Even if you aren’t eating oats (which sometimes includes me) granola bars don’t have to be a forgotten pleasure of the past. This bar is a fusion between a ‘classic’ chewy granola bar and KIND bars, which are undoubtedly my favorite gluten-free bars available. This recipe replicates KIND bars nicely if the ingredients aren’t ground as finely as I’ve done here.

The flavor will depend wholly on what mix of nuts and dried fruit are used. I’ve used a combination of pistachios, walnuts, almonds, cherries, and cranberries, from a store-bought ‘trail-mix’. Sometimes I even add in a few chocolate chips; just because. This is definitely a recipe with much room for expansion and creativity.

While the original recipe called for an 8 inch square pan, I decided to use a larger pan, allowing me to adjust the thickness of the bars, as well as make for easier removal.

These can be made vegan if brown rice syrup or maple syrup are used in place of the honey. Granted, the maple syrup yields a slightly softer bar, so it might be good to use a 1/2 -scant- cup of maple syrup instead of a true 1/2 cup.

Granola Bars (kind of)

Adapted from The Edible Perspective and Peas and Thank You
Adapted by CinnamonQuill
*PDF Recipe*

1 cup cereal, such as cornflakes or ‘Chex’
1 1/2 cups mixed dried fruit and nuts in any combination
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut
2 Tablespoons flaxmeal (ground flaxseed)
1/2 cup honey, maple syrup, or brown rice syrup
2 Tablespoons almond butter (or other butter)
1 teaspoon vanilla (optional)
1/4 cup chocolate chips or chopped chocolate (optional)
*Parchment paper

Preheat oven to 350F.

Line a 9×13 inch pan with parchment paper.

In a food processor, combine all ingredients, until desired consistency has been reached. If you’d like larger pieces in your bars, pulse mixture a few times, then finish combining with a spatula.

Wet hands, then press mixture into prepared pan. The mixture will only cover about two-thirds of the pan. See a picture of this here.

Bake 10-12 minutes, until mixture starts looking a bit golden. Remove from oven, then, using a very sharp knife, gently cut bars into desired size. This is more like just ’scoring’. I usually cut into about eight bars (as you can see, mine weren’t exactly even).

Return pan to oven for 10-12 minutes more, or until they are starting to get more uniformly golden. This could take longer, depending what ingredients you used. (See photo below of how baked bars look.)

Remove from oven, reinforcing any of the scoring, as needed.

Cool completely before removing; slice around each bar as you lift it from the pan.

Wrap each bar in plastic wrap/parchment/wax paper, then store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Yields about 8 bars.

Now, anyone have a recipe for Clif or Luna bars? They are an old favorite that I miss quite a bit.

PS Attention gluten-free food bloggers! Please check out my new project, Gluten Free Feed, where the concept of Tastespotting goes gluten-free; I am looking for submissions!

Oh my, a bit of a dry spell there, no? It’s not that I haven’t been baking; on the contrary: I’ve been testing recipes for the fabulous Carol of Simply Gluten Free. I’ll just say this: she has a magical flour mix and a recipe for dairy-free cream puffs. I’ll let that sink in for a moment.

I’ve also been trying out a bunch of bread recipes since I’m feeling stuck in a bread slump. Again. Kind of like last year. I’ll get through it, I’m sure.

But these are an old favorite. Originally brought to my attention by Book of Yum, financiers are a sweet little tart-like cake. If that makes sense. They are made with ground almonds, which bring a slight marzipan quality to the miniature bites. I like that they can be accented with all kinds of summer-fresh fruit. Here, I’ve used raspberries, and some cherries. Yes, the cherry stems + pits may not be the most practical addition, but after I saw them here, I couldn’t resist.

I’ve changed a few things around, based on the ingredients I had. I decreased the sugar amount by a smidgen. I also used coconut oil, thus forgoing the whole browned butter/Earth Balance step. Browning butter is a very worthwhile process, but I’m not sure what the result would be with coconut oil. I’ll have to try it next time.

