Gluten Free Nutri-Grain Bars (fruit and grain bars)

As a Celiac Mom with non-Celiac children, there have always been certain foods that I just can't bring myself to buy because there is an excellent chance that I would break down and "cheat." One of those items has always been Nutri-Grain bars. I love them! Of course I have tried every commercial GF version under the sun, but let's face it, they are kind of gross. So riding my current wave of converting my favorite gluten-filled foods to ones that don't make me sick for a week, I decided to try my hand at making GF Nutri-Grain copycat bars. (Incidentally, the other item is Pop-Tarts, which I took care of here).

They were actually pretty easy to make, and let me just say that they tasted fantastic! They are even better than the ones I used to love from the grocery store. The other great thing about these is that you can make them in any flavor your heart desires. So grab your favorite jam, or jelly and enjoy!

Gluten Free Nutri-Grain Bars (Cereal bars, fruit and grain bars)

1 1/2 c. Gluten-Free Heaven Whole-Grain Flour*
1 1/2 c. gluten-free quick oats
3/4 c. brown sugar
3/4 tsp xanthan gum
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg (or flaxseed substitute)
3/4 c. butter (or dairy-free), softened
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
1-2 c. jam or jelly of your choice

*This recipe was formulated with the flour specified. Use of a different flour blend is not recommended.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix all ingredients until a soft dough forms. Press half of the dough into the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Spread jam over the bottom crust. Press the remaining half of the dough between two sheets of greased plastic wrap or parchment paper. Peel off the top layer of parchment or plastic wrap and carefully transfer the dough to the pan to make the top crust. Bake for 20-30 minutes, until lightly browned. Allow the bars to cool completely before cutting. Store in an airtight container for up to a week.

Tip:
If you are short on time and aren't too concerned about evenness with the top crust, you can just crumble the second half the dough on top of the jam and bake as directed.


I used tin foil on this one so it would show up better in the picture.