Quick & Easy Granola Bars

My love of vegan foods is growing.  Especially since I keep finding easy and delicious recipes to try.  My latest experiment...vegan gluten-free granola bars.  They are so easy and no-bake (which I love in this hot Arizona weather).  And like all great recipes, they are easily customizable. I found the original recipe here.  It is a delicious recipe, but the sugar content is WOW!! It contains 12-15 grams of sugar (for 16 bars depending on nut butter used).

So, I played around with it a bit.  I tried to cut down the sugar....by eliminating the brown sugar, using less brown rice syrup, and switching up the nut butter used.  What I learned....the brown sugar can be eliminated (but that only removes 1 gram of sugar per bar) and the brown rice syrup cannot be lessened.  Don't get me wrong, the mixture still tastes fantastic without as much brown rice syrup, but the bars do not stick together correctly.  It falls apart into a clumpy mess.  Here is the recipe I decided on....

Ingredients

2 c quick oats (we have bulk oats)
2 c crispy rice cereal (I use Erewhon, it's organic and gluten-free)
1/2 c of nut butter (I prefer almond, but I've used peanut)
2/3 c brown rice syrup
1/3 - 1/2 c chopped raisins
1/3 - 1/2 c vegan chocolate chips (I use Enjoy Life brand)
1 - 2 tsp vanilla extract (the kind with no corn syrup)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 package of sliced or slivered almonds (optional, but yummy)
1/2 tsp salt (optional and not needed if nut butter is salted)

Combine nut butter and rice syrup in microwave safe bowl.  Heat for 1 min and mix.  Heat for another 1 min.  Add vanilla and cinnamon

In a separate bowl, combine the oats, rice cereal, raisins, and almonds.  Add syrup mixture and blend well.  Gently fold in the chocolate chips, being careful the chips don't melt.

Spread mixture into a foil- lined square or rectangular pan (original recipe says 8x8, I used 7x11).  Firmly pack down.  I like to save some almonds and chocolate chips to sprinkle on top.  Freeze for at least 1 hour or until set.

When set, pull foil out of pan and cut into bar shapes.  I aimed for about the size of a Quaker chewy granola bar and was able to get 16 bars.

ENJOY!!  You can store them in a "tupperware" container, plastic wrap, or mini plastic bag (which is what I use).









This recipe still contains a higher amount of sugar per bar than I would like, but I've decided I am ok with that.  Here is my reasoning.....I would rather have a chemical-free, higher-sugar, homemade granola bar than a low-sugar, chemically-altered store bought bar.  I avoid artificial sugars (and other artificial ingredients) as much as possible.  If you are worried about your intake of sugar, just be extra vigilant in your other foods.

Final nutrient count for 16 bars using plain almond butter and slivered almonds.  Keep in mind the majority of fat comes from the almonds and almond butter, so it is a good healthy fat.  Your nutrients will differ depending on nut butter used, as well as the amount of raisins, almonds, and chocolate chips used.

DIY Copycat Quest Bars

While on my fitness journey, I have become obsessed with Quest bars.  I mean OBSESSED!! Most protein, meal replacement bars are good, but taste a bit off.  Quest bars taste like heaven in your mouth.  Especially the White Chocolate Raspberry!  I drool just thinking about it.  These bars are filling, help with my sweet tooth, and are filled with healthy, nutritious goodness. 

Sadly, they are made with whey, which doesn't fit into the vegan lifestyle I am trying to build.  Luckily, I happened across The Big Man's World website.  With a little bit of adjusting, I came up with a recipe for gluten-free, mostly-vegan, deliciously homemade protein bar.

Ingredients
3 c. gluten-free oat flour
2 scoops of protein powder (vegan or whey if not vegan)
2 T granulated sweetener (I used Stevia)
1/2 t salt
1/2 c of nut butter (I used almond)
1/2 c brown rice syrup
2 t vanilla extract
4-6 T unsweetened almond milk
White chocolate chips or chunks (only part not vegan, I used 1/2 c)
Dried raspberries (I dehydrated my own, use as many or as little as you want)

Add dry ingredients in large mixing bowl and mix well.
 

