Nourishing Traditions, and I too, wonder if you have read it.
I just finished all 600+ pages a week ago, and it really opened my eyes.
Hope you stumble across it as well…
These look lovely; and what luck, cherries will be in season, soon. Now something new and lovely to do with them!
Hi Elana, just wanted to say. Thank you! I love your original cookbook, and I have preordered the cupcake one for kindle. It is so hard to wait! I was diagnosed with celiac in 1997 like you, but because I didn’t have symptoms then, I ignored my diagnosis! So much damage… Anyway, today, my whole family is GF, and you make it so much easier! Like many, I feel eating gluten free is way better than the old way.
Dear Elana,
I just want to thank you for all your inspiration – even though I have not been diagnosed with Celiac, I try to avoid gluten and dairy as much as possible. I just don’t tolerate it well. Sometimes it’s quite a journey since people just don’t get it – how can I live without bread and pasta?? Not a big deal for me since I never really liked bread and now I understand why. But sometimes I just get tired of explaining and then having these disucssions of “it’s all in your head” (I work with a lot of health professionals who think they are nutrition experts and am often shocked by their “expertise”). Anyway, I am really greatful for all the inspiration I get through your site!! Thanks! Marlise
Even though this response is a year later than your posting, did you know that Trader Joe’s sells a couple of different kinds of pasta made from corn ? It tastes very similar to egg noodles, is similar in texture to al dente wheat pasta and is not expensive to purchase.
YUM! Look awesome.
I love cherries in homemade bars…and the touch of vanilla sounds delicious…I think I’ll try to make these bars this week but I may add almond extract for some extra flavor.
Lovely recipe, as always. Beautifully crafted and photographed. Love it.
Just an FYI for people like me, this doesn’t work in a Vitamix. :( Pregnant woman VERY hungry, really wanting to see those delicious looking bars, healthy bars. I had whole almonds instead of slivered, bought two bags of cranberries instead of a bag of cherries, ground my own flax seeds. It was a mushy mess because I had to add a lot more water to get it to mix up in the vita-mix. I added gogi berries and apricots too. BUT it STILL tastes good. My 1 year old is eating off the spatula. I ate it off the spoon and hoping that it will harden in the fridge. It is very brown, but very filling and doesn’t bog you down. So just warning, if you want them to look like Elana’s follow her directions!! lol!! Thank you for sharing this recipe though!
Would love to try but what is vanilla creme stevia? I have heard of stevia (but have never used it), but vanilla flavoured?? I thought stevia was an all-natural plant ground up to give you the powdered stevia for baking/eating/etc. Is it simply stevia with natual vanilla flavour added? Much thanks!
Sometimes gluten free is even better! I made some vegan lemon cookies for mother’s day, one batch with almond flour (GF for me) and one with wheat flour (my MIL is nut-sensitive) and the family members who could eat both said the GF was better!
I LOVE this recipe. It sounds so easy and yummy. Been looking for a way to make powerbars myself instead of buying them. I just wish I could live at your house and have you cook for me all of the time. Everything always sounds so good. Guess I will just have to settle for making all of you recipes at my place. ;)
xo – Tia
Elana,
I just made these and they are fantastic!!!
Thanks so much for your recipes.
Linda
I have made these twice and have given them my family’s twist. I make them into 2-inch balls. I also sub chia seed meal for the flax (just a bit less than 1/3 cup), reserving 1 T of it, which I mix with the 3 T of water, let it sit for 5 mins until it is goopy, then I mix it in with the rest and it serves as an excellent binder. After I mix it up and form into balls, I bake it at 350 for 12 mins which gives it a nice toasted flavor on the outside.
Also, today I had to make-do without the vanilla creme stevia and use regular liquid stevia and add 1 t vanilla extract. My boys love these things!
Thanks, Elana!
I love this recipe! Bars are a go-to for me – I try to keep at least one in my bag at all times so if I need a snack or light meal while I’m out I can stay gluten free.
What & how much do I substitute the stevia vanilla creme? Stevia are rare here and I’ve been using granulated Splenda (sweeterner) in place of recipes calling for stevia them. Thanks
I’d like to ask why no caloric, sodium, carbohydrate values are listed on any of the recipes. I think this is important information for Elana to supply.
Also, does anyone know if any of the bread recipes can be used in a bread machine ?
Calories can be calculated on this website: http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-calculator.asp if it is especially important to you.
Quick question…it says to add the stevia, but I don’t see stevia in the recipe???
Just started a wheat/grain free “lifestyle”…so excited to find your web site and all of the yummy recipes I can’t wait to try! Thanks for all of your hard work!
I need a recipe like this that is GF, Egg Free, and NUT free :) Any ideas?
love your website. Will try these but with raw honey instead :)
Elana,
When i turned 25 i developed this skin rash on my hands. Over the next 20 yrs Doctors diagnosed me with a Dermatitis Condition of the skin in which it becomes red, swollen, and sore, sometimes with small blisters, resulting from direct irritation of the skin
OR
Eczema Condition in which patches of skin become rough and inflamed, with blisters that cause itching and bleeding, sometimes resulting from a reaction to irritation but more typically having no obvious external cause OR
Fungal infection Condition in which fungi pass the resistance barriers of the human or animal body and establish infections
OR
Psoriasis.
All of these conditions required me to take a multitude of steroid creams and other drugs, which i did not like the effects.
UNTIL
My friend told me about some emotional conditions, skin conditions and other symptoms she was having that required her to seek medical treatment. These symptoms sounded similar to mine.
After an allergy test she found that she was allergic to gluten. I decided I would stop eating gluten for 30 days to see if i had any visible changes to my symptoms. For the first 6 days i had very little energy, i was very lethargic. This was scary, but also an indication i was onto something. Two weeks into my new gluten free life those horrible blisters and patches that controlled me were gone. Yes, ALL gone.
So if someone out there thinks they have anyone of these skin conditions, stop eating gluten for 30 days and see if maybe you too are just allergic to gluten, it saved my life and my hands.
Also, on the 7th day I had all of my energy back and then some.