Recipes for Gluten-Free Protein Bars:
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Yummy Banana-Oat Bars
Serves: 8
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
2 cups quick oats (not instant)
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup raisins or chopped dates
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
2 large ripe bananas, mashed
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce (optional)
1 tablespoon date sugar (optional)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix ingredients together in a large bowl.
Press dough in a 9"X 9" baking pan and bake for 30 minutes.
Cool on wire rack. When cool, slice into squares or bars and serve.
Note: Add the applesauce & date sugar for a sweeter, moister version of these bars.
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You can substitute peanut butter with almond or cashew butter, and also substitute the sugar and corn syrup with about 1/2 c agave.
1 c peanut butter/ use almond butter
1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 c corn syrp
1/3 c butter
2 tsp vanilla
3 1/3 c rolled oats
1/2 c flake coconut
1/2 c sunflower seed
1/2 GF choc. chips
Mix and press into greased 13 X 9 pan bake 350 for 20 minutes. Cool, refrigerate and cut. Keep refrigerated.
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Energy Bars
1 cup each
sunflower seeds
pumpkin seeds,
nuts (cashew, almond...)
1 cup banana chips
Directions:
Chop them all in food processor until no bigger than 1/3 size of a sunflower seed.
Put into another bowl:
2 handfuls of pitted dates
1 handful of raisins
1/2 cup nut butter (peanut, cashew, almond...)
2-3 Tbs flax or hemp oil (I used melted coconut oil for the taste)
pulse in the food processor (this is the difficult part because it jams up)
Next add to the processor mix:
2/3 cup protein powder (could be vanilla Spirutein or any other. Preferably use a special non -allergen one)
Remove from processor and use hands to mix with the ground nuts. It should be somewhat crumbly but stick together. Add more powder if to wet or more flax oil of to dry.
Scoop with a teaspoon and roll into a ball and refrigerate. If your hands get to sticky wet them a bit.
It's a lot of work but look how healthy and no processed sugar! They are great to grab on the go.
**Try adding Koala Krisps (chocolate rice krispies) for a new twist.
They can also be rolled in coconut or maybe a cocoa powder.
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Nut Butter Trail Mix Bar
3 Cups GF Rice Cereal or a Combination of Cereals * See Note
1 Cup Sliced Almonds
1 Cup Dried Cranberries
1 Cup Sliced Dates
1 1/2 Cups Raisins
1/2 Cup Sunflower Seeds
1 Cup Honey
3/4 Cup Sugar
16 Ounces of Peanut Butter or Almond Butter
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
1 Cup Dairy Free Chocolate Chips
Combine honey and sugar in saucepan, heat over medium heat 3 to 5 minutes or until it comes to a boil, Boil one minute. Add nut butter, chocolate chips and vanilla, stir to melt. Pour over cereal and fruit mixture, press into greased pan, when cool cut into squares.
Note: You can use any combination of nuts and dried fruits. Try a few of these substitutes: dried cherries, coconut, golden raisins, dried apricots sliced chopped pecans, or chopped walnuts.
You can get the gluten-free puffed rice cereal at Whole Foods Market.
* Note: You can also make this without the cereal – just use all nuts & dried fruits.
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Dried Fruit & Nut Balls – No Cook!
1/2 Cup Raisins
1/2 Cup Dried Apricots
1/2 Cup Chopped Dates
3/4 Cup Dried Cranberries or Dried Cherries
3/4 Cup Pecans or Walnuts
1 Cup Almonds
1/4 Cup orange juice
1/2 Confectioners Sugar, sifted
Combine dried fruit and nuts in a food processor and pulse to a coarse texture, about one minute. Add the orange juice and pulse again until the mixture sticks together. Shape the mixture into 1 inch balls, roll them in powdered sugar. Or, dip in melted chocolate.
Refrigerate, or store in an airtight container.
Makes about 2 1/2 doz.
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