Customizable Granola Bars (gluten-free, Top-8 Allergen Free, Rice-free)

Granola bars are an ideal snack- full of nutrients, tasty, portable.  When I was diagnosed with food allergies, I thought Granola bars would be an easy item to keep with me, so I would always have something available that I could eat.  However, after reading label after label, I discovered that almost all granola bars contained at least one of my allergens.  I have found a few bars that work for me, but my choices are very limited, so, I decided to make my own!  The following recipe is DELICIOUS, and very easy to customize!  My personal favorite is Cherry-Almond-Chocolate (soo yummy!), but there are so many different options, that you can create something that is free of your personal allergens, and full of your favorite flavors.

Customizable Granola Bars

Ingredients:
-4 1/2 cups gluten-free oats (I have used both rolled oats and steel cut oats, if you have an oat allergy try crisp rice and toasted quinoa instead of the oats)
-1 cup oat or rice flour
-1 cup coconut oil (Alternatives- butter, palm oil spread)
-1 tsp vanilla extract (Alternatives- Almond extract, Rum extract, any other flavor your heart desires)
-1 cup honey, maple syrup, agave nectar, or brown rice syrup (I like honey or maple syrup best)
-1 tsp baking soda
-2 cups add-ins (this is where you can get really creative! Dried fruits, seeds, nuts, coconut, flax seeds, chocolate chips, other toasted grains, your favorite cereals etc.  See suggestions below)

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 325, and grease a 9x13 baking pan. It's easier to get the granola bars out if you line the pan with parchment paper, and then grease the parchment paper.

Mix together your dry ingredients in a large bowl, and set aside. Combine coconut oil, sweetener, and extract in a separate bowl, mix well.  Pour the liquid ingredients into the bowl with dry ingredients, and stir well to combine.  


Dump the mixture into your greased pan, and press down firmly.  The mixture will be sticky (you probably already knew that...),  so put some water or a bit of oil on your hands as you press down.   To help with pressing down firmly, I like to place a layer of wax paper on top of the mixture, then place a second baking pan on top of the mixture and press down firmly on the second pan.  This helps to create a uniform, flat top, and helps to distribute the mixture evenly.

Throw that baby in the oven, and bake for 15-25 minutes.  The bars will be a beautiful golden brown color.  When you first take them out of the oven, they still look wet and unfinished, but they will firm and dry up as they cool.  Once they are totally cool, cut them into bars (or stars or circles- whatever shape you want your granola bars to be! There are no rules here!).

Store in the fridge in a sealed container, I like to put waxed paper between the layers of granola bars.  These can also be frozen for a later date!  These hold together well when stored in the fridge, but start to crumble a bit when warm (they still taste amazing when crumbly).  I put mine in a ziplock bag and take them with me when on the go.

Flavor combination suggestions:
*I add 1/4 cup of flax seed to any combination for the health benefits
- Cherry, Chocolate, Almond:  3/4 cup dried cherries, 3/4 cup chopped almonds, 1/2 cup chocolate chips (enjoy life brand is good for people with Top 8 allergies), substitute Almond extract for the Vanilla extract
- Tropical: 1 cup dried tropical fruits (mango, papaya, pineapple), 1/2 cup flaked coconut, 1/2 cup chopped macadamia nuts (sub sunflower seeds for nut allergies)
Fall Fun: 1/2 cup cranberries, 1/2 cup dried apple pieces, 1 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds).  Use maple syrup as your sweetener, and add 1-2 tsp pumpkin pie spice to your dry ingredients.
Berry Tasty: 3/4 cup dried berries (strawberry, raspberry, blueberry),  3/4 cup white chocolate chips, 1/2 cup nut or seed of choice (macadamia nuts or pecans would be excellent)

Combine wet and dry ingredients, and mix well

Press the mixture firmly into your greased pan

Fresh out of the oven!  Golden brown, toasty deliciousness