Servings: 12 serving(s)
Prep time: 15 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
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My daughter’s school is thick into the book “The Leader in Me: The 7 habits of happy kids” and this month was all about “Think Win-Win.”
Important lessons for little kids, and big kids too.
I think I might write a book called “The Feeder in Me” seeing as I spend half of my day trying to get good food into my kids’ bellies.
Which brings me to these tasty granola bars/breakfast bars/healthy snack bars…
These oatmeal flax bars are definitely “Think Win-Win” food: Kids like them because they’re sweet and moms like them because they’re full of good stuff.
I suspect these were the original granola bar. Traditionally made in a cast iron skillet these one-pan bars have just a few great ingredients that make them work as a breakfast bar or healthy snack. They’re gluten-free (and vegan too if you substitute the butter for coconut oil).
The recipe offers no end of opportunities to adapt. You can add slivered almonds and dried cranberries or chopped apricots and toasted sun flower seeds or chocolate chips and chopped hazelnuts, drizzle them with melted chocolate…
Sweet Oatmeal Flax Bars
- 5 Tbsp butter (or coconut oil)
- 3 Tbsp brown sugar
- ¼ cup Crosby’s Fancy Molasses
- 2 ½ cups rolled oats (choose certified gluten free oats if you can’t tolerate any gluten, since cross-contamination with wheat, rye and barley is common)
- 2 Tbsp ground flax or almond meal
- ½ tsp vanilla
- In a medium-sized pot combine butter, molasses and sugar.
- Heat over medium until butter has melted and sugar has dissolved.
- Boil for 30 seconds to a minute.
- Remove from heat and add vanilla.
- Stir in rolled oats and flax (or almond meal). Mix well.
- Press very firmly into well-greased (or parchment lined) pie pan.
- Bake at 350 F for 20-25 minutes, until edges begin to darken.
- Cool completely in pan.
- Cut into wedges while still in the pan or upend on a cutting board to slice.
Melt butter, sugar and molasses together in a pot.
Bring to a boil then remove from heat and add vanilla, flax and rolled oat.
Mix well. Then press into a prepared pan (using buttered hands works well).
Cool completely in pan then upend on a cutting board and cut into wedges.
Looking for more gluten-free sweet snack options? Try these chewy coconut oatmeal cookies.
Nutritional information for gluten-free oatmeal flax bars:
|
Nutritional facts |
|
|
12 servings |
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| Amount per serving: | |
| Calories | 139.2 |
| Total fat | 6.4 g |
| Saturated | 3.3 g |
| Polyunsaturated | .9 g |
| Monounsaturated | 1.8 g |
| Cholesterol | 12.9 mg |
| Sodium | 36.9 mg |
| Potassium | 109.3 mg |
| Total carb | 17.7 g |
| Fibre | 2.0 g |
| Sugars | 5.7 g |
| Protien | 2.4 g |
One more thing…
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These look wonderful. If they are as good as the coconut oatmeal cookies, we’ll be making lots of them.
We need more gluten free recipes.
Hi Shirley — I’m working on getting more gluten free recipes posted. Stay tuned…
Dear Bridget: Cannot wait to try the above mentioned recipe – – – it sounds like a “dummy” could do it and that is what I am when it comes to cooking – – – I feel confident that the S.O.F.B. will be a “weiner”. . . ha ha . . . Just Judi
Hi Judi, They are pretty easy to make. Much easier than figuring out what S.O.F.B. means.
> I think it stands for sweet oatmeal flax bars lol…I bought some GF rolled oats today – I will try these too…saw them thismornin’ on my facebook page and i’ve been craving them ever since!!
Hi Suze, Thanks for the translation!
I have recently had to go on a dairy-free diet. I sure would be interested in some dairy-free recipes. Those gluten-free snacks caught my attention and I just might try them.
Thanks
Hi Beverly – I use butter in my baking but you could substitute vegetable oil or coconut oil in recipes that call for liquid fat. Also, I ooften use nut milk iinstead of cow’s milk in my baking.
Hi,do these need to be quick cooking rolled oats?Can’t wait to try this:)
Hi Trudy,
I use old fashioned oats but I suspect they would work with any type.
I use Gluten Free Rolled Oats for Chocolate Snowball recipes and the turn out good. I also use Gluten Free All Purpose Flour to make Peanut Butter Cookies and my husband loves them.
Hi Margaret,
Thanks for the tips. I’m still new to gluten free baking.
These look yummy and I want to try them? What are the nutritional facts
Hi Shirley,
Sorry, we don’t have nutritional facts. But I’m getting lots of requests so I’ll see what I can do.
Hi again,
I have added the nutritional information to the bottom of the post. They’re about 139 calories each.
Looking for nutritional info
Hi Tana,
Sorry but we don’t calculate nutritional info for our recipes.
Hi again,
I have added nutritional information for the bars to the bottom of the post!
hello could you please tell me what the calorie count is? thanks
Hi Carole,
I’m sorry to say that we don’t calculate calories for our recipes.
Hi again – The calorie count (if you cut them into 12 wedges) is 139.2 each. I have posted the nutritional facts at the bottom of the post.
If I wanted to add coconut, almond slivers, and chocolate chips what should I add so that the bars will stick together?
Hi Brenda, I would try cutting back on the oats by a little bit (1/4 cup) to make room for the additions. And I would start by adding no more than 2 Tbsp of the coconut and almonds to start, just to ensure they stick together.
Hi, I’m also looking for GF”sweets” recipes Thanks for this one , will be trying it out on the weekend. Would like GF bread recipes also.I bought a bag of all purpose GF flour that you use cup for cup in recipes, so I’ll try it out on this one. Will let you know how it turns out.thanks
Hi Betty Ann, Bit by bit we’re adding GF recipes to the blog. In the meantime I’m glad you were about to find an all-purpose flour substitute.