Again with the baking.  I am on a hot role…meaning it is seriously hot in San Antonio, summer is finally on us, and I am baking in my kitchen.  Totally silly and sweaty, and not necessary to my waist line, but oh boy things are tasting good.  Here is my recipe for Vegan, Clean and Gluten Free Zucchini Oat Bars.

mm

mm

mm

mm

Yep, you read that super long name for a bar correctly.  Zucchini oat bars.  I was wanting a cookie but I ended up with so much shredded zucchini that they would not have made very good cookies, so I just spread them out on the pan into a thin bar.

So, all I did for this really good bar was follow a vegan oatmeal cookie recipe, and then added my freshly shredded zucchini.  Let me just once again praise my food processor. Whoever thought that sucker up was a genius.  They were smaller in size, but shredded down was probably almost four cups-I only needed two but decided I couldn’t go wrong with a little extra zuc in them.

After spreading on the pan, I baked for awhile. I started with 20 minutes, and then opened the oven to check them out.  10 more minutes and repeated the peaking.  I went for another 15 then pulled them out and let them set.  You have to let them cool and preferably even refrigerate and get cold, because unlike a normal cookie fresh from the oven, these didn’t taste all that great hot.

mm

mm

mm

mm

But once cooled off or cold (even frozen they are awesome!) they tasted so good. All that cinnamon totally made the zucchini pop.  They are a particularly ugly cookie-style bar, but so worth the time. The outsides of the bars get extra crispy and may burn a tiny bit.  I think next time, if I spread them so thin, I will only go 30-35 minutes in the oven.

Vegan and Gluten Free Zucchini Bars,

1 Tbsp Hodson Mill Flax Seed
3 Tbsp Water
1 C oat Flour
2 C Oats
1 Tsp Baking Soda
1 Tsp Baking Powder
1 Tbsp Cinnamon
1/4 Tsp Nutmeg
1/2 Tsp Ginger
1/2 Tsp Salt
1/4 C Maple Grove Farms 100% Pure Maple Syrup
1/4 C Tropical Traditions Gold label Virgin Coconut Oil
2 Tsp Vanilla
2 C Zucchini, washed and shredded
1/2 C Raisins
1/2 C Pecans, chopped

1.   Make flax egg at least 1 hour prior to starting.
2.  Process your oat flour then zucchini in food processor.
3.  Mix oats and flour, baking soda and powder, spices and salt in medium size mixing bowl.
4.  In large mixing bowl add flax egg, syrup, oil and vanilla.  Blend well.
5.  Add dry ingredients in 3 parts. Mix well.
6.  Add zucchini to bowl and mix.
7.  Add raisins and pecans and mix really well.
8.  Spray baking sheet with Pam.  Pour batter onto sheet and press out and down with fingers.
9.  Bake for 45 minutes.