Financiers (Dairy-free)

Originally from Book of Yum
Adapted by CinnamonQuill
*PDF Recipe*

8 Tablespoons coconut oil, melted
1/3 cup honey
5 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
1/3 cup raw sugar
1/4 cup confectioner’s sugar
1 3/4 cups ground almonds (measure after grinding; I used blanched almonds)
1/4 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons sweet rice flour
1/4 cup tapioca starch flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2-1 cup raspberries or other fruit/filling of your choice
Extra oil for pans

Preheat oven to 350F. Brush two miniature muffin pans (or other small molds) with oil, making sure to lightly oil the top surface of the pans as well (this helps when it’s time to umold cakes).

Beat together coconut oil, honey, egg whites, and vanilla in a medium mixing bowl. Incorporate sugars. Add almonds, flours, and salt. Fold until well-combined.

Using a fork, mash raspberries until they are almost a puree. Strain if desired (Yes, it’s an extra step, but the seeds do get kind of annoying.). Alternately, plan one whole raspberry per cake, or prepare other fruit or filling.

Fill muffin tins 5/6ths of the way with batter. Swirl 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of raspberry puree onto each cake, swirling puree into a heart shape, if desired (for the talented). Or, top with fruit or filling of your choice.

Bake 16-18 minutes, turning the pans once for even browning. Cakes should swell and be a light gold color.

Let cool 10-15 minutes in tins, then, using a small knife, cut around the outside of each cake. Use a spoon to unmold cakes.

Cool completely before storing.

Makes 2-3 dozen (depending on how full you fill the tins). Store at room temperature for one day, or refrigerate for longer life. They will be firmer and more marzipan-like when cold.

I could even see centers of chopped chocolate + orange flavor. A little swirl of Nutella or similar? Blackberries? Little apricot slices? Oh, and a while back I found these savory financiers.

P.S. Are you on Twitter? I am.

Well, I’ve been on a pancake kick lately. Opinions about pancakes seem just as subjective as those surrounding cornbread and chocolate chip cookies. There are countless recipes, variations, and a slew of very strong preferences. Crispy edges? Thick? Thin? Maple syrup?

I’ve never rejected a pancake, but my favorite type of ‘everyday’ pancakes are thick, fluffy ones; the kind I used to order when I’d go out for breakfast. I refused syrup for many years (I ate my pancakes with cream + sugar), but I’ve gone back to basics. Now, pancakes are merely a vehicle to transport vast amounts of pure maple syrup.

So, this recipe is for ultra-absorbent, syrup-soaking, soft, thick, and fluffy cakes. They may be made vegan, or not. I can’t actually decide which I like better, though the difference is negligible. The photos are from two different batches, one vegan, the other not.

Thick and Fluffy Pancakes

By CinnamonQuill
Inspired by this recipe from CeliacTeen
Adapted from this recipe

1 1/4 cup non-dairy milk
1 teaspoon vinegar
1 egg OR 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup canola or safflower oil
1-2 teaspoons vanilla or maple extract
Oil for pan

1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup millet flour
3/4 cup tapioca flour
1/4 cup sugar (I used brown sugar)
3/4 teaspoon guar or xanthan gum
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 scant teaspoon baking soda
Tiny pinch salt

Preheat skillet or griddle; brush with a very light layer of oil or cooking spray.

In medium mixing bowl, stir together wet ingredients. Whisk in dry ingredients, making sure there are no big lumps of flour. Let batter stand 3-5 minutes.

Using a ladle or ice cream scoop, pour batter by the scant 1/4 cup onto the hot pan. Cook until edges look set and there are little bubbles on the surface of the cake. Flip and cook 30-60 seconds more, until bottom is golden.

Halfway through, you may need to refresh the oil on the pan, depending what kind of pan you are using.

Because they are thick, these pancakes may take a bit longer to cook, be patient, and do a test pancake to determine exact cooking time.

Makes about 18-20 5″ pancakes.

Notes and troubleshooting:

-For a PDF of the above recipe, click here.

-Non-dairy milk differs in thickness, so you may need a bit more/less, depending on what you use. I’ve had the best luck with almond milk and lite coconut milk. Full-fat coconut milk is too thick, and may need to be watered down.

