Chewy, Crunchy Seed and Fruit Bars – Gluten Free and Vegan
Hi Friends! How are you hanging with the Unclutter Your Nest Boot Camp? I thought that the process would monopolize my January and I wasn’t wrong. It’s been pretty much all I’ve been doing, but I have to admit that I’ve enjoyed every minute of it. It’s invigorating to get rid of so much clutter (800 pounds so far!) and rather fun to find items that I had thought lost or had completely forgotten about.
In uncluttering my kitchen, I came across quite a stash of pumpkin and sunflower seeds and started noodling a way to use them up. I was inspired by several recipes that I found on the internet and put together this recipe using what I had in the hopes that would use up a good bit of my stash.
I wanted to make something a little sweeter than my gluten-free bird seed crackers using the dried fruit and I had in my mind something crunchier than a Larabar, but still made just from fruit and nuts. I love a Kind bar, but some of them have added sugars (honey and glucose) that I wanted to see if I could avoid. In case you’re wondering why my dried apricots are not the pretty yellowish color you used to seeing it’s because I bought ‘unsulphured apricots’.
I tried two different variations of this recipe. In the first one I pureed the dried fruit and combined it with the liquid and nuts. While tasty, it was rather unappealing looking. For my next variation, I diced the fruit rather finely so that you would get a bit in every bite, but did not puree it. The second version was much more appealing looking and tasting. I like to get little bit of sweet to balance out the salt I added. I am all in for the ‘sweet and salty’ thing and this recipe for chewy, crunchy seed and fruit bars fit the bill perfectly.
Not only do these help use up some of my stash, but these are perfect for healthy eating, both at home and on the go, as they are free of added sugar and fats. When I’m going to be out running errands, I like to keep a little snack in the car so that I’m not tempted to buy a bag of the ubiquitous peanut M&Ms which seem to be present at every check out counter, whether its the grocery store, the hardware store, the drugstore or the craft store.
Chewy, Crunchy Seed and Fruit Bars-Gluten Free
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups sunflower seeds toasted
- 1 cup pumpkin seeds toasted
- 1 cup cashew halves and pieces toasted
- 1 cup diced dried apricots (or other soft dried fruit like figs or dates)
- 1/4 cup dried unsweetened shredded coconut
- 3/4 cups water
- 4 Tablespoons chia seed
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350'F
- While oven is preheating, combine water and chia seeds and let sit for 10 minutes
- Combine seeds, nuts and diced fruit with chia seeds and water in bowl and combine well.
- Spread mixture evenly into a parchment lined 9 X 12 baking dish
- Bake for 20 minutes.
- Take baking dish out of the oven.
- Place a lightweight cutting board on top of baking dish and flip baking dish over so that bars are on cutting board.
- Put parchment back in baking dish and put bars back in baking dish, upside down so that the part that was on top is now on the bottom.
- Put back in oven and back for an additional 15 minutes.
- Cut into squares and keep in air tight container.
Notes
Nutrition
Thanks again for stopping by today. I really appreciate your company and hope you’ll stop by again soon. And please know that your comments make my day, so keep them coming.
If you want to make sure you don’t miss future content, pop your email in the beige box up on the right. I usually send out 2-3 emails a week, so I won’t inundate your inbox.
Right now, subscribers to Nourish and Nestle will receive a free, downloadable Measuring Equivalents Chart overlaid on a watercolor lemon. You can see it here. Sign up to our email list (on my right sidebar) and we’ll send it to your inbox within 24 hours! If you are already a subscriber and would like a lemon measuring equivalents chart, send us an email with ‘lemon chart’ in the subject line and we’ll send you one too!
Hugs,
Lynn, I’m all in for the sweet & salty as well, I eat bars every day and have to try to make these for sure! They are so healthy and look just so yummy! How funny what you find while uncluttering, hey? Have a great day! XO
Oh Katrin, I have uncovered so many lost or forgotten things during my declutter! It has been quite fun and motivating. I hope you enjoy this recipe.
Hugs and Kisses…Lynn
These look delicious, would be perfect to take on a long walk. I know I have all sorts lurking in my cupboard so will definitely use your recipe as inspiration 🙂
Hi Sarah, I hope you do enjoy these and you’re right, they will be perfect for a long walk. While I used the seeds and nuts detailed, it’s also quite flexible so you can use what you find in your cupboard.
Happy walking!
Lynn
Hi Lynn, we love fruit, nut and seed bars, my daughter takes them to school as here snack. The ones I buy are a bit pricey and are no doubt laden with unnecessary sugars, so I keep saying I’ll have a go at making them myself, but haven’t got around to it yet.
I stocked up on a variety of nuts and seeds just before Christmas, but I’m not sure I can get chia seeds here. I will have a look next I’m in town.
xx
Hi Debbie…you can surely get Chia seeds on Amazon.com. They are so easy to make and contain no unnecessary ingredients. Good luck finding the Chia seeds.
