Quinoa Apple Bars Gluten-free and Vegan

Inspired by a recipe for Apple Oat Bars I’ve worked out this recipe for a gluten-free and vegan version which omits the eggs and oats. The original recipe is here. These bars got the thumbs up from my gluten-free son and my non-gluten-free husband as well. I thought they had a slightly bitter aftertaste due to the quinoa, so when making again I would probably increase the sugar a little, maybe to 70 g. Quinoa flakes are also quite expensive, so for a cheaper version I might try rice flakes, though I find that they come out a little crunchier than the quinoa ones when cooking. Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients

150 g dried apple slices

300 g quinoa flakes

50 g brown sugar

20 g psyllium husk powder (I use the Macro brand from Woollies)

1.5 teaspoons cinnamon

1/4 teaspoons clove powder

pinch of salt

160 g full fat coconut milk

Method

1. I used my Bellini thermocooker but you could use a food processor instead. Place the dried apple in the jug and use speed 7 for 5 seconds and repeat. (Without a processor, chop the apples finely.)
2. Add the dry ingredients and pulse to combine a couple of times (or combine well in a mixing bowl).
3. Add the coconut milk and pulse twice to bring the mixture together (or mix well in the bowl).
4. Place mixture into mini loaf silicone pans to about half a centimetre in height. Press down well.
5. Cook in a fan-forced oven at 170 C for 15 minutes or until brown. Allow to cool a little before removing from pans onto a cooling rack.

Gluten-free and Vegan Veggie Muffins

These muffins are really just the eggless quiche recipe converted into a quiche cake recipe. The recipe is exactly the same (remember to omit bacon and cheese for vegan/dairy-free) but I just omit the pastry. I add 150 g of gluten-free self-raising (cake) flour to the mixture before cooking in muffin trays until brown and cooked through. They freeze and reheat well in the microwave. For the eggless quiche recipe it’s here.