How to Make Gluten Free Breakfast Bars

How to Make Gluten Free Breakfast Bars

Breakfast bars are a delicious way to get your nutrients in when you're running short on time, and by making them ahead of time, you can ensure that you always have something healthy to reach for on your way out the door. Baking with wholesome, natural ingredients will create breakfast bars rich in vitamins and nutrients that will keep you full and energized until your next meal. When it comes to making homemade breakfast bars, there are many ways to do so. If you're following a gluten free diet and would like to transform your favorite breakfast bar recipe into a gluten-friendly one, you've landed on the right article. Keep scrolling as we walk you through step-by-step instructions on how to make gluten free bars for breakfast.

Start with a Gluten Free Base

The first step when making the ideal gluten-friendly breakfast bar is to start with a gluten free base. Many breakfast bars made with whole grains do contain gluten, and it's important that you choose a certified gluten-free base. There are many gluten free bases to choose from, such as gluten free oats, amaranth, flaxseed meal and gluten free baking flour. When deciding which base will work best with your recipe, consider the flavors you'll be using. While we'll talk more about this in the next step, you'll want to make sure that the base's flavor blends well with the ingredients you'll be adding to your recipes. Oats have a mild flavor that can be combined with just about anything, while amaranth has a more robust flavor and will need to be blended with equally as potent-tasting ingredients.

The Perfect Base for Your Gluten Free Breakfast Bar

Old fashioned rolled oats in burlap bag on wood table Here's a quick overview of some of the most commonly used gluten free bases.

Gluten Free Oats

Move over traditional oats. These gluten free oats are oats that people with celiac disease and gluten intolerance can enjoy, too! At Bob's Red Mill, our oats undergo an extensive process to ensure that they are certified gluten free. Steamed and rolled to create the perfect texture, unlike regular oats, our gluten free oats are packed and tested in a dedicated gluten free facility to ensure that they adhere to strict protocols. A delicious and hearty, whole-grain cereal adding these oats to your breakfast bars will give you long-lasting energy and nutrition to accomplish all of your day's tasks. They're an excellent way to add dietary fiber to your meals and a fantastic low glycemic breakfast option.

Gluten Free All-Purpose Baking Flour

Baking flour is a base commonly used to make breakfast bars. The problem is that many baking flours contain loads of gluten. For a gluten free flour that will work great in your next granola bar recipe, use our Gluten Free All-Purpose Baking Flour. This flour is made with a mix of garbanzo bean flour, potato starch, whole grain white sorghum flour, tapioca flour and fava bean flour, all excellent options for celiac disease. Using this flour will help create the perfect chewy granola bar texture.

Amaranth

Have you tried the whole grain goodness of amaranth before? If not, then now is the time to start. A staple food of the early Aztecs, amaranth, can make gluten free breakfast bars in several different ways. Use amaranth flour to make a chewy snack bar base or pop amaranth grain for a savory crunch. This superfood contains all essential amino acids, including lysine, which is lacking in most grains. An excellent addition to snack bars and granola, amaranth is sure to be your new favorite gluten free base.

Decide the Flavor of Your Breakfast Bar

When making gluten free granola bars, you'll want the flavor to be just right. Making your bars from scratch allows you to only work with the ingredients you like and leave out the ones you don't. Whether you're baking for yourself or the entire family, choosing the right flavor combo is essential in creating a treat that everyone will enjoy. If you're craving a sweet bar, work ingredients like cocoa powder, dried fruit, jams and jellies into your recipe. Or, if you're looking for something a bit more savory, focus on a bar that contains nuts, spices and seeds. To satisfy all cravings at once, try combining a little of each to create a sweet and salty breakfast bar.

