These hearty breakfast bars remind me of a granola bar or an omega-3 packed power bar. They’re filling and tasty.
After I made a batch of these and was waiting for them to cool before cutting and stylizing them for a “photo shoot,” my younger son proudly taunted me that he had picked out all of the raisins from the top of the bars.
Needless to say, I was quite miffed. Especially since I have a couple of half gallon jars full of raisins at the boys disposal which they freely dip into when they have a “sugar” fix.
Well, I found a corner of the bars that still had the raisins mostly in tact for the photo above.
Breakfast Bars
Ingredients
- 1¼ cup blanched almond flour (not almond meal)
- ¼ teaspoon celtic sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ cup grapeseed oil
- ¼ cup agave nectar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- ½ cup pumpkin seeds
- ½ cup sunflower seeds
- ¼ cup blanched slivered almonds
- ¼ cup raisins
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine almond flour, salt and baking soda
- In a large bowl, combine grapeseed oil, agave and vanilla
- Stir dry ingredients into wet
- Mix in coconut, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, almond slivers and raisins
- Grease an 8 x 8 inch baking dish with grapeseed oil
- Press the dough into the baking dish, wetting your hands with water to help pat the dough down evenly
- Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes
- Cool bars in pan for 2 hours, then serve
None of the nuts and seeds in this low-maintenance bar are toasted. I wanted to make something quick and easy, that could be whipped up in just a couple of minutes before popping into the oven.
In other news, NPR just ran an interesting story on celiac disease that I think is worth checking out.
going paleo says
I found the bars crumbled once cooked and cut – not sure what I could do to make them ‘stick’ Any suggestions? Delicious though – even if I have to eat it with a spoon!
Eileen says
I’ve made these oddles of times and found that having ingredients room temp makes a big difference to how well they hold together. Also, measuring ingredients pretty precisely and really packing down with wet hands as last step per Elana’s directions. Lastly, I find that they hold together a little better when refrigerated after cooled and before taking out of pan. I like to cut into bars and then take in snack bags instead of Larabars and the like and they hold together fairly well that way. Plus, gets them off the counter where I can’t resist. :-)
Sarah says
I love these. Since Christmas I’ve developed an addiction to baked goods for brunch; not so healthy. These are perfect for a healthier substitue to my baked goods breakfasts, thanks Elana :)
Sassybigbuttbeauty says
A couple of years ago I did the Avon walk and, of course, they don’t have provisions for food allergies so food was quite an issue that weekend. This next summer I’m doing it again and these will be a perfect thing to bring a long!
Kim
Briana says
I made these and they fell apart but wwere good:)
Sher says
Mine too. I rechecked the amounts, let them cool over night and still crumble.
Lovesmyveggies says
I have made these several times, and each time they come out AMAZING!!! Like one person pointed out in the comments, the hardest part is waiting to eat them for breakfast. I didn’t have grapeseed oil or almond flour so I had to make some changes. Instead of the grapeseed oil, I used coconut oil. And instead of the almond flour, I used a mixture of flax seeds ground up, rolled oats ground up, raw almonds ground up, and a bit of barley flour. I realize that the oats are not gluten free, but I thought I would just put it out there that even with these substitutions they came out delicious! If you use these substitutions, though, make sure you chill them before slicing them. It helps keep them from crumbling. :-)
Eileen says
FANTASTIC- the only problem is waiting until breakfast to eat them! So very glad to have a great GF “breakfast on the run” after years of far lesser commercial offerings. Now, when I have to run kids somewhere (and everyone else somehow manages to fit in breakfast but me), jumping in the car with a breakfast bar and cup of joe doesn’t seem punitive. Thanks so much! The first recipe from your blog I have tried but will definitely be trying more.
Karin says
I have made this recipe and variations of it thereof about three or four times now, and wanted you to know how much I love it and just how THANKFUL I am that you created and posted this! It’s been a lifesaver as I made these for traveling on a recent trip from Paris to Canada. These bars were all I had to eat at some meals while in transit. :)
Much like Alchemille, I’ve used maple syrup (I discovered that agave nectar really bothers my system as it is too high in fructose for me) and regularly use sesame oil instead of grapeseed.
Also, I just made these bars again this past Monday and was scrounging for ingredients to add in (I did not have raisins nor almonds on hand…). I used ground hazelnut flour instead of almond, and I threw in not only pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and coconut, but a quarter cup of sesame seeds, too and they tasted GREAT!
I am going to the store now to get more ingredients to make these simple and delicious bars. Many thanks, again. :)
Theresa Watson says
HI Elana,
I finally had a chance to try these bars — of course I had to add my own flavor. What I love about this recipe is that it is so forgiving and the possibilities are endless.
I didn’t have almond slivers so I used pignoli’s (pine nuts), I added a handful of dried cranberries and of course a handful of chocolate chips — my husband said that they taste like trailmix in a bar.
Thanks so much — this is an awesome recipe — maybe fresh cranberries when in season would be a nice addition, maybe some chopped dates or other dried fruits — YUM — thanks for all your inspiration.
Theresa Watson
Merritt Island, Florida
Laura says
I found your website a few weeks ago and LOVED these bars!! My family and I are fortunate to not have any dietary restrictions, but I am always looking for healthy snacks to satisfy my sweet tooth! My kids enjoyed these and loved your Gluten-Free brownies, as well. I will definitely tell everyone about your site!
Lorain says
I found your website the other day and these treats looked yummy….I used coconut oil and maple syrup as subs (it’s what I had) and they are the most addictive things ever!! Hubby, who is free to eat anything he wants, has proclaimed them as his new favourite treat.
Thanks!!