These Quinoa Granola Bars make a delicious, healthy snack that you can feel good about serving your family! Gluten Free and Vegan.
Confession: I have a serious snacking habit.
Most days, my diet is spot on early.
I am prone to eating a salad for breakfast.
Lunch is very often a protein shake, hummus, and carrot chips.
The challenge is that I get up around 4 am. Breakfast is usually by 6 am, and lunch by 11 am. This means by early afternoon, the munchies set in.
Sometimes it isn’t even that I’m hungry. In fact, I’ve noticed that mindless snacking is something I do when I’m feeling fatigued and procrastinating work or cleaning.
I’ve been working to end the mindless factor – which almost always leads to overeating and/or eating things that do nothing to help my energy level. (Looking at you box of crackers.)
These Quinoa Granola Bars are the perfect solution! Packed with nutrition from quinoa flakes, oats, pecans, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and coconut, these granola bars are just what I need to power through an afternoon slump. They taste deliciously indulgent, without weighing me down.
Quinoa Granola Bars
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 cup muscovado sugar packed or light brown
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/3 cup coconut oil melted
- 1 cup quinoa flakes if you can't find, substitute oats
- 1 cup oats gluten free
- 1/2 cup pecans chopped
- 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
- 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
- 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
Instructions
- Place oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Line a 13 x 9 inch pan with parchment, allowing the parchment to hang over the edges of the pan. Spray with cooking spray.
- In a bowl, combine maple syrup, sugar and sea salt. Whisk in coconut oil.
- In a food processor, process 1/2 cup of the quinoa flakes until finely ground, about 45 seconds. Transfer to the bowl with the maple syrup and add in remaining quinoa flakes, oats, pecans, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and coconut.
- Transfer mixture to prepared pan and spread in an even layer. Spray a large metal spatula with oil and compress the mixture. Bake for 25 minutes and then rotate the pan. Bake for an additional 20 minutes, until golden brown.
- Let bars cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then cut into 16 bars. (While still in the pan.) Let cool for 1 hour and using parchment, life bars from a pan onto a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to re-cut bars following original cuts.
Notes
Variations for this Quinoa Granola Bar Recipe
- You can use any liquid sweetener you like in place of the maple syrup. Honey, brown rice syrup and Agave Nectar all work.
- In place of the pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds, used 1/2 cup of broken gluten-free pretzels and 1/2 cup chocolate chips.
- Add 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon red pepper for a fun twist.
- Use sliced almonds in place of the pecans.
- In place of the coconut, use chopped dried fruit.
Nutrition
Granola bars have been an obsession of mine lately. Adding these to my list to try.