Gluten Free Granola Bites

I’ve always been a huge lover of granola, that sweet nutty bowl of goodness, how can you go wrong hey? I like to think of it as a healthy treat, a nice big bowl of granola with some creamy Greek yoghurt however although often labelled healthy, most granola contains a high amount of sugar.

Quite often with granola I find it incredibly addictive and after having one bowl, I tend to reach for another, and before I know it I’ve eaten far too much for breakfast than I normally would with a sensible amount of porridge.

I therefore wanted to look into making my own healthier version of granola that was  still a bit sweet and delicious but with less sugar. This recipe was  inspired by the gluten free granola bites that I came across when I first moved to Vancouver and visited Granville Island. Now these granola bites were seriously addictive and I don’t think eating the whole bag in one go, which I regularly did was the healthiest option but they were absolutely worth it.

One fond memory I have is the time I solely went out of my way coming home to go to the market simply for the granola bites and they weren’t there! What began as disappointment soon turned to joy when I was informed they had almost finished the new batch and so when I bought my bag they were all warm and fresh straight from the oven. Safe to say they didn’t last long!

With this recipe inspired by these delicious granola bites, you do not need to bake the granola mixture, however you can roast the oats and almonds to give them a lovely toasted flavour. Agave syrup is used rather than sugar and I opted for coconut and almond butter but these work great with any nut butter. 

Simple to make and with only 5 ingredients, these granola bites are fantastic for breakfast or as a healthy sweet treat! Just try not to eat them all at once!

Ingredients

200g dates, pitted
80g honey or agave syrup
60g coconut & almond butter (or any nut based butter)
100g raw almonds
135g gluten free rolled oats

Instructions

1. Process dates in a food processor until they are small in size and stick together easily.
2. Set oven to 350 degree F (175°C). Place the oats and almonds in a baking tin and toast in the oven for 15 minutes.
3. Whilst waiting for the oats to get toasty, mix the honey and coconut and almond butter in a saucepan with the heat on low. Stir for 3 to 5 minutes.
4. Put the oats, almonds and dates in a large mixing bowl and pour the honey and butter mixture over. Mix all together to ensure the mixture is all incorporated.
5. Once thoroughly mixed together transfer to an 8×8-inch baking tin lined with   parchment paper. Press the mixture down firmly so it is nice and flat.
6. Cover with parchment paper and leave in the fridge for 30 minutes or overnight to give it a bit more time to stick together and set.
7. Remove bars from the baking tin and chop into squares. 

You can store the bars in an airtight container for up to a few days.