Allergen-Free Granola Bars

So I'm doing some experimenting with Allergen-Free baking. I found this recipe on the Whole Living website (there is a video too). My daughter goes to school with a little girl who has celiac disease and I want to be able to send her to school with treats that all the kids can enjoy.

This is my first experiment with peanut-free, tree-nut-free, wheat-free, gluten-free, diary-free and egg-free baking. This was a good recipe to start out with because it was super simple. I was able to find all the ingredients at Ingles. They were quite delish. After 24 hours left defenslessly against two kids, a husband and a babysitter, there are only 4 left (okay, they can't take all the blame, I think I had 3 of them).



FYI, These were a little soft when left out on the counter, but nice and chewy. Rice Crispies now makes a gluten-free product. Bob's Red Mill makes Gluten-Free oats (I'm finding out that even though oats are by themselves gluten-free, there is a risk of cross-contanimation if they are processed in a facility that may also process products with gluten). The mini-chips are by Enjoy Life. The honey is an organically grown honey I bought from the farm that provides my CSA box.

I will definitely be doing more allergen-free experimenting in the future - stay tuned!


NO NUTTIN' CHOCOLATE CHIP GRANOLA BARS
Makes about 16 bars

Nonstick cooking spray
1 3/4 cups gluten-free quick-cooking oatmeal
1 1/4 cups gluten-free crisp-rice cereal
1/2 cup mini gluten-free semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup lightly packed light-brown sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup honey

Spray an 8-by-8-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray; line baking sheet with parchment paper, leaving a 1-inch overhang on all sides. Set aside.

Place oatmeal and rice cereal in a large bowl; stir to combine. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, mix together brown sugar, oil, and honey. Place over medium-high heat; bring to a gentle boil. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Remove from heat and add to oatmeal mixture; stir until oatmeal mixture is fully coated and well combined.

Evenly pour oatmeal mixture into prepared baking dish; sprinkle with chocolate chips. When mixture is cool enough to touch, press down into pan. Let cool to room temperature. Cut into 16 (1-by-4-inch) bars. Granola bars can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 1 week, and frozen up to six months.