Whip up a batch of no-bake granola bars and you’ll have numerous snacks and quick breakfasts ready to go! Change up the fruits, nuts, and seeds for variety with each batch.
3/4 cup dark liquid sweetener (dark agave, maple syrup, or brown rice syrup)
¼ cup nut butter (almond, cashew, peanut butter, tahini, etc.)
3 cups rolled oats (or quick oats, however, rolled oats are best)
1 cup dried fruit (cherries, cranberries, blueberries, raisins, or chopped apricots)
1 cup nuts or seeds (slivered almonds, pumpkin seeds, coconut flakes, sunflower seeds, etc.)
pinch salt
OTHER:
GF vegan chocolate
lemon zest
candied ginger
dried spices or herbs
Directions:
Prepare a 9”x 9” baking sheet or pan with parchment paper.
In a food processor or blender, process 1 cup of the rolled oats into oat flour.
In a large pan over medium heat, warm syrup until bubbly. Lower heat if it’s boiling too high in the pan. Allow to simmer for about 2 minutes. (Simmering for a few minutes is what allows the sweetener to bind the ingredients so they won’t crumble.)
Whisk in the almond butter.
Turn off the heat.
Add the rolled oats, oat flour, dried fruit, nuts, and spices. Mix well.
Immediately press firmly into baking sheet or pan. Cool before cutting into bars with a sharp knife if you want them to be dry enough not to be too sticky. (Place in fridge for at least 30 minutes or an hour on the counter, minimum.)
Cut into desired size. (If you want them to fit into snack-size bags or specific containers, cut into appropriate shape and size.)
Wrap individual bars in parchment paper and tuck into a snack-size ziplock bag if you want quick grab-and-go bars.
Keep refrigerated or store in a cool place.
OPTIONAL: Dip into melted 85% dark, vegan chocolate for a decadent treat! Allow to set.
½ cup slivered almonds, chopped or pulsed in grinder
½ cup fruit jam, your choice!
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Prepare almond coating by finely chopping with a knife or pulsing in a spice or nut grinder. Place in a suitable bowl for rolling dough balls.
Mix together dry ingredients.
Cream nut butter, syrup and almond extract.
Add dry ingredients and combine well. The dough will be sticky.
Using moistened hands, form 1” balls. Roll each ball in chopped almonds. Press gently with thumb to make a dent on top of cookie. Set each cookie on cookie sheet.
Bake for 12-15 minutes until lightly browned.
Cool completely and fill with your choice of jam or fruit butter!
So simple! So delicious!! Chia seeds not only thicken fruit to make jam, they provide omega 3 fatty acids and lots of dietary fiber to your breakfast, snacks, or treats!
Lightly sweet, this healthy pumpkin spice loaf is delightful for breakfast, a snack, or a dessert. It’s equally tasty with the addition of dried cranberries, or chopped dried apricots. Although optional, the crunchy sweet strudel topping is just a great addition, I highly recommend it!
⅔ cup pecans, walnuts, or pumpkin seeds, finely chopped
2 Tbsp dark raw sugar
1 Tbsp maple syrup
½ tsp cinnamon
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Line a 9”x5”x3” loaf pan or mini-loaf pan with parchment paper.
Into a large bowl, measure ground flax seeds. Add all of the wet ingredients and whisk together.
In a medium bowl, mix together the dry ingredients, including the dried fruit.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet about a cup at a time and combine well.
Either fold in the chopped nuts, or prepare Nutty Topping.
Transfer batter into pan.
Mix together Nutty Topping ingredients and gently press onto top.
Bake mini-loaves 35-40 minutes, large loaf 70-75 minutes. (NOTE: Even though the loaf will be browned nicely after 60 minutes, don’t be tempted to bake less than at least 70 minutes or you could end up with a too moist middle. Test the middle with a knife or wooden skewer to be sure.)
Cool completely before serving. Use a serrated knife to slice.
Classic peanut butter cookies without the refined sugar or fiber-less flour! Just whole-food ingredients for quick and easy comfort food. Nothing wrong with adding a layer of chocolate, too!
Author: Victoria Laine
Serves:: 2 dozen
Prep time::
Cook time::
Total time::
Ingredients:
1 cup raisins or dates
1 cup peanut butter
2½ cups rolled oats
¾ tsp salt
½ cup maple syrup (or other dark liquid sweetener)
CHOCOLATE VARIATION:
8 oz GF vegan (70-85%) chocolate bar, or chocolate chips or chunks
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a food processor with the S-blade, process all ingredients until you get a dough-like texture.
With clean hands mold dough into about ping-pong size balls.
Place balls onto baking sheet.
Dip a fork into a small glass of water and press into each ball, making criss-cross marks.
Bake for about 9-12 minutes until bottoms are lightly browned.
Cool and store in an airtight container.
Although not necessary, if you are dipping the baked cookies in chocolate or drizzling melted chocolate over them, you can freeze them first to allow the melted chocolate to set up more easily.
This simple delicious breakfast recipe is made in 5 minutes. I often whip it up before I go to bed so breakfast is ready to go in the morning, with well soaked chia seeds. I also make it in bulk so I have several breakfasts made in advance at once, adding the fresh fruit at the last minute, if desired. You can use individual containers for an easy breakfast or school or office snack.
Author: Victoria Laine
Serves:: 2-3 Servings
Prep time::
Total time::
Ingredients:
2 cups non-dairy yogurt or kefir
¼ cup chia seeds (black or white)
1 cup raspberries, fresh or frozen
¼ cup slivered almonds
1 tsp cinnamon (optional)
Directions:
Mix together all ingredients.
Allow chia seeds to soak and become soft in the yogurt or kefir for at least 30 minutes, or preferably longer if time allows.
Serve in individual bowls or take-away containers.
Hi, I'm Victoria Laine, whole-food educator, author, and health blogger.
My website is the home of all things delicious and nutritious, celebrating the pleasure of food and well-being.
You'll find recipes, menus, books, and courses, as well as private nutrition counseling for Celiac disease, inflammatory conditions, allergy eating, plant-based lifestyles, and more.
I'd love to hear from you if you have questions or suggestions!
