Gluten Free For Two: Berry Granola Bars

When we go on vacation, I always take snacks with us. You can never be sure that you can find anything that you can buy other than potato chips or nuts. It can get very boring!

This recipe makes just enough for a couple-of-days trip. Not too much that I get tired of them or feel I have to eat them all because who wants to waste all that money?

berry granola bars

Berry Granola Bars

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp butter, softened
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 egg
2 tsp. maple syrup
1 tsp. molasses
1/8 tsp. vanilla extract
2/3 cup old fashioned gluten free oats ( we used Bob’s Red Mill)
3 Tbsp. gluten free flour ( we used Thrive Life)
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. baking soda
1/4 cup chopped pecans or peanuts
2 Tbsp. dried blueberries
2 Tbsp. dried cranberries

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Coat an 8″ x 4″ loaf pan; with non-stick cooking spray or line with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a medium sized bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar until fluffy ( use a hand mixer for this). Beat in the egg, maple syrup, molasses and vanilla.

Whisk together the oats, flour, cinnamon and soda in a small bowl.
Pour into the butter mixture and stir well.

Then stir in the nuts and fruit. Pour into the prepared pan and smoosh down so the bars are flat and even ( yes, smoosh is a technical baking term ).

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the bars are set and barely beginning to brown on the edges ( you don’t want them to be rock hard….underbaked is better than overbaked here).

Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Turn the pan upside down to pop out the bars or pull up on the parchment paper to remove.

Cut them into 8 bars with a long knife. Wrap in plastic wrap to take with you. I also stack them in a plastic container to make it easier to tote along.

Makes 8 bars.

Now, you can change up the nuts and dried fruit to whatever you like. You can also replace the maple syrup with agave syrup, corn syrup, honey or anything other liquid sugar you want.

Make these to suit you…. it’s okay.

Team Your Gluten Free Kitchen