Oat-free, Gluten-free, Vegan No-Bake Bars

As I plan for the arrival of my daughter and two grandkids, I continue to look for recipes I can prep ahead of time.  My grandson has a lot of food allergies. While they think he will outgrow at least some of them, right now we are all trying to be super careful with what he eats.

Finding a soft granola bar without wheat OR oats commercially is tough. When wheat is eliminated, the main go to is oat flakes.  In an internet search I found this gem by Rebecca on her site Strength and Sunshine which focuses on gluten-free and allergy-friendly cooking. These bars only have 3 ingredients, although the author suggestions other things you can add. And they are refrigerator bars - no baking. The secret will be finding Quinoa Flakes locally. If not, I can always order online. 

The other ingredient I am unsure of is Sunflower Seed Butter. She does say you can use another nut butter if tolerated, and I know my grandson can have Almond Butter. I've decided to make a big batch of home-made Almond Butter before he comes for multiple uses.

Making nut butter from scratch is easy.  Spread the nuts (I use slivered Almonds) out on a cookie sheet. Place in a pre-heated oven and roast until lightly brown. Place the hot, roasted nuts in a food processor and run until they become a nut butter consistency.  You will need to scrape down the sides a few times during the process.

As for extra ingredients I added the cinnamon and vanilla. Then I tasted it.  I had really ripe bananas but they ended up far too plain, so I added 3-4 T Maple Syrup. You might want more or less.  Try it and taste it.  Then add what you think.  Mini chocolate chips would really amp them up, and I found dairy and soy free ones I could use, so if I do another batch I will add them.

Can't have wheat, oats, soy, egg, dairy, pear, peanut butter. And be sure to check out Rebecca's website.

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Oat-free, Gluten-free, Vegan No-Bake Bars 

Ingredients - 

2 ½ C                    Quinoa Flakes
1 C                        Homemade Almond Butter (sunflower seed or other nut butter)
1 C                        Mashed Ripe Banana

2 tsp                      Cinnamon

1 tsp                      Pure Vanilla

3 - 4 T                   Pure Maple Syrup (or to taste - this was my addition, not in original recipe)

Other possible additions

Mini chocolate chips (might need dairy free), dried fruit, chocolate drizzle (might need dairy free).

Instructions - 

Mix all ingredients together in bowl until you have a thick dough. Line an 8 x 8 pan with parchment paper, foil or plastic wrap and press the dough in, smoothing into an even layer. Chill in the fridge, then cut to size, wrap tightly, and store in Ziplock bag in the fridge or freezer. If frozen, thaw in fridge overnight.