You know what the worst part about feeding my entire family gluten free and as organic and chemical free as possible? The COST! $6 for a box of 5 gluten free snack bars?! Really?! So yes, making my own snacks from scratch does take up some of my time, but no more time than it'd take to make a batch of cookies, plus it saves me $$$ - like $.25 for .$50 per bar and I know exactly what's in them. So I take the time, and you know what? It's worth it. This recipe makes approximately 16 bars and the variations are endless.

Granola Bars

• 2 cups gluten free oats
• 1 cup quinoa (cook according to package directions. Yields 2 cups) 
• 1 cup peanut butter or Almond Butter
• 1 tbsp. ground flaxseed
• 1/2 cup almond flour 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 cup raw honey or real maple syrup (or 1/4 cup of each)
• 1/4 tsp. sea salt

Preheat oven to 350. Combine the above ingredients together. Hint* Adding the nut butter in with the hot quinoa first will help it blend easier with remaining ingredients. Now add in your variation to make it just the way you like!

Variation Possibilities1 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. allspice, 1/3 cup raisins, 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
1/3 cup chopped cashews, 1/3 cup white almond bark chunks, 1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup coconut flakes, 1/3 cup chopped macadamia nuts, 1/3 cup chopped dried mango
replace almond butter with peanut butter, 1/2 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips

Add in one of these variations or come up with one of your own. Rub some coconut oil on the bottom and sides of a 9x13 baking pan or line it with parchment paper. Press the granola bar mixture into the pan. The more compact it is the better. Use another pan on top to press the mixture in nice and tight. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Allow to cool completely before cutting into rectangles. Store in a sealable container in the fridge.

Enjoy!