Thanks for visiting today, Lynn
oo these look really great! and would be a perfect after run healthy snack! I have shared!
Hi Charlotte, thanks so much for stopping by today. I agree that it’s a great after run snack…and a great anytime snack. My first batch is almost all gone. But they are quite yummy and no guilt!
Hugs, Lynn
Lynn,
These look so healthy! I love the pumpkin, chia and sunflower seeds combination. Packed with protein and extra energy!
Hi Lindsey…they are nothing but good stuff, which is why I like them so much. Very leary to put unnecessary sugars, fat and artificial stuff in our bodies so these are just perfect. I hope you enjoy them!
Happy Thursday evening!
Hugs, Lynn
Lynn, these look really yummy. I’ll have to look around to find some of these seeds and give it a try..
Hi sweet Mary, the seeds should be pretty easy to find. I get them in our grocery store, health food store or on Amazon. Hope you do try them and enjoy them.
Hugs, Lynn
These look delicious! I have been wanting to make something like these when I found a recipe for energy bites, which were good, just not what I was wanting. I have tried the kind bars too and really liked them because they didn’t have all that sugar like other bars. I’m going to try these, but what holds them together, the fruit?
Hi Linda, they are delicious and hope you give them a try. They soaked chia seed/water is what holds them together. It gets rather ‘glutinous’ which is not a very attractive word, but best description. I guess rather egglike would be a better way to describe it. In any event, that’s the ‘glue’ that hold the whole thing together. Let me know what you think!
Thanks for swinging by.
Hugs, Lynn
these look like the ultimate after running healthy snack! and a lot more interesting in the usual mulch I endure :p and gluten free and vegan which is perfect! xx
Love you calling your snacks ‘mulch’…perfect and so descriptive!! ? I do love that they are gluten free; I always feel so much better when I don’t consume gluten. Glad you’ll be fueling you after your runs! Well done on your fitness plan, by the way! Go you!
Thanks for stopping by to visit Charlotte and wishing you a happy Sunday, Lynn
These bars look so yummy! I eat bars almost everyday, so I’ll have to pick up a few seeds and try making them.
Howdy Carol…I hope you enjoy these as much as we do. So simple to make and so many possible variations. This recipe has cinnamon, but I think I’ll make the next recipe with curry powder…think the curry, cashew, coconut and dried fruit combo will be scrumptious!
Thanks for stopping by today!
Hugs, Lynn
These look like something that my family will absolutely love! I have pinned them so that the recipe is handy to try.
Hi Jessica…I’m pretty sure you family will love them, and there are so many variations you can make. Just yesterday I was thinking that I might try adding some curry the next time I make them. I bought some curried cashews a while back at Whole Foods and they were so yummy. I think the combo of curry, cashews and dried fruit will be spot on.
Enjoy them and thanks for stopping by
Lynn
This is the best cleaning out recipe, ever! I’m gluten free and it’s so hard for me to find something to grab when I’m out of the house, there aren’t a lot of snacks that are gluten free and healthy! These are perfect, I’m going to pin so I can add to my menu list! These are perfect!
These are a perfect gluten free food! I’m not diagnosed with a gluten issue, but there is no doubt in my mind that avoiding gluten makes a huge difference on how I feel. Night and Day difference. I hope you enjoy them as much as we do.
Hugs, Lynn
These looks so awesome! Sweet and salty are really popular in my house as well. I’d love to give these bars a try and have already pinned them to try later. I like to take snacks with me as well because not only do I get hungry, but so does the hubby. He tries really hard to buy food while we’re out, but I like to be prepared for that. He can go from full to starving in an instant! I think it’s great that you figured out this recipe to use up your stash. I’m going to be doing that this week too as I declutter my kitchen. My uncluttering is going fantastic! I’ve cleared out hundreds of pounds of stuff that I simply don’t need. It’s so much fun and the hubby is getting in on the fun too! I’m almost done! All I have left is the kitchen. 🙂
Wow Gina…all you have left is the kitchen? You are moving along much quicker than I am! Well Done!
Hoping that you and hubby enjoy the bars. They are perfect car food. I keep some in my car so I’m always ready when I get one of those ‘need food now!’ moments. It really has cut back on my junk food purchases.
Wishing you a happy Sunday!
Hugs, Lynn
My husband would really enjoy these. I think i will save this recipe and surprise him with a batch!
Erica
Good Morning Erica…I hope your husband does enjoy them. Mine did and he always gets a bit leery when there are a bunch of seeds and nuts in his food. Thanks for stopping by today.
Hugs, Lynn
I’m looking forward to giving these a try! It looks like a wonderful and nutritious snack that my kids will also enjoy!! Thank you for linking up 🙂
Hi Angela, these are a great treat to have on hand as a healthy treat. I keep some in my car for those times when I’m out so that I don’t grab something less healthy. Looking forward to coming back to your party next week.
Hugs, Lynn