Oat Bars (WF)

In our endeavor to wean ourselves off of wheat, I made these oat bars to take the place of the cookie snacks Quinn enjoys. The only down side is that I can't pack them up to bring to the gym child care centre, as they are peanut free, but we'll just have to bring fruit or something.

I found these to be a little crumbly, so I'd probably add a bit more honey in the next batch...and I won't bother adding the fruit either. Don doesn't like dried fruit, and judging by the smeared, half eaten dried blueberries on the floor, Quinn doesn't either. Oh well!



2 cups puffed rice
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1/4 cup roasted, unsalted sunflower seeds, shelled
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1 cup mixed dried fruit, chopped (optional...our bulk store has a great selection)
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/3 cup rice flour
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup honey


Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).

Line a 9x13 baking pan with wax or parchment paper, including up the sides.

In a large bowl, toss in the puffed rice, rolled oats, sunflower and sesame seeds, dried fruit, rice flour and chocolate chips. Mix well.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the peanut butter, maple syrup, and honey and heat gently for 2 minutes or until it becomes runny. Add the liquid mixture to the dry ingredients and mix until coated.

Using a piece of wax paper to protect your fingers, press the mixture firmly into the prepared pan and spread it evenly. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Remove and let cool and crisp in tin before cutting it into bars. Store in an air-tight container. Makes 20 bars.