Homemade Granola Bars Vegan Gluten Free Food

HOMEMADE GRANOLA BARS

Steps:

• Start by being sure your dates are relatively soft. If they are not, soak in hot water for 5 to 30 minutes. Drain off liquid, reserving if needed.
• Line an 8x8 or 7x3 pan with parchment paper or wax paper.
• Process dates in a food processor fitted with an s blade until a thick paste forms. Add in honey/maple syrup, coconut oil, nut butter, vanilla, and salt. Pulse until combined and creamy.
• Add in oats and pulse until just combines and all the oats are moistened well, adding up to 2 tablespoons of the reserved soaking liquid from dates if needed.
• Stir in any mix-ins into the batter you desire.
• Place mixture into prepared pan. Using mositened hands or a piece of wax paper, spread out mixture as evenly as possible.
• Place in fridge or freezer for 15 minutes until set up. Then slice into bars.
• Store these bars wrapped individually in wax paper and stored in the fridge.

VEGAN & GLUTEN-FREE GRANOLA BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Mix the flax meal with the warm water and set aside to "gel." This is the vegan equivalent of two eggs!
• In a large bowl, mix oats, chickpea flour, cranberries, walnuts, cinnamon, and sea salt. In a separate smaller bowl, mix nut butter with maple syrup, then add the flax/water mixture, which should now have gelled, and stir again.
• Mix wet ingredients into dry. Pour into a greased square or rectangular baking dish (mine is 11x7 but slightly smaller would be better) and bake 15 to 18 minutes, until top is golden brown. Allow to cool, then cut into bar shapes.

HOMEMADE GRANOLA BARS (VEGAN + GLUTEN-FREE)

Steps:

• *Note: See step-by-step photos above!
• Preheat the oven to 338°F/170°C (fan 302°F/150°C). Line an 8x8-inch (20x20-cm) baking dish with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides.
• Add the oats, almonds, and walnuts into the bowl of a food processor. Process until finely chopped, then transfer the mixture into a large bowl.
• Chop the dried goji berries and cranberries with a sharp knife. Then add to the oat nut mixture along with the chia seeds, and cinnamon. Set aside.
• Heat the coconut oil and maple syrup in a saucepan and simmer for 1-2 minutes. Stir in the nut butter (if using), salt, and vanilla extract to combine. Then pour it over the dry ingredients and mix everything well together. (If it's a bit too dry, you can add 1 or 2 tbsp of hot water).
• Transfer the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Place a piece of parchment paper on top and press firmly into an even layer, using the bottom of another square baking dish (see photo above) or measuring cup or bowl. The firmer you press, the better the bars will stick together!
• Bake for 20-25 minutes in the preheated oven (or refrigerate until set for a no-bake option). If the top gets too brown during baking, cover loosely with a piece of parchment paper.
• Allow to cool to room temperature. Then transfer to the refrigerator and chill for at least 2 hours. Then lift out of the baking pan using the parchment overhang and slice into bars using a sharp knife. (You can also cut the bars before chilling if that's easier for you. Just keep in mind that they get harder as they cool).
• Enjoy immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to a week or freeze for up to 3 months.

NUT-FREE GRANOLA BARS (VEGAN AND GLUTEN-FREE)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and line a square baking dish with parchment paper cut to fit and lay both directions. My baking dish is is a little smaller than 8x8, more like 7 1/2, so if yours is a true 8x8, the bars just will be a bit thinner on the edges.
• In a small bowl, mix the flaxseed and 6 tablespoons of water and heat in the microwave for 30 seconds. Whisk well and set aside.
• To a food processor, add the sunflower kernels and process about 30-45 seconds until a fine flour forms (as in the photo). Be careful not to over process or it will start to turn into a paste.
• To a large bowl, add all of the sunflower flour to it, along with the oats, oat flour, cinnamon, ginger and salt. Stir really well. Add the chocolate chips.
• To the bowl of reserved flaxseed mixture, it should be thick, whisk in the syrup well. Make sure it is no longer warm before adding to the dry ingredients (so it doesn't melt the chocolate chips). Stir everything together for a good minute or so until it all comes together in a moist, sticky batter. The more you stir, the stickier it will get. This is good, as that flaxseed helps to bind the bars.
• To the lined pan, add the batter and spread out evenly with the back of the spoon as best you can. Now, take a square piece of parchment paper the size of the pan and place it on top. Press the mixture down flat and smooth out the top. Smooth your fingers along the edges and corners, making sure it's even. Really BE PATIENT with this step ensuring you are properly spreading it out to the corners and along the edges. Do not sloppily or quickly press it down or the bars will not form properly when baking.
• Once it's smooth, flat and even, top with extra chocolate chips if desired. Bake for 30-32 minutes until the edges are looking golden brown and the middle is firm to the touch. Refer to photo.
• Cool 1 hour. This is where they will firm up. Do NOT cut them before this unless you want crumbles! After an hour, lift them up with the parchment paper and cut desired shapes with a really sharp knife slowly. The crunchy edges may crack a bit but the bars should be firm and hold beautifully. They stay firm and moist for several days too. Keep stored in a sealed container or ziplock bag.

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.

CHEWY GRANOLA BARS VEGAN, GLUTEN FREE, EGG FREE, DAIRY FREE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil 9x13 baking pan.
• In large bowl, beat sugar and shortening until light and fluffy.
• Add honey, egg replace and vanilla. Beat until smooth.
• In medium bowl, combine flour, gar gum, salt and baking soda. Blend.
• Add flour mixture to sugar mixture. Mix until well combined.
• By hand mix in chocolate chips, nuts, rice cereal and oats.
• Press firmly into pan.
• Bake for 20 minutes, until brown.

EASY HOMEMADE GRANOLA BARS - GLUTEN FREE

Steps:

• Grease and 8×8 pan. In a pan combine the butter, brown sugar, honey, and corn syrup. Stir constantly over medium heat until butter melts, sugar dissolves, and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat and add oats. Stir well until oats are well coated. Spread mixture into 8×8 or similar pan. Bake at 350 for 22 minutes. Cool 5 minutes and cut into bars. Cool for about 1 hour more in the pan and then remove bars from the pan.
• If you wait to cut and remove the bars from the pan until the pan is completely cooled, the bars will be very hard to remove.