Chewy Breakfast Bars, Gluten Free

'When you wake up in the morning, Pooh' said Piglet at last' 'what's the first thing you say to yourself?' 'What's for breakfast?' said Pooh. - A. A. Milne, 'The House at Pooh Corner'

 

If you live in the Toronto area, everything you'll need for today's recipe can be found at The Big Carrot health food store. I've been there many times and always enjoy it!

Today's recipe is a request from adventuresome cook, Catherine. She loves to experiment and one thing she has tried and tried again, with mixed results, is the perfect gluten free breakfast bar. I have never attempted anything like it myself, so I asked Catherine for her list of staple ingredients and began to research. Through my reading, I found that there seems to be two types of bars out there, one a hard and one chewy. I decided to go with the latter simply for one simple reason: crumbs. I'm sure no one wants to be dashing out the door to work with their breakfast bar crumbling apart! Well, at least I wouldn't! By the way Catherine, I did come across some bars that used avocados! Ha!

 

Simple and Tasty Recipe:

 

Chewy Breakfast Bars, Gluten Free

(makes 12 to 16 bars)

 

1 cup dates, chopped and pitted

2 bananas, very ripe (not frozen)

1/2 cup nut or seed butter (I used almond butter)

1/4 cup fat such as melted butter, vegetable oil or coconut oil (I used melted butter)

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp cinnamon
*1- 2 tbsp natural sweetener such as honey, agave or molasses *optional
1 egg

1 cup oats, old fashioned and gluten free, 1 tbsp set aside for garnish

1 cup mixed seeds, roasted (I used sunflower, flax and pepita), 1/4 cup set aside for garnish

1 cup mixed dried fruit (I used golden and Thompson raisins, cranberries and chopped apricots)

1/2 cup chopped nuts, roasted (I used pecans)

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a food processor add in the dates, bananas, almond butter, the fat, vanilla and cinnamon. Process until smooth. Taste the batter, if you feel it isn't sweet enough, add in *1-2tbsp or so of your fave natural sweetener. When adjusted, add in the egg and process for a few more minutes.Transfer the batter into a large bowl and stir in the oats, mixed seeds, mixed dried fruit and nuts, remembering to set some aside for the top. Line a 9x13 tray or oven proof dish with parchment paper. Pour the mixture onto the parchment and smooth it out evenly. Sprinkle the reserved seeds and oats over the top and lightly pat them down. Place into the oven for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown and when a toothpick is inserted into the middle, it comes out clean. Allow the tray to rest for about 10 minutes, then cut into bars of your desired shape and size. Enjoy!

Well, as you can see there is a lot of room for experimenting to make these bars your own! Just try to keep the proportions of the ingredients the same as the original recipe. If the bananas aren't very ripe, add some sweetness. Use tahini instead of the almond butter or substitute sunflower, cashew or peanut butter. Use the fat you prefer, I know people who swear by coconut oil. Please feel free to change the seeds, dried fruit and nuts. Coconut would also be a great addition.
I hope you like these gluten free breakfast bars, Catherine! Please let me know how they turn out and what adjustments you made to make them truly yours!
Bye for now, followers and I'll be back next week with another culinary adventure!