These are super simple and wholesome snacks to take with you when you are on the go.

By Chef Colombe

Fruit Bars

Yield: 12–16

Ingredients:

1½ cups gluten-free flour blend

1 cup toasted quinoa flakes or gluten-free rolled oats

¼ cup date sugar

1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking Powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

¼ cup maguey sap or coconut nectar

¼ cup oil of choice (I used grape seed)

1 egg or flax egg

1 vanilla bean, scraped

2 pears, peeled and coarsely grated

¼ cup chopped dates

¼ cup chopped raw almonds, soaked overnight, lightly toasted, and salted

¼ cup salted pumpkin seeds, toasted

2–3 tablespoons sesame seeds

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease and line baking pan with parchment paper.
2. Mix together gluten-free flour blend, toasted quinoa flakes or rolled oats, date sugar, Baking Powder, and cinnamon.
3. Stir in maguey sap or coconut nectar, oil, egg or flax egg, and vanilla. Add pears, dates, almonds, and pumpkin seeds. Stir well to combine.
4. Spread mixture into prepared pan. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
5. Bake for 35–40 minutes or until done. Cool. Cut into 12 bars. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Variations: this is a great recipe. I make them all the time, keep them individually wrapped in the freezer, and have a grab-and-go breakfast. I use apricots with almonds. When I use sugar-free, organic dried cranberries, I switch to pecans and substitute orange oil for the vanilla. Once, I had only one pear, so I also used an apple and walnuts.

Enjoy!