Gluten Free Health Bars

This gluten free recipe can be as healthy as you choose. It can be made without dairy, without eggs, and even without sugar, if that is what you want. It also tasted great and is a wonderful filler for those moments when a small snack is just what you want, but it can also become a snack meal that is really healthy, if that is what is called for. The recipe gives quantities for each ingredient, but eggs and sugar can be omitted. The recipe uses coconut cream but if you're OK with dairy, milk can easily be used instead.

This bar can be versatile. It is tasty as it is, but if not pressed down well before cooking, it can turn out to be a little crumbly. This can be prevented beforehand by the addition to the liquid ingredients of a beaten medium sized egg, if eggs are allowed in your diet.

• Chopped nuts, sultanas, chopped apple or apricot can replace or be added to the dried fruit.
• Dark chocolate 'Chock-bits' can be added to the dried fruit in place of another ingredient.
• If sugar is not a problem, a little demerara or coffee sugar crystals can be sprinkled on top to make a crunchy topping and add a little sweetness, but the fruit itself is sweet enough.
• When cool, the bars may be topped with a mixture of cream cheese and icing sugar. It tastes good but detracts from the healthiness of the bar and adds calories.
• When cool, the base of the bar can be dipped in melted chocolate. leave upside down until the chocolate is solid. Again, this adds to the calories, but dark chocolate is good for you!

I have made these bars fairly small, so the instructions give the yield as twenty-four. However, if the bars are to be used as a meal replacement, they can easily be cut to a larger size. This is best done while they are still warm.

Because the bars shown here are not decorated, they may look a little plain, but they really taste great.

Enjoy!