quinoa dark chocolate snack bars

Here’s a healthy and very tasty snack bar that works well in school lunches or as an afternoon snack.  They are sweetened with maple syrup and composed of cooked quinoa and a few different gluten free flours. I cut and wrap these individually and store them in the freezer. The quinoa and eggs contribute to these bars having a fair amount of protein so they are filling…but they also taste delicious. Give them a try if you are not interested in buying mass produced, high-fructose corn syrup-laden bars. The best part about these gluten-free, low glycemic bars is that they taste great.

Quinoa and Dark Chocolate Snack Bars

adapted from The Gluten Free Goddess

makes about 10-14 bars (depending on what size you cut them)

1 cup brown rice flour

1/2 cup ground flaxseed

1/2 cup coconut flour

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

3/4 tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

3 large eggs

1/2 cup real maple syrup

1/4 cup coconut oil

1 cup cooked quinoa

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp almond extract

4 Tbsp almond milk

1 cup dark chocolate covered acai and blueberries (or 1/2 cup dark choc chips and 1/2 cup dried berries)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F.  Line a 9 x 9 pan with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients- brown rice flour, ground flaxseed,  coconut flour, baking powder, cinnamon,  salt, and ginger.  Set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix together eggs, oil, quinoa and extracts. Add to large bowl with dry ingredients. Mix until combined. Add in the almond milk one tablespoon at a time, until the batter becomes smooth and malleable.  Fold in dark chocolate berries.

Spread the dough into prepared pan, pressing with your fingers to smooth out the surface.  Bake on center rack of oven for 20-25 minutes until the top is firm to the touch.  Cool, then cut into bars. Wrap individually and freeze.

mix dry ingredients

mix wet, mix dry, then mix together

cooked quinoa, mixed in with wet ingredients

these are great to add in as your chocolate/berrie component, purchase at Costco

fold in chocolate berries (or use choc chips and dry cranberries)

press batter into pan

Enjoy!