These gluten free, dairy free granola bars will become a favorite whether you have allergies in the family or not.  But if you are dealing with allergies, these granola bars will become your saving grace morning, noon, and night.  They have quickly become exactly that for my family.  Before we learned about our allergies we already had a tried and true granola bar recipe that has been very popular with plenty of other families as well.  I was worried that this new one wouldn’t be as loved by my kids and I’d end up having to beg them to please eat these things.  Those worries are gone because not only do the kids love them but so do John and I, along with the neighbors’ kids too.  And they’re even easier to make than the original version I used to make.  Score!

But the best things about this granola bar recipe is that it’s allergen free – no gluten, no wheat, no dairy, no eggs, no nuts, no soy – nothing.  That makes them a great choice for school and birthday parties.  There’s no worry about inadvertently making anyone sick, which is a big relief to Moms like me.

In this new version I used dried fruit – a mix of blueberries, cherries, and raspberries.  You can use any dried fruit you like, or you can substitute dairy free chocolate chips (or regular chocolate chips if you’d like).  These granola bars freeze well too – just place them in a freezer bag and store flat.  They’re so easy to whip up you may want to make a double batch and freeze half for next week.

Gluten Free Dairy Free Granola Bars

makes 12 bars

2 cups gluten free oats
1/2 cup ground flax seed
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup honey OR 1/2 cup raw agave nectar
1/2 cup organic coconut oil, plus 1 teaspoon for pan
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (gluten free)

1 cup dried fruit or chocolate chips (use gluten free/dairy free as needed)

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Coat an 8×12 baking dish with 1 teaspoon of the coconut oil, then line with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a food processor mix together the oats, flax seed, sunflower seeds, coconut, salt, and cinnamon. Process for about 30 seconds, or until very finely chopped. Pour mixture into a large mixing bowl and set aside.

Place honey, coconut oil, and vanilla in a sauce pan over medium heat. Stir until melted together, about 1 minute.

Pour honey mixture into the bowl with the oat mixture. Stir in the dried fruit or chocolate chips. Stir mixture well until coated well. If mixture seems too dry add 1 -2 more Tablespoons of honey or agave.

Spread mixture evenly into prepared baking dish pressing down firmly. I found a silicone spatula works well for this.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown on top and edges. Place on a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes before cutting into bars. If the bars are too crumbly to cut, let cool a little longer before cutting.

Recipe adapted from Once a Month Mom, originally from Ina Garten & Smitten Kitchen

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1. Chewy, Fruity Breakfast Bars – gluten and sugar free
2. Chewy Pumpkin Granola Bars
3. Easy Homemade Granola Bars
4. Honey Lemon Muffins {Gluten Free and Sugar Free}
5. Blueberry Pecan Oat Bars