It’s another busy week at our house with spring sports really taking off! With so much extra activity, I wanted to make sure we had some snack bars that are quick to grab and tasty enough to get the teenagers to eat them, but filled with good-for-you dried fruit and nuts for all the protein, carbs, and fiber their bodies need for all the extra workouts, and growing they’re doing!
I used my recipe for Cashew Cherry Chocolate Energy Snack Bars as a guide to create this version. I also wanted to clear out the pantry of some items that have been sitting around for a couple months being uneaten. So…I pulled out the last of the gluten-free crispy rice cereal, dried cranberries, and agave syrup. I added some gluten-free rolled oats, chopped up some dates, and added some date syrup. I had raw nuts, so decided to roast them myself. I forgot to set the timer, and burned most of the cashews, so I ended up starting over with some almonds and pecans along with what was left of the cashews. They taste even better!
Gluten-Free Chewy Chocolate Chip Fruit and Nut Energy Bars
Ingredients:
3/4 Cup Almond Butter (or other nut butter of your choice)
3/4 Cup mix of Agave Syrup and Date Syrup (or use Honey)
2- 1/4 Cup mix of Roasted Nuts (Almond, Cashew, Pecan)
1 Cup mix of dried fruit (Cranberries and Dates), chopped
2 Cups Gluten-Free Crispy Rice Cereal (Erewhon or EnviroKidz)
1 Cup Gluten-Free Rolled Oats, toasted, if you like (Bob’s Red Mill)
3/4 Cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips (Use Enjoy Life to make it dairy-free.)
Directions:
- In a small bowl, mix together the almond butter with the agave syrup and date syrup (or honey). Stir until well blended. (The almond butter was soft and smooth enough that I didn’t need to heat it up to stir in the sweetener. If your nut butter is too tough, then heat it up a little on the stove or microwave until it blends nicely. Then, let it cool before incorporating into the rest of the recipe.)
- Line a 10 x 16 jelly roll pan with parchment paper. It doesn’t need to be perfectly lined or the perfect size, it just makes shaping the bars and removing the bars from the pan easier. You can also use a 9 x 13 pan, or simply a sheet of parchment paper on the counter.
- Chop up the fruit and nuts to desired size. (Or, place them in a food processor, and give it a quick whirl until they are chopped into pieces. But don’t let it go too long, or you’ll end up with a ball!) Pour it all into a large bowl.
- Add the cereal, oats, and chocolate chips to the large bowl of ingredients. Then, pour the nut butter/syrup mixture on top of the ingredients in the large bowl. Use a spatula to mix all the ingredients together. (If you heated the nut butter mixture, it may melt the chocolate. If you want the chocolate chips to remain as chips, make sure the nut butter mixture has had enough time to cool.)
- Firmly press the mixture into the lined pan with a spatula, or use a sheet of plastic wrap on top and press it to the edges with a rolling pin.
- Place in the freezer for 15 minutes, or place in the refrigerator for an hour to set.
- Once set, lift the bars out of the pan using the parchment paper and place on a cutting board. Use a pizza cutter or large knife to cut the bars into the size and shape you want. I cut these into typical bar size, about 5″ x 2″ and ended up with 18 bars
- To store these yummy treats, wrap the bars in plastic wrap or snack bags or place in a sealed container. They don’t last longer than a week or two at our house on the counter. If you plan to keep them longer, or your house is really warm, you may want to store in the refrigerator.
Additional Notes:
- I’ve made these with a variety of ingredients: almonds, dates, macadamias, pistachios, hazelnuts, etc. Choose your favorites or try a mix of nuts and dried fruit (raisins, mango, pineapple, apricot, etc).
- To roast raw nuts, simply spread them out an a sheet pan and bake at 350 F for 5 minutes. Pull them out and toss around for even baking, and put back in the oven for an additional 3-5 minutes. Some nuts may brown more quickly then others depending on fat content and size. Watch carefully, they can burn quickly!
- Don’t be afraid to press these into the pan very firmly. They will stay together better if you do.
- You may have noticed that I put chocolate into everything that I can. Feel free to leave them out, if it’s not your addiction.
![🙂]()
Celiac Family’s Menu Plan this week:
Monday: Bacon-Wrapped Chicken, Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Broccoli
Tuesday: Taco Salad with Corn and Black Bean Salad
Wednesday: leftovers
Thursday: Corned Beef, Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Cauliflower
Friday: Rosemary Chicken with Mushrooms, Broccoli Salad
Saturday: Thick Crust Pizza, Green Salad with Parmesan Dressing
Sunday: Eating Out
Gluten Free Menu Swap Roundup
Due to the lack of participation, we’ve suspended the GF Menu Swap Roundup.
- You are still welcome to join us at any time. Email your menu link to me to be included in future menu posts, or simply leave a link to your menu in the comments section below. It’s always great to share new gluten-free meal ideas.
- Feel free to visit our schedule past menu swaps with lots of great menu ideas and a wide variety of food themes to inspire you for months.
Need more menu ideas?
- Laura at Orgjunkie.com hosts Menu Plan Monday every week. You’ll find links to hundreds of meal plans (not necessarily gluten-free) there.
- Or, check out some of my past menu plans.