It's that time of year again, time to get out on the trails and see the world, and with Memorial Day on the horizon we figured a little trekking fuel was in order.
A while back we shared our favorite recipe for granola bars. This recipe is its lean and mean gluten-free cousin. Full of vitamin A, iron, calcium and lots of Omega 3s...
... mixed with a little honey to keep it all together...
... and a few antioxidants from a quick dip in extra dark chocolate...
... these bars will keep you full of energy during all of your favorite adventures.
Gluten-Free Super Energy Bars
- 1 cup raw almonds (coarsely chopped)
- 1 cup raw pepitas
- 1 cup dried cherries
- 1/2 cup toasted flax seed (grinding it will give you the full nutritional benefits, but you can leave some seeds whole for the extra nutty crunch)
- 1 cup honey
- 1 - 4 oz of the darkest gluten-free chocolate you enjoy (optional)
Mix all of your dry ingredients together (except the chocolate) in a parchment lined baking pan. In a saucepan, heat honey until it is at the hard ball candy stage (300-310 degrees). Stir continuously during this process and test to see if it is ready by dropping a bit of the boiling honey into a glass of ice water. As soon as the honey turns into hard candy when you do this, it's done.
Quickly pour the honey mixture over the dry ingredients and mix together with a rubber spatula. Time is of the essence here so don't pour the candied honey on until you are ready to mix it all up. Within a few minutes the mixture will have cooled enough to be able to press it out using another sheet of parchment paper on top of the mixture. Use the palms of your hands to press the bars into a uniform thickness (about 1/4" - 1/2"). When you are done pressing it out remove the top layer of parchment and place the sheet into the freezer for a few moments.
When you can peel the bar mix up off the bottom layer of parchment (but when it is still slightly warm) take it out of the freezer and cut it into bars that are about 1.25" x 2". Return the bars to the freezer for a little longer.
If you would like to add the chocolate coating on the bottom of the bars, melt your chocolate in a double boiler (or in a metal bowl over a pan of simmering water) and dip the bottoms of the bars into the chocolate and let cool. Store in an airtight container with layers of parchment between the layers of bars. Keep in a cool place. Makes 36 bars
Nutritional Value:
Approximately 100 calories per bar, 40 calories from fat, 2.5 grams of protein and 1.6 grams of dietary fiber (plus all of the goodies like vitamin A, Omega 3s, calcium, potassium, iron, and zinc).
Happy Trails!
~ Sarah
P.S. Don't forget to check out our interview with the lovely Sharon Lovejoy and enter to win one of her amazing books and a toad house too!
*Last time in Recipes: Chocolate Coconut Mud Puddle Cookies
