Vegan Gluten Free Granola Bars Food

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.

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.

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.