Gluten Free Energy Bar Recipes
The incidence of celiac disease and gluten intolerance has garnered more attention recently, and with it an interest in finding gluten-free energy bar recipes. Energy bars have become very popular as people are becoming more health conscious.
Gluten-Free Energy Bar Ingredients
The key to making gluten-free energy bars is to avoid including gluten containing ingredients such as wheat, rye, and barley. The great news is there are plenty of gluten-free ingredients out there that are both nutritious and delicious, many of which can be used in energy bar recipes. They include:
- Nuts
- Seeds
- Dried Fruit
- Vegetables
- Shredded coconut
- Nut Butters
- Spices
Oats are a common ingredient in many energy bars. Oats do not inherently contain gluten, but may be contaminated with it when grown or processed in the same facility as other grains. Many bar recipes include the use of oats. There is no need to avoid oats just remember to look for those which are certified gluten-free.
Gluten-Free Energy Bar Recipes
Healthy bars make a great snack when you are on the go because they offer many essential nutrients, providing they are made from healthful ingredients.
No Bake Gluten-Free Energy Bars
This recipe is delicious and very simple to make. It requires no baking and is great for both kids and adults. These bars do not only offer a satisfying snack, they also provide antioxidants, as well as many vitamin and minerals.
Another great feature about these bars is that it is quite simple to substitute ingredients. For example, if you don’t have almonds you can use another type of nut instead. You can substitute almond or peanut butter if you don’t have cashew butter. Dried cherries can be replaced with another type of dried fruit such as raisins or cranberries.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup almonds
- 1 cup dried, pitted cherries
- 1 cup cashew butter
- 3 Tablespoons honey
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (for an optional kick!)
- Pinch of sea salt
Method
- Grind the almonds into a coarse texture in a food processor. Be careful that you don’t mix them long enough that they become almond butter.
- In a large bowl, combine the ground almonds with remaining ingredients. Mix with either your hands or a wooden spoon.
- Pinch off pieces of the dough and shape into little bars or balls.
- Refrigerate in tightly sealed container for about 24 hours for the best consistency and flavor.
- These bars can be wrapped individually in plastic wrap or waxed paper and brought along for when you need an energy-boosting snack!
Other Recipes
There are plenty of great gluten-free energy bar recipes available online. Here are some to try:
- Gluten Free Almond Power Bars By Elana’s Pantry
- Melissa’s Mile High Energy Bars from Gluten Free For Good
- Banana-Nut Energy Bars from Gluten Free Kathy’s Weblog
Commercially Available Products
You may not always have time to make your own energy bars. Luckily, there are many companies who make and sell gluten-free energy bars. Many of these are available online or in your local health food or grocery store.
- [www.larabar.com Larabar] offers over 20 different varieties of gluten-free energy bars.
- Pure Bar offers six different flavors of energy bars that are gluten-free.
- Enjoy Life Foods has four different varieties of gluten-free energy bars
- Bumblebar makes 12 varieties of gluten-free energy bars.
- NoGu offers three varieties of gluten-free bars to choose from.
Eating gluten-free does not mean you should have to compromise when it comes to flavor or nutrition. Fortunately, as interest in the eating gluten free grows, many more gluten-free products and recipes, including gluten-free energy bar recipes, are being developed. This is good news for everyone living the gluten-free lifestyle.
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