This recipe is from Gwyneth Paltrow.  It is inspired from a “Bummer Bar,” which is a sugar/dairy/gluten free bar sold at a bakery in Los Angeles.

Instead of oats, this bar calls for “quinoa flakes."  So, not the usual tiny quinoa seeds that you find in the store. 

Quinoa is gluten-free, easy to digest, and full of protein. A superfood, if you will.

You can use these flakes in place of oats for a hot cereal, granola, or fruit crisp. 

But, it just so happens that this quinoa "flake” is like, really hard to find! I’ve been on the lookout for them for a several months.

I almost forgot about them…

Until the other day, when I spotted a box of quinoa flakes at a local specialty grocery store (similar to Whole Foods). 

The first thing I wanted to try with the flakes were these Bummer Bars.

And trust me, there is nothing “bummer” about them. 

Quinoa Snack Bars {gluten-free}

recipe from Paltrow’s “It’s All Good”

• 1 ½ cup quinoa flakes
• ½ cup ground flaxseed
• a pinch of fine sea salt
• ¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
• ½ tsp. ground ginger
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup good-quality maple syrup 
• 2 tbsp. brown rice syrup
• ½ cup chopped prunes, apricots, dried cherries, or dates.
• ½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Directions:

- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a brownie pan in parchment paper (9x11 inch pan). Or, line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.

- Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl and mix until all of it is combined. Pour the mix in a brownie pan (or muffin tins).  Press down in the pan with a rubber spatula.

- Bake for about 30 minutes or until bars are firmed up and golden brown.

- Let cool before removing. Use the parchment to lift the bars out of the pan and cut into rectangles.  Serve right away or store in a container.

So, next time you are roaming the specialty grains aisle…

keep a look out for those quinoa flakes.