This is the best batch of gluten free granola bars I’ve made in months! I have a bad habit of getting out a recipe and looking at it occasionally but just tossing things in the bowl. Then I forget what I did and that’s fine if I didn’t like it but if it came out good I really have no idea how to make it again. So Today I wrote down amounts and ingredients as I tossed things in the bowl.

 

So here it is:

 

 

Right here is most of what you'll need.

 

 

In a bowl, add butter , sugar,

 

 

maple syrup,

 

 

and water.

 

 

cream together. My butter wasn’t melted so I took the bowl over to the stove and warmed it up but not too much like the time I ended up making little bits of candy or something and no granola bars. 

 

 

Now add in regular oats, Puffed rice,

 

 

quick oats,

 

 

a spoon of xanthan gum,

 

 

and gluten free al purpose flour.

 

 

mix together.

 

 

add and mix  in raisins.

 

 

place half the dough in a greased pan

 

 

Using the butter paper press the dough into the pan.

 

 

So it’s a thin layer like this.

 

 

Sprinkle chocolate chips over the dough.

 

 

Add remaining dough as a top layer. I flattened out pieces and set them on

 

 

Kinda like that. Then I wiped dough off my camera.

 

 

Use the butter paper again to press down the dough.

 

 

I don’t  like the edges sticking to the side of the pan.  so I take a spatula and push it away from the edge all the way around. One time the edges stuck to the pan like cement and when I cut the cooked bars and tried to remove them from the pan they broke. So this is my solution.

 

 

Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes or until lightly browned on the edges.
Let cool 10 or so minutes then cut into bars.

 

 

Serve right away or freeze for weeks.

 

 

Best Gluten free Maple Granola Bars

adapted from King Arthur’s chewy Granola bar recipe

 

ingredients

• 1 stick butter, melted or almost melted will be fine
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 cups quick oats or 1c, regular and 1c. quick
• 1 cup puffed rice
• 1.5 cups gluten free flour
• 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/3 cup chocolate chips
• 1/3 cup almonds

In a  bowl, whisk together melted butter, syrup, and water. Add dry ingredients except chocolate chips and almonds

Spread half the dough in a greased 9x13" pan. Using the butter paper to avoid the dough sticking to your hands pat down firmly.
Sprinkle chocolate chips evenly over the dough. Carefully add remaining dough to cover evenly as possible. and pat down firmly. Add almonds on top and press in.
Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes or until lightly browned on the edges.
Let cool 10 or so minutes then cut into bars.

I started with TwoPeasAndTheirPod’s recipe and then shamelessly disobeyed it.

It started out by having Sweet potatoes and no pumpkins but that’s ok, sweet potatoes are supposed to be good for you. I forget why but they are. I do know when you add honey, maple syrup, and spices to them they taste like pumpkin pie filling.

 

I pureed 2 cups of sweet potato with 1/2 cup of milk and a combination of 1/2 cup maple syrup and raw honey. I’m making enough for two batches of granola bars here so don’t worry about my quantities.

 

This is probably the one time I actually put the dry ingredients in the bowl first.

 

But then I just can’t bring myself to dirty TWO bowls so the apple sauce, vanilla and sweet potato puree went in just like that.

 

I mixed pretty well and then decided I wanted to add some puffed rice to add a little contrast to the seriously sturdy, almost “too healthy” get-your-daily-fiber-and-then-some oats.

 

So I did.

 

I tossed in what was left in the chocolate chip bag. I’ll call it a cup.

 

Quick turn on the oven and grease the baking pan.

 

Pour into pan

 

press into pan. Bake at 350 for 30 –35 minutes.

 

I will not do this to get it out of the pan. …because the warm chocolate chips on the top got all smeared when I turned them right side up.

 

Cut into bars.

 

Serve or store in freezer.

 

Sweet potato chocolate chip granola bars

• 2 1/4 cups organic old fashioned oats
• 1 cup whole wheat organic pastry flour
• 1 cup puffed rice
• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup sweetened sweet potato puree
• ¼ cup applesauce
• ¼ cup honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup chocolate chips

     Sweet potato puree

1 cup sweet potato

1/4 cup maple syrup and honey

1/4 cup milk

blend until smooth

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. grease an 8 by 13 baking pan with butter or oil and set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk oats, spices, sugar, and salt together. Then mix in  sweet potato puree, applesauce, and vanilla extract until smooth. Pour over oats and stir well, until all of the oats are moist. Stir in chocolate chips.
press oat mixture into prepared pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.
  Cut into bars.

 

I made granola bars for the first time in a long time.
I finally got over my awful miserable mistake attempt at making granola bars without reading the recipe last May! Luckily my visiting cousins were very open minded to eating little blops of almost caramel in a pile of dry oats and some dried fruit.


I saw a recipe in TheFreshMarket's magazine/catalog that inspired me to give granola bars another try. There was no way I was going to used the recipe that -I didn't read-made me make the non bars last time.


Toast the oats and nuts partway through add the bran and wheat germ


combine honey,


brown sugar, butter, vanilla, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in a saucepan and place over medium heat, stirring occasionally.


Cook until brown sugar has completely dissolved.


pour the liquid mixture into oat mixture, and dried fruit; stir to combine. Don't waste any time.


Dump it into the pans and press it down.


Use a sheet of waxed paper if it sticks to your hands.




I like to cut mine into bars


and wrap them individually.
Sesame seeds are really good but I forgot to put any in.


Granola bars

2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
2 cups puffed rice
1/4 cup bran
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup chopped Pecans
1/2 cup chopped Almonds
4tblsp butter plus extra for pan
1/2 cup Honey
1/2 cup Brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1-2 cups dried fruit, chopped (apricot, Candied ginger, pineapple and cranberries)

Preparation:

Butter a 9x 12 and a 9 x 9 inch baking dish and set aside. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread the oats, pecans, bran, almonds and wheat germ onto pan. Place in the oven and toast for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. In the meantime, combine honey, brown sugar, butter, vanilla, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in a saucepan and place over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Cook until brown sugar has completely dissolved. Once the oat mixture is done, remove from oven and reduce heat to 300°F. In a large bowl immediately add oat mixture, liquid mixture and dried fruit; stir to combine. Turn mixture onto the prepared baking dish and press down, evenly distributing mixture in the dish and allow to cool completely. Cut into bars and store in an airtight container for up to a week or freeze.