Homemade Granola Bars Recipe (Gluten-Free)
This healthy and gluten-free homemade granola bars recipe was developed exclusively for Nuts.com and our customers by Miryam Quinn Doblas, Registered Dietitian (RD). Miryam inspires others with her passion for healthy eating on her website, Eat Good 4 Life.
Homemade granola bars make a nutritious and wholesome treat that can be enjoyed for breakfast or at snack time. Most store-bought varieties contain loads of sugar, not enough fiber, and unwanted ingredients. Making your own bars allows you to control the amount and quality of ingredients, which is always a good thing.
These bars have flaxseed meal, which is rich in soluble fiber. It is a very nutritious ingredient that naturally helps to lower cholesterol. Hemp protein powder was also added for some extra protein. The mashed bananas, dried strawberries, and mulberries provide a rich source of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, and add natural sweetness. Most conventional granola bars are crunchy because they have large amounts of sugar added. Because these bars are low in sugar, they are chewy and not crunchy.
If you are looking to bake something with your kids, this is the perfect recipe. My 7- and 4-year olds always like to get messy and help in the kitchen. This recipe is so easy-the kids mix the ingredients and shape the mixture into bars.
I used cashews and sunflower seeds, but feel free to use your own favorite nuts and seeds instead. Almonds and pumpkin seeds will also work well, so play around with your favorite combinations.
These granola bars are perfect on-the-go or as a healthy snack. I have found myself doubling the batch to last my family the whole week long. After making these bars and letting them cool, just make sure you store them in your refrigerator in an airtight container. That way they will keep for up to one week; otherwise they will last for 2-3 days.
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup Dried Mulberries, chopped
- 1/3 cup Dried Strawberries, chopped
- 1/2 cup Raw Cashews, chopped
- 1/2 cup Organic Peanut Butter
- 2 large ripe bananas, mashed
- 1/3 cup Raw Sunflower Seeds
- 2 tbsp Organic Hemp Protein Powder
- 1 cup Gluten Free Rolled Oats
- 2 tbsp Chia Seeds
- 2 tbsp Organic Flaxseed Meal
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350F. Line a 8x8 square baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the peanut butter and mashed bananas using a hand-held mixer or wire whisk.
- Add the rest of the ingredients to the bowl. With a spatula, mix the ingredients until they are well combined and you obtain a homogeneous mixture. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking pan and with the spatula press it down until it is uniform and flat on all sides.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes. Let the granola cool for at least 30-45 minutes before removing from the pan and cutting into bars. Wrap the bars in wax paper and store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to one week.
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3 Responses to “Homemade Granola Bars Recipe (Gluten-Free)”
Where’s the “Add all this yummy to the cart!” Option?
Hi Greg! That’s a great suggestion! Thanks for the feedback.
Greg – Thanks to your feedback, we now have the “Add Nuts.com ingredients to my cart!” button right on this post. You can find the green button below the recipe. 🙂