Monday, May 18, 2015

 
Vegan, Gluten-free No Bake Granola Bars from Dreena Burton's Plant-Powered Families


Friends help make your life easier, sweeter, better. 

Dreena Burton is just such a friend to any vegan family. She has written five vegan cookbooks that are filled with delicious whole-foods based recipes that can take you from everyday meals through special occasions. She also is the creator of the wonderful website, Plant-Powered Kitchen.


Vegan, Gluten-free No Bake Granola Bars from Dreena Burton's Plant-Powered Families


Dreena's newest book, Plant-Powered Families, takes her care for vegan families to a whole new level. Not only does the book contain over 100 family-friendly recipes, but she also talks families new to plant-based eating through issues including how to stock your kitchen, how to create meals that meet the nutrition needs of growing children and satisfy even picky palates, and she provides menu plans, too.

Even if your family doesn't eat wholly plant-based, this is a wonderful resource. The recipes are easy and tasty. They use whole foods, minimal oils and added sugars. Because the book is vegan, it's a great tool for egg- and/or dairy-allergic families. Also, many of the recipes are gluten-free or have a gluten-free option. There are options to keep things nut-free, too.

Dreena and her publisher, BenBella Books, are sharing her recipe for No-Bake Granola Bars. They are also giving away a copy of Plant-Powered Families to one of our readers. (Enter the giveaway below the recipe.)
 
Vegan, Gluten-free No Bake Granola Bars from Dreena Burton's Plant-Powered Families
Photo by Nicole Axworthy from Plant-Powered Families used with permission.


 

No-Bake Granola Bars (from Plant-Powered Families by Dreena Burton, BenBella Books 2015)

Makes 8–10 bars or 16 squares

These bars are perfect for school lunches because they are nut-free and pack very well. Plus, they are pretty simple to put together!

1/2 cup brown rice syrup
1/4 packed cup coconut butter (see note) (Coconut Butter instructions here.)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup oat flour
2 tablespoons unsweetened shredded coconut (optional)
11/2 cups natural brown rice crisp cereal
3 tablespoons nondairy chocolate chips (optional)

Line an 8" × 8" pan with parchment paper.

In a medium saucepan over medium/medium-low heat, add the brown rice syrup, coconut butter, vanilla extract, sea salt, and cinnamon. Stir until well combined and the coconut butter has melted. Add the rolled oats, and stir through, allowing to cook for 2–3 minutes in the low heat. Add the oat flour and shredded coconut, and stir through.

Remove the pot from the stove. Swiftly stir in the cereal and transfer the mixture to prepared pan. Press mixture evenly into the pan (using a nonstick spatula or piece of parchment paper).

Wait just a minute, and then sprinkle on the chocolate chips and press those into the base. Refrigerate until fully chilled (at least 1/2 hour), then cut in squares or bars.

Coconut Butter Note: Coconut butter works well here because it is so dense and helps bind the bars. Because coconut is not botanically a nut, these are also perfect for school lunches.

However, if you want to substitute a nut butter, choose one that is very dense, like cashew butter.

Idea: Try some of these flavor variations:
  • Raisin-spice: Stir in 3–4 tablespoons raisins, omit the chips, increase the cinnamon to 1/2 teaspoon, and add 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg and 1/8 teaspoon of allspice.
  • Cranberry–pumpkin seed: Stir in 3–4 tablespoons of dried cranberries and substitute pumpkin seeds for the coconut.
  • Cocoa-hemp: Substitute 2 tablespoons of hemp seeds for the coconut, and add 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder (when mixing in the oat flour). Keep the chocolate chips, oh yes!
Want more? Enter to win your own copy of Plant-Powered Families!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Want to try some more recipes from Plant-Powered Families while waiting to get your own copy?

Happy Cooking!
Kim 

My new book,  Super Seeds, is available now! You can also find tasty recipes in Welcoming Kitchen: 200 Delicious Allergen & Gluten-Free Vegan Recipes.

 

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43 comments:

  1. I am the mother to a [healthy] food-loving 2 year old, and have another little one on the way (due this July!). I love finding new healthy and delicious recipes that my whole family can enjoy!

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  2. I've been hearing rave reviews about this book and I would love to win a copy!

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  3. I love Dreena's recipes, everything I've tried of hers always comes out fantastic, and I'm really looking forward to this her next cookbook!

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  4. I have "Eat Drink & Be Vegan" and love it. Plus, some of my favorite recipes come from Dreena's blog. I don't have weegans but hopefully I'll have grandkids someday that I can feed tasty vegan food! Thanks for the giveaway!

    gaia at cinci dot rr dot com

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  5. Your recipes look amazing. I would love to win your recipe book as I'm just becoming a 'step parent' and need some fun, delicious, healthful food for the family.

