Homemade Granola Bar

It is so hard to find a healthy vegan granola bar that is gluten free too.  I came across a recipe online for homemade granola bars and I thought this was a perfect way to make simple granola bars AND I can control what these bars are made with.  Any kind of nuts, seeds, dried fruit, or nut butter can turn these bars into a wide variety of flavors.  After they are made all that needs to be done is for them to freeze, be cut into individual bars, and wrapped so they are ready to grab and go!  This recipe was adapted from this website.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup gluten free oats
• 1/2 cup dried fruit (I bought Sunkist mixed dried fruit)
• 2 tablespoons agave
• 2 tablespoons applesauce
• 1/4 cup nut butter (I used PB2)
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 tablespoon flax seed meal (If you have regular flax seeds, they would be better for texture)

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and stir to combine.
2. Line a 9x5 loaf pan with wax paper or foil.  Make sure to leave the ends of the paper or foil sticking out so you can easily pull the granola out later.
3. Press the granola mixture firmly into the bottom of the pan.
4. Freeze for about 2 hours. 
5. After 2 hours, pull out the granola by the extra ends of the paper or foil.  Cut the bars into individual servings. (I cut 7 bars)
6. Wrap each individual bar in saran wrap and freeze until ready to grab and go and eat!

Note: These must be eaten frozen or thawed only for about 5 minutes.  If they get too warm they will no longer hold together.

After freezing for 2 hours, right before I cut the granola into individual bars.

Here's one of the individual bars, looks delicious!

Here's another individual bar, where you can see the side of it.