It may not seem like it yet, in fact, as I look out my window I still see snow, frost and a cloudy sky, but hiking, camping and the general need to be outdoors will soon be upon us. I’m hopeful anyway!! With the need to be frolicking in the wilderness or simply at the skateboard park, nutritious pack along snacks are a must. Gluten Free Snacks Bites are very tasty with bits of chewy fruit, nuts and coconut. They’re exactly what you need to help fuel your activities.
Made with quinoa, oats, nut butter, nuts and dried fruit they’re a great snack to pack along, whether it’s in a lunch box or backpack. Don’t be fooled by the quinoa! Trust me, you won’t even know it’s there. Plus, the quinoa adds more protein and nutrition to help keep you going.Â
So even though I still have to wait for the weather to improve, I can still enjoy these tasty two-bite snacks with my morning coffee. In my opinion, it’s all about being able to adapt. Enjoy!
Author: Compelled to Cook
- 3/4 cup almond or peanut butter see note
- 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cups oat flour see note
- 3/4 cup cooked quinoa
- 1/2 cup oatmeal
- 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut
- 1/4 cup unsalted sunflower seeds
- 1/4 cup diced dried apricots
- 1/4 cup diced seedless raisins see note
- 2 tbsp chia seeds
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- In a medium size pot over low/medium heat stir together nut butter, brown sugar, butter, honey and coconut oil until smooth and melted.
- Remove from heat and allow to cool enough that you can put your hand on the bottom of the pot ( a good time to cook the quinoa according to package directions)
- Preheat oven to 350℉ and spray mini muffin tins lightly with non-stick spray.
- Add egg and vanilla, stir to combine. Mix in all remaining ingredients stirring until just combined.
- Scoop batter into prepared tins using a 1-ounce cookie scoop which is about 1 1/2 tbsp.
- Bake for 12 minutes and remove, allowing to cool for 5- 10 minutes in the pan prior to removing to a cooling rack.
- Snack bites will keep in a sealed container for 3-4 days and up to 1 month in the freezer.
-You can make your own oat flour by pulsing oatmeal in a spice grinder. Â It takes about 1 1/4 - 1 1/3 cups of oatmeal to yield 1 1/4 cups of oat flour.
-You don't need to chop the raisins, but I happen to like them a bit smaller as the snack bites are small and that way they don't overwhelm any bite.
-I've made this recipe with both almond butter and peanut butter. Â Both are wonderful, it's a matter of preference. Â The photos show the recipe made with almond butter.
-If you have only one 24 count mini muffin pan as I do, you can keep unused batter covered and chilled for up to two days and bake when ready.