Okay, so today I finally got around to making those vegan gluten-free granola bars I’ve been thinking about. It feels like forever since I last made a batch, and my snack drawer was looking seriously empty. Plus, I wanted something kinda healthy but still tasty, you know?
Getting Started – The Ingredient Hunt
First things first, I had to gather everything. I rummaged through my pantry. Needed gluten-free rolled oats – gotta make sure they’re certified GF, otherwise, what’s the point? Found a big bag, good. Then, nuts and seeds. I grabbed some almonds I needed to use up, chopped those roughly. Found some pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds too, chucked them in. I like a bit of crunch. For sweetness and stickiness, I went with maple syrup this time, plus a big dollop of almond butter. You need that binder, otherwise, they just crumble everywhere. Oh, and some coconut oil, vanilla extract for flavour, and a pinch of salt – always salt, it makes everything else taste better.
Mixing it All Up
So, I got out my biggest mixing bowl. Dumped in the oats, the chopped almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds. Gave that a quick stir just to mix the dry stuff. In a small saucepan, I gently heated the maple syrup, coconut oil, and almond butter. Just until it was melted and combined, you don’t want it boiling. Took it off the heat, stirred in the vanilla extract and the salt. The kitchen started smelling pretty good at this point.
Then, the messy part. Poured the warm, sticky liquid mixture over the dry oat mixture in the big bowl. Got my sturdy spatula and started mixing. You really have to get in there and make sure everything is coated. It feels like it won’t come together at first, but keep stirring. It gets sticky! I almost forgot – decided to throw in some vegan chocolate chips at the last minute. Folded those in gently.
Pressing and Baking
Next up, the pan. I grabbed my trusty 8×8 inch square pan and lined it with parchment paper, leaving some overhang on the sides. This makes it way easier to lift out later. Scooped the sticky granola mixture into the pan. Now, this is important: you gotta press it down. Like, really press it down. Firmly and evenly. I used the bottom of a measuring cup, covered with a bit of parchment so it wouldn’t stick. Packed it in tight, especially the corners. If you don’t press it hard enough, you get crumbly bars instead of actual bars.
Into the oven it went. I had preheated it to around 350°F (that’s about 175°C). Baked it for maybe 20-25 minutes? I just watched until the edges looked golden brown and it felt slightly firm. You don’t want to overbake, or they get too hard.
The Waiting Game (and Cutting)
This is the hardest part: waiting. You absolutely must let the granola slab cool completely in the pan. Don’t even think about cutting it while it’s warm, it’ll just fall apart. Trust me, I’ve made that mistake before. Patience! Once it was totally cool – took a couple of hours on the counter – I used the parchment paper overhangs to lift the whole thing out onto a cutting board. Grabbed my sharpest knife and cut it into bars. Decided on rectangles today, sometimes I do squares.
The Result?
They came out pretty good! Held together nicely, which is always a win. They have a good chewy texture with a bit of crunch from the nuts and seeds. The maple syrup and almond butter combo worked well, sweet but not too sweet. And the chocolate chips were definitely a good call. Perfect with a cup of tea later. Stashed them in an airtight container. They probably won’t last long though!