In separate microwave-safe bowl, melt nut butter and syrup.  I put mine in the microwave for 1 min, mixing halfway through.  Add 2 t vanilla, blend.

Combine liquid and dry mixture.  Mix well. 

Slowly add 1 T of almond milk at a time until dough is formed.

Right amount of almond milk

Too much almond milk, add more flour to correct

Make sure the mixture has cooled, so chocolate doesn't melt.  Then fold in white chocolate and raspberries.

Separate into equal parts (I got 14 out of mine).  Place onto cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  You can either smush them into cookies or bars as I did.

cookies

bars

the vegan dough wouldn't incorporate the white chocolate, like it knew it ruined the veganess, lol

Refrigerate for at least 30 min.  I take my to work for lunch, so I like to keep mine in the freezer (I wrap them in strips of the parchment paper and place in plastic baggie).  At lunch time, they are thawed by still chilled.

I had some trouble finding a few of the ingredients (actually, I didn't feel like running all over town to several stores to find them).  The dried raspberries and vegan white chocolate where a problem.  I have a recipe to make vegan white chocolate, but I couldn't find one of the ingredients for that so, I made due with what I could.  I dehydrated a clamshell of organic raspberries and used regular white chocolate chips, until I can find or make vegan ones.  Also, I made half the recipe vegan (not counting the white chocolate) and half whey for the BF.  We both agreed they were yummy!  The cost for 14 bars was about $20-$25.

Nutrient facts
Vegan: 

Whey:

ENJOY!!!

One pot quinoa dish

I want to share with you one of my favorite dishes.  It is quick, easy, nutritious, and clean.  Best part.....its versatile and delicious!!  I was introduced to quinoa (KEEN-wah) a couple years ago through Blogilates.  I quickly became obsessed!  It is so healthy and so tasty!  But sadly, I didn't know many ways to cook it.  I came across a recipe on Pinterest that sounded amazing, so I gave it a try.  I'll share that recipe with you and the recipe for our new version of cooking it.  I'll also post the calories and nutrients.

Ingredients:
1 c. organic quinoa
2 c. organic vegetable broth
2 c. organic broccoli
1 c. shredded cheese (from block)

Add broth, quinoa, and broccoli to medium saucepan.  Bring to a boil.

Quinoa, Amaranth, Cauliflower, Broccoli, Broth 

Once boiling, cover and simmer on low for 10-12 minutes, or until broth has been absorbed.

Simmering

Broth fully absorbed

Stir in shredded cheese.

Do not use store bought shredded cheese.
Only clean if cheese is from a block.

Fully cooked quinoa

Serve warm.  I like to sprinkle a little bit of black pepper and cayenne pepper on mine for a nice little kick.

Add a sprinkle of cheese or seasonings

This can serve 2-4 people depending on if it's a side dish or main dish.  We usually eat this as our main and only dish, so we divide it between the two of us.  Now keep in mind, serving it as two servings makes the calories fairly high due to the cheese.  If you are worried about calorie/fat count, you could easily do less cheese (we just happen to LOVE cheese).  Four servings calorie count is 285.  Two servings calorie count is 570.  It is 49% carbs, 32% fat, 19% protein.

4 servings

2 servings

 Since quinoa costs can start to add up if you use it often and we are trying to add more/different vegetables, we've started playing around with the recipe.  Our current recipe (and what is shown in the pictures) is....

Ingredients:
3/4 c. organic quinoa
1/4 c. organic amaranth
2 c. organic vegetable broth
1 1/2 c. organic cauliflower
1 c. organic broccoli
little less than 1 c. shredded cheese (from block)

Cook as described above.  Four serving calorie count is 297.  Two servings calorie count is 594.  It is 46% carbs, 35% fat, 19 % protein.

The great thing about this recipe is you can adjust it to your tastes.  You can use any vegetables you want!  Or change up the grain amounts, use less cheese, use water instead of broth.  It's all up to you!  Enjoy!!