Popular Flavor Combinations

If you're having trouble deciding which flavor you'd like to make your bar, review this list of our favorite flavor combos.
  • Peanut Butter and Jelly
  • Fruit and Nut
  • Chocolate Amaranth
  • Citrus and Coconut

Choose a Natural Sweetener

Dates in a bowl To make the best homemade gluten free breakfast bars, you'll want to create them with healthy, wholesome ingredients. Often, store-bought granola bars contain a lot of artificial sugar, additives and preservatives. This is something you can leave out when making granola bars at home. Using healthy natural sugar like honey, agave or fruit juice will make it easy to create breakfast bars that are sweet and great for you.

Popular Natural Sweeteners

There are several sweeteners that you can choose from to not only boost the flavor of your granola bar but also load it with additional nutritional benefits. Here are a few of our favorites:
  • Agave
  • Honey
  • Dates
  • Fruit Juice
  • Monk Fruit
  • Coconut Sugar
  • Molasses

Pick from Various Add-Ins

Now that you've determined the flavor of your breakfast bar, it's time to choose the add-ins that will compliment it. When searching for ingredients to mix into your recipe, be sure not to overdo it. Adding the right amount of ingredients to your recipe can boost flavor and nutrition. However, adding too much can quickly increase your bar's sugar and calories, making it a less healthy breakfast option. When choosing what to add to your breakfast bars, let the family get involved. Considering your kid's suggestions and creating a bar that they enjoy is an excellent opportunity to teach them just how delicious healthy foods can be.

Popular Granola Bar Add-Ins

If you're struggling to come up with extra ingredients to add to your bars, check out a few of our favorites below.

Nuts and Seeds

Wooden spoon full of chia seeds Add nuts and seeds to your breakfast bars to quickly boost your bars' texture and health benefits. Loaded with good-for-you nutrients and healthy fats, nuts and seeds are an essential part of your healthy diet. Getting a substantial serving of these foods early in your day will help keep you and your health goals on track. For a textured crunch, add peanuts, walnuts, almonds, sunflower seeds, chia seeds and flax seeds to your breakfast bar recipe.

Dried Fruit

If you feel like your bars still aren't sweet enough after adding a natural sweetener, don't fret. By mixing a handful of dried fruit into your bar recipe, you'll increase your breakfast's sweetness without resorting to artificial sweeteners. Dried fruit is also an excellent way to add flavor to your bars and increase their tastiness. Dried fruits like strawberries, mangos, bananas, prunes, figs and apricots all make great additions to any breakfast bar recipe.

Follow Baking Instructions

Now that you have all of your granola bar components figured out and ready to bake, it's time to follow the baking instructions of your recipe. When making breakfast bars from scratch, we recommend using a trusted recipe to start with. Doing so will ensure that all your ingredients cook/set for the required amount of time. That being said, remember that all recipes can be modified. If you find a recipe that looks delicious, yet has a few ingredients in it that you're not fond of, swap them out! Getting creative in the kitchen and making recipes your own is a part of the process.

Gluten Free Breakfast Bar Recipes

To help you create the perfect Gluten Free Breakfast Bar, use the recipes below as a base and work in your favorite add-ins.

Fruit and Nut Granola Bars

Fruit and Nut Granola Bar Made with gluten free oats, cereal, dried fruits, nuts and honey, this Fruit and Nut Granola Bar recipe is the ideal breakfast bar, to begin with. Easy to customize, swap out the dried fruit and nuts used for your favorites instead.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Granola Bars

Craving a sweet and savory breakfast option? These Peanut Butter Oatmeal Granola Bars are sure to do the trick. Made with gluten free all-purpose baking flour and rolled oats, it's a great recipe to start with if you're new to gluten free baking. Reference this step-by-step guide to making homemade gluten free breakfast bars the next time you're craving a healthy treat to start your mornings with. From choosing the ideal gluten free base to determining which add-ins to use, this guide will help you every step of the way. We can't wait to see the many breakfast bar combinations that you come up with. From everyone at Bob's Red Mill, have a healthy and happy day!  
Bob's Red Mill
April 11 2021

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