-While I used applesauce as an egg replacer, other methods would probably work too. Be sure to use unsweetened applesauce if you don’t want the pancakes to have an apple flavor. Also, increase the vanilla to mask any apple flavor, if desired.

-To get evenly browned pancakes, make sure the pan is adequately preheated. If pancakes get ‘lacy’ pattern, the heat is probably too high.

-I’ve had good luck using other flour mixes in this recipe, so it should adapt well to fit your needs.

If you have any favorite ‘mix-ins’ (I like chocolate chips, or blueberries) or pancake tips, please share.

Even before I went gluten-free, I could not bake a good pound cake. I tried several different recipes, always imagining a slightly dense, super buttery, golden mound, only to be met with uncooked centers, poor flavor, or airy texture. Add gluten-free flours to the mix, and things got even more interesting; one inch high pound cake, anyone?

I had just given up, again, when Shirley, of Gluten Free Easily, featured a recipe she titled ‘Perfect Pound Cake’. I was skeptical; I thought that a gluten-free pound cake scarcely existed, let alone a ‘perfect’ gluten-free pound cake. Well, she just likes to prove me wrong, and this pound cake is quite perfect. So much so, that I ate half of the entire first loaf, moments after it emerged from the oven. I’ve made this at -least- a dozen times, always changing things up a bit, depending on what I have; sometimes it’s been made with pineapple coconut juice, almond flavor, walnuts, chocolate chips, rhubarb, and, on the to-do-list is cherries. Rum soaked cherries? Homemade cherry pie filling? Anyway…

Shirley originally used light olive oil, which, confession, I never have. Instead, I used a neutral oil combined with extra-virgin olive oil, and a little applesauce to lighten it up a bit.

This recipe yields two impressive loaves, one of which I often turn into banana bread (instructions below). For egg-free fans: I’ve not forgotten you, I am working on veganizing the recipe, and it’s close. Stay tuned! If you don’t have the ingredients for the variation I make, check out the original recipe, and within a short time, you too can be enjoying Perfect Pound Cake.

(Perfect?!) Pound Cake and/or Banana Pound Cake/Bread

Originally from Gluten-Free Easily’s Perfect Pound Cake
Adapted by CinnamonQuill

1/2 cup canola or safflower oil
2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
1 cup raw sugar
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 eggs
1/3 cup full-fat coconut milk
1/3 cup water (OR, instead of water/coconut milk: 2/3 cup Lite coconut milk)
2 Tablespoons orange juice (secret ingredient!)

3/4 cup finely ground brown rice flour
3/4 cup potato starch
3/4 cup tapioca starch
1 1/2 teaspoons xanthan or guar gum
1 scant teaspoon salt
1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Oil and sugar two loaf pans: I use two 8×4 inch pans.

In the bowl of a mixer, combine oils, applesauce, sugar/brown sugar, vanilla, eggs, coconut milk and/or water, and orange juice. Mix until sugar dissolves, slightly.

Add flours, xanthan/guar gum, salt, and baking powder.

Mix for two minutes, or until all ingredients have transformed into a well-combined batter.

Pour into prepared pans.

Bake for 50 – 55 minutes, until toothpick in the middle comes out clean. Let cool in pans 10-20 minutes, then unmold onto a cooling rack until fully cooled. Can be stored on counter, in refrigerator, or freezer (this cake actually freezes very well).

For one banana loaf (variation):

1 super-ripe banana, mashed
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2-1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Pour half of above batter into loaf pan. To remaining batter, add banana, cinnamon, and walnuts, mixing until the banana and cinnamon are well-combined. Pour into other loaf pan. Bake as directed above.

*I usually make one pound cake and one banana loaf; I assume the above could be doubled to make two banana loaves, but I’ve never actually tried it.

Nothing like a slice of pound cake to start your day…wait, what about *chocolate* pound cake…anyone?

I know, more cookies, but ’tis the season! Girl Scout cookies are everywhere; those little rectangular boxes have been bombarding me at every turn, giving me the perfect excuse to work on gluten-free (Oh, and vegan!) versions of old favorites. Though, this particular cookie is not actually an old favorite of mine, but it certainly sounded good. In fact, I don’t ever recall tasting one of these, though I know it has its loyal followers (I live with one), so I gave them a try.