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  6. I would absolutely love to win a copy of plant powered families! I'm just starting to switch to more plant based eating for me and my family so easy to follow recipes and ingredients lists would be extremely helpful. I'm hoping eating more plant based foods can help put my chronic hives to remission or get rid of it completely.

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  7. I would love a copy because I cook plant based at home for my family of 5!

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  8. Always looking for healthy substitutes. This looks good and versatile

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  9. I like Dreena's recipes but don't have any of her books. This one looks like a good one for me!

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  10. I love your website and hope to win a copy of the book!

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  11. I love that Dreena's recipes appeal to kids and adults! I can't wait to try some of the recipes from her newest book!

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  12. don't they look good? oh yes:)

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  13. Dreena's recipes are favorites... we have several of her cookbooks and it would be fabulous to win a copy of her latest. Thank you for a chance!

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  14. I love that these meals are kid tested. They would be great for my family.

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  15. I'd love to win. I have a couple of her other books, & they're fabulous!

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  16. I'd love to have a copy of Dreena's new book to give to my brother's family. My nephew has multiple food allergies and has become a very picky eater, and I'm hopeful that at least some of Dreena's tricks and recipes would help. Of course, I'd have a look through the book before sending it their way... and I guess I'd end up buying a copy for myself too!

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  17. while I enjoy many plant based foods I don't have a cookbook or recipes for the many meals we can make using them. Thank you for this opportunity to win

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  18. I would love a copy of Dreena's new cookbook! I have Eat Drink and Be Vegan and love all the recipes for my family. Can't wait to see what is in this new cookbook!

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    Replies
    1. Your recipes look amazing. I would love to win your recipe book as I'm just becoming a 'step parent' and need some fun, delicious, healthful food for the family.
      Charlotte
      http://thekitchen.site/

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  19. i have been a vegetarian for years and i'm always looking for new recipes and ideas

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  20. Dreena is my all-time favorite chef; her recipes are so simple but amazingly delicious.

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  21. I really love all her cookbooks and recipes on her website! Always excited to see all her amazing creations and be inspired in the kitchen!

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  22. I would love to win this! I recently switched to a plant based diet & I could really use some new recipes!

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  23. I'm incorporating more plant based food into my diet and would love to have a Dreena's cookbook help me make some delicious recipes.

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  24. Love Dreena! My first cookbook of her's was Let Them Eat Vegan and it's still one of my faves!

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  25. I have been moving toward a vegan life after being vegetarian for over 38 years. So I could use some creative ideas and recipes to help me accomplish my transition.

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  26. I'm slowly working my way to a plant-based diet, and this recipe book would be a great resource for the journey.

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  27. Honestly, as much as I would love to have this book I would love to give it to a friend who is plant-powered curious. I would love to help her and her family to become plant-powered!

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  28. I'm hoping to buy a copy and win a copy. One I'll keep for myself, and the other I'll give to my daughter for her plant-powered family.

    Thanks for a great giveaway!

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  29. I can't wait for this book. I'm sure it has tons of recipes to share with my omni friends!

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  30. Why do you want to win a copy of Plant-Powered Kitchen by Dreena Burton?

    I was vegan before I had children, and now have a vegetarian daughter, and want to get back to a more vegetarian/vegan diet as I was before. I think it would not only help me to feel better, but give a good example for my daughter who also is choosing to refrain from animal products.

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  31. because I own all her other books and love them :)

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  32. Thanks for this wonderful giveaway. I am a huge fan of Dreena's cookbook and would definitily enjoy to have her latest book for other ideas. All her recipes are always à succès here.

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  33. Love Dreenas books and recipes and with 2 kids it will be awesome to win this!!

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  34. It would be so wonderful to win a copy of this book. My 2 year old daughter has just been diagnosed with juvenile arthritis and I am set on healing her through a healthy diet. This book seems like it would be a great way to get us started!

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  35. I want to win a copy to give as a gift to my sweet friend. She recently went vegan and loves to cook, so this book would be PERFECT for her. I have the book already, and I've loved EVERY recipe I try! So excited to keep on cooking these wonderful recipes (hopefully my friend and I can share our recipe adventures together)! :-)

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  36. I'd love to win. Sounds likes lots of good recipes to try!!!

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  37. I would love to have some new recipes to try! I eat mostly plant based foods

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  38. I would love to win a copy of this book because I don't own any others by Dreena and I think this would be a great start. I am a mom of an almost 2-year-old and another due in July. I am really interested in her chapters on picky eaters and ideas for parties in the future. I would love to read about her experiences raising her daughters vegan since I am just getting started with mine.

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  39. I like this. Guess it will be one of my favorite breakfast, serve with warm milk. I like the idea to add raisin too. :)

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