Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola Bars: Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free, and Vegan!

Welcome to the Festival of Food Carnival! In celebration of Autumn and Halloween, today we're sharing recipe ideas for healthy treats, or anything you would enjoy this time of year.

Hosted by Diary of a First Child and Hybrid Rasta Mama, you're welcome to join us next time, or if you have a previously published recipe you'd like to share, add it to the linky below.

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Granola bars and other hearty grab-and-go snacks are an essential part of my family's food stash. I started making them at home many months ago, partly because the price of the pre-packaged variety is so high.

The other reason I decided to start making them at home is that I wanted to be able to have more say in the ingredients involved: grains and additives in particular (due to my gluten and soy sensitivities), as well as sugars. What better way to accomplish those things than to make granola bars from scratch!

There was just one problem, though: Jaymz prefers the taste of dried fruit and nut "trail mix" type bars, but I prefer the more dessert-like, chocolaty ones. (What's wrong with him, right!? Who doesn't like a little extra chocolate in their day?) So we came up with two different types of granola bars to satisfy our different preferences, and I'm sharing the "Amy Bar" here today.

In my search for chocolatey granola bars, I came across this recipe, which I have modified quite a bit (to be free of gluten, sugar, soy, and many others). My recipe is simple, easy, and quick—no baking required! And, if you or any of your family members have tree nut allergies, I've included easy substitutions for a nut-free version. (Please see * for substitutions.)

You will need:

• 1 cup gluten-free oats (not instant or quick oats) 
• ¼ cup shredded coconut 
• ¼ cup slivered almonds
• 2 Tablespoons ground flaxseed meal or almond meal
• 1 Tablespoon chia seeds
• ¼ cup coconut oil 
• ½ cup natural peanut butter
• ⅓ cup (raw local) honey (alternatively, brown rice syrup or maple syrup, if you're into that)
• 2 Tablespoons (organic fair trade) cocoa powder

*For nut-free version, simply substitute sunbutter in place of peanut butter, use ½ cup shredded coconut and skip the almonds!

Here's how:

• Combine the oats, flaxseed meal, coconut, almonds, and chia seeds in a bowl and mix together:

Seriously, how delicious (and good-for-you) does that look!



• In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the coconut oil, honey, peanut butter, and cocoa powder, stirring until everything has melted together thoroughly.
  
  (A handy trick to get honey to slide right out of your measuring cup: spray the measuring cup with cooking spray prior to pouring the honey in—works every time!)



• Turn off the heat, and then pour the bowl of dry ingredients right into the saucepan with the chocolaty mixture and stir it all together:
  


• Line a 9x11 baking dish with parchment paper (or freezer paper, if that's what you have on hand).


• Pour the freshly mixed granola mixture out into the lined pan. (Ok, I admit that it's not really pouring when there's a lump of granola involved. Dump the granola out of the bowl into the pan.)


• Using the back of a spoon (or simply your hands), press the granola mixture into the pan and out to all four corners so that it becomes a flat mass of granola. Level out the top so it's pretty.
  


• Chill the pan in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or so. (I usually just leave ours in there until I remember them much later in the day.) The granola bars need to be pretty cold in order to be able to cut them easily.


• Retrieve your granola. Using a table knife, slice the block of granola into bars (whatever size and shape you like). I usually cut once along the length (down the middle) and then I cut each of those into 8-10 bars.


• Store your granola bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator.


• Eat up!

I absolutely love these granola bars, and they're prefect to satisfy my sweet tooth without overloading my body with refined sugar and processed additives.

The oats make them filling, and the almonds provide protein to give me long-lasting energy from a quick snack. The coconut and coconut oil provide healthy fats to feed my brain and body. The chia seeds and flax both provide protein, Omega 3 fatty acids, and fiber.

I always feel good about giving one of these to Daniel when he requests some chocolate: he's getting so many valuable nutrients from these granola bars, and he'll happily gobble one up without thinking twice!

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Please take a moment to visit the blogs of our other Festival of Food participants. (The links in this list will be live by the end of the day, as participants are all in different time zones.)

• Jessica from Delicious Obsessions shares her recipe for Lemon Coconut Blueberry Macadamia Nut Muffins, a low-carb, low-sugar treat that won't leave you feeling guilty. You can also find Jessica on Facebook.
• Abbie at Farmer's Daughter shares a recipe for Unsweetened Cinnamon Applesauce in the slow cooker, a yummy treat that also makes the house smell amazing. You can also find Abbie on Facebook.
• Lulastic of Lulastic and the Hippy Shake shares a story of urban foraging, and the delicious recipe for the Fruit Leathers she made with the harvest! You can also find Lulastic on Facebook.
• Jennifer at Hybrid Rasta Mama shares a super easy, fix it and forget about it Crock Pot Pumpkin Custard that tastes like warm pumpkin pie filling without the sugar and grains! You can also find Jennifer on Facebook.
• Bianca at the Pierogie Mama justifies why she guards her homemade applesauce from 'unauthorized' uses. You can also find Bianca on Facebook.
• Jennifer from True Confessions of a Real Mommy helps you take your love of all things pumpkin to the dinner table! A gluten free, dairy free, and vegan if you like Thai Pumpkin Soup to warm you up! You can also find Jennifer on Facebook.
• Crackerdog Sam guest posts at Hobo Mama with a slightly sweet, stove-popped Cracker Jack alternative. You can also find Hobo Mama talking about Crackerdog Sam on Facebook.
• Luschka at Diary of a First Child shares her foundation recipe for 'milkshakes' - coloured green smoothies - that her toddler loves to have with 'chocolate' date balls and banana 'ice cream'. You can also fine Luschka on Facebook.
• Amy at Anktangle shares a wholesome version of a decadent treat: Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola Bars. They have a classic, no-bake cookie flavor while being gluten-free, sugar-free, and vegan. Nut-free substitutions included! You can also find Amy on Facebook.

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