My favorite Girl Scout cookies were always Samoas, Thin Mints, and the lemony-(fake)buttery shortbread cookies. But here, we meet Peanut Butter Patties, also known as Tagalongs. The base is a rich, undersweet shortbread, topped with a peanut butter layer, and, finally, the entire thing is coated in dark chocolate. If you don’t/can’t eat peanut butter, I am sure almond butter or sun butter would be a delightful (and gourmet) substitution.

Typically, I test recipes a few times, if not more, before putting them on this site. This recipe, however, seemed to work perfectly on the first try, and because I am essentially out of flour (until my next shipment arrives), and because it is Girl Scout cookie time, I’ve made an exception. That said, this recipe may be in need of some tweaking, but if you are feeling adventurous, I am quite confident you will have good results. Then again, I’m always amazed how I can mess up even the most tried and true recipe. Ahem. I’ve had a kitchen full of those lately…

Vegan, Gluten-Free Tagalongs/Peanut Butter Patties (Girl Scout Cookies)

Originally from Baking Bites’ Homemade Tagalongs
Adapted by CinnamonQuill

1/3 cup organic shortening (could probably use butter if not vegan/dairy-free)
1/3 cup (make it a bit generous) canola or safflower oil
1/2 cup dark brown sugar (light should be fine)
1 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup potato starch
1/2 cup tapioca starch
1/2 teaspoon guar gum
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
3+ Tablespoons milk (I used lite coconut milk)

Preheat oven to 350F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment.

In a mixing bowl, cream shortening, oil, and sugar. Add all other ingredients, and pulse a few times. Then, use your hands to knead dough into a ball. It will be a bit dry/crumbly (think shortbread, people!), but you should be able to make it come together. If it is very dry, add 1 additional Tablespoon milk.

On a piece of wax paper, take a baseball sized mound of dough and flatten it with your hands. If you’ve ever made traditional scones, it will be very reminiscent of the technique you used. Flatten dough, then push crumbling edges together; flatten more, then push crumbling edges together. You should be able to flatten dough to *about* 1/4 inch thick. Cut into circles using a cookie cutter or jar lid. Space 1/2 inch apart on cookie sheet, and bake, 11-13 minutes, until slightly golden around edges. Let cool on sheet. Cookies will firm and crisp as they cool.

Makes about 2-3 dozen cookies. Let cool completely before proceeding.

Peanut Butter Patty Layer:

3/4 cup natural, unsweetened, creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup confectioner’s sugar
pinch of salt (if peanut butter is not already salted)
1/4 teaspoon of vanilla.

*This recipe may be doubled if you like a thicker peanut butter layer.

In a small microwave-safe bowl or small saucepan, combine peanut butter and sugar gently with a spoon. Place in microwave for about 20 seconds, or low heat on stovetop. You want the peanut butter to melt the slightest bit so it is easier to combine. Add salt and vanilla. Stir well. Using a half teaspoon measure, create small mounds of peanut butter, then spread over cookies with a spreading knife (or fingers, which I found to work perfectly). Peanut butter layer should cover tops of cookies. Place cookies on a cookie sheet and freeze for 30 minutes, until peanut butter is no longer sticky to touch (may be slightly tacky, which is okay) and peanut butter layer is securely adhered to shortbread.

Chocolate Coating:

1-2 cups of semisweet or dark chocolate chips

Melt chocolate in microwave or in double boiler. I dipped the tops of the cookies in melted chocolate, then brushed the sides and bottoms using a silicone pastry brush. If you like a thick chocolate coating, dip all sides of cookies, otherwise use my method. Place coated cookies on parchment or wax paper lined sheet, then freeze for 15 minutes, until hardened.

Store cookies in a very cool place (or freezer). Makes about 2-3 dozen.

More Girl Scout Cookie action:

Gluten-Free, Vegan, Thin Mints
Flourless, Gluten-Free Samoas

Really though, what are the best Girl Scout cookies, in your opinion?