These savory snack bars satisfy the need for crunchy gluten-free whole grain goodness, deliver big on the savory, and boast just a hint heat.
Move Over Granola Bars
Savory snack bars are trending big. Bar makers like Kashi, thinkThin and Mediterra are kicking the humble granola bar to the curb and serving our taste buds a savory snack experience that aims to be lower in sugar and way bigger on flavor.
This new breed of snack bar got me all excited and eager to come up with one that could hold its own in the savory snack bar arena.
Savory Snack Bars Are All The Rage
They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and this week I have done my best to flatter Kashi—the makers of whole grain cereals and plant-based goodies. Inspired by Kashi’s Quinoa Corn & Roasted Red Pepper Savory Bar, these Savory Red Pepper Bird Seed Bars satisfy the need for crunchy gluten-free whole grain goodness, deliver big on the savory and boast just a hint heat.
Seeds Aren’t Just For The Birds
Bird Seed Bars? The humor in the name is no accident. The whole grains in these bars add definite crunch. I immediately thought what my grandfather would have called them. The answer came clear as a bell, as if he was standing right there in the kitchen with me.
He would have seen the whole grains in the bars and exclaimed, “what is this? Bird food?”
Ha!
Granddad was always spot on—and, you know, he secretly would have loved these savory snack bars with a tall glass of Arnold Palmer while watching the golf channel from the comfort of his recliner.
Anyway, these Savory Red Pepper Bird Seed Bars have come to my rescue in the afternoon when the urge hits to devour half a bag of tortilla chips. Instead I break out hummus, carrot sticks and Savory Red Pepper Bird Seed Bars. They also complement a green salad, soup and even scrambled eggs in the morning.
Smart Spice Shopping
Seven years ago when our boy was pretty sick, my husband and I made the decision to go organic as much as possible. Though it hasn’t been easy financially, we simply have had to make eating clean a priority over family vacations and new cars.
We certainly avoid EWGs Dirty Dozen and are very selective with the meats we buy, but one switch I never thought to make was to all organic spices. It just never crossed my mind that the non-organic spices in my spice cabinet could be laced with pesticides and processed with chemicals. Waaahhhh!
When you think about it, many of the dry spices we use are concentrations of fresh herbs. A tablespoon of parsley dries down to about a teaspoon. So, not only are spices concentrations of the herb itself, but they can be concentrations of pesticides and chemicals as well.
Back in 2009, 184 samples of the herb cilantro were tested by the USDA. 94 percent tested positive for at least one pesticide. Even more alarming was the presence of 34 totally unapproved pesticides. Pretty scary in my book.
Perhaps our conventional cilantro farming friends have cleaned up their act, but I’m not going to bet on it. The notion of chemicals in my spices has persuaded me to make the switch to all organic spices as well.
One purveyor of spices I have started to use is Simply Organic. I like that they are committed to delivering organic, wholesome, great-tasting flavor, and equally as important, that they are fair and respectful in their sourcing practices.
The 2016 Simply Organic Bake-Off
This month Simply Organic and Go Dairy Free are hosting the Simply Organic Bake-Off. Ten food bloggers and authors have been busy baