Description
Maple Sesame Quinoa Bars are a delicious vegan breakfast or energy bar. Maple syrup, sesame, sunflower seed butter, & quinoa make for a sweet nutty flavor. Vegan, gluten free, and a nut-free option.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1/4 cup sesame seeds (toasted)
- 1/3 cup pumpkin seeds
- 1 cup gluten free rolled oats
- 3 cups cooked quinoa (see notes)
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 7 tbsp coconut oil (solid), butter, or vegan butter (chopped)
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1/3 to 1/2 cup sunflower seed butter for nut free option (or creamy peanut butter or almond butter)
- 1/3 cup coconut sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
For the shell topping:
- 1/2 c sunflower seed butter or nut butter of choice.
- 1/4 c coconut oil
- pinch of cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8×11 pan with parchment paper. (see notes for pan size options)
- Place sesame seeds on baking sheet and toast in oven for about 5 minutes or until toasted lightly.
- Next combine your dry ingredients. Place cooked quinoa, gluten free oats, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, cinnamon, coconut, cooked quinoa, and in a large bowl. Mix all together. Set aside.
- Place butter (or coconut oil), maple syrup, sunflower seed butter or nut butter of choice, coconut sugar, and vanilla in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until butter and nut butter are melted. Then turn heat to a quick boil for 1 minute. Reduce and simmer for 5 minutes until mix is thickened, stirring often.
- Pour nut/seed sugar mixture into dry ingredients. Mix all together and then press firmly into pan; Place in refrigerator to set, covered.
- While bars are setting, make your sunflower seed butter (or almond butter) shell. You don’t have to use all of the shell coating if you prefer to make these bars less dense.
- In a small sauce pan, mix together the 1/2 c sunflower seed butter (or nut butter), coconut oil, and 1 tsp cinnamon on medium heat until melted.
- Pour this mix over your pan of bars and place back in refrigerator or freezer until set. Once set, slice bars and wrap each one in foil or wax paper to hold.
- Store in fridge or freezer.
Notes
- pan size: If you want thicker bars, use a 9×9 or 8×8 square pan.
- If you don’t need the nut free option, you can use any creamy nut butter of choice for the batter and shell coating.
- Be sure to have cooked quinoa that’s fluffy and dried out a little before using. If quinoa is too moist it will not set.
- For the coating:Â You don’t have to use all of the shell coating if you prefer to make these bars less dense.
Estimated nutrition for 14 bars, using 1/3 cup of the shell frosting to frost all bars:
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Category: snack
- Method: baked
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 square
- Calories: 272
- Sugar: 8g
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Carbohydrates: 23g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 6g
- Cholesterol: 0mg