Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

My kids love to eat homemade baked goodies.  I love to make things from scratch but time is not always on my side between work and homeschooling.  Sometimes, I actually do make things and these granola bars are gone within minutes (assuming their Aunt doesn't steal them all first)!  These are super easy to make and taste delicious!  Because of my son's diet requirements, we not only have to be gluten free, but we have to be careful about what kind of sweeteners and sugars we use when we cook.  My recipe uses pure maple syrup as well as a little bit of coconut sugar and coconut oil.  To add to the taste, I add a little Ginger and Cassia essential oils.  Ginger has a great taste and is is widely used as a support to the digestive system.  There are reports of Ginger being used as far back as 4,000 years ago in ancient Greece!  Because it has such a strong scent and smell, you only need to use 1-2 drops for the whole batch of granola bars.  Cassia essential oil is similar to Cinnamon Bark oil but has its own unique properties.  It is a strong antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral oil.  Because it has such an intense, strong flavor you only need 1 drop, 2 at the most. 

These granola bars are a favorite year round for our family.  They smell like fall and go great with a cup of hot chai spice tea!  They are also a great healthy alternative to cookies or store bought granola bars, let me know if you like them!

Note - I try to use as many whole, raw, natural ingredients as possible when I cook.  Feel free to substitute whatever you have on hand.  It's pretty hard to mess these granola bars up! 

Ingredients:
2 cups gluten free rolled oats (I use Bob's Red Mill)
1/2 cup coconut sugar (you can substitute brown sugar)
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup raw flaxseed meal
1 cup all-purpose gluten free flour mix (I used Namaste)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2/3 cup chocolate chips ( I use Costco brand, but Enjoy Life chips are good too)
1 large egg, beaten
2/3 cup pure maple syrup
2/3 cup melted coconut oil (I use Nutiva brand, unrefined)
2 teaspoons gluten free vanilla extract


Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Generously grease a 9x13 pan
Melt the coconut oil and set it aside to cool off a bit
Combine the dry ingredients and make a well in the center of the bowl
Combine the wet ingredients, adding the essential oils last
Pour the wet ingredients into the center well of the large bowl with the dry ingredients and combine well (sometimes it helps to use your hands to make sure everything is mixed up).
Spread the mixture into the greased pan
Bake uncovered for about 25-30 minutes
Cool for 10 minutes and then cut into bars.  Depending on how big you cut them you can get 12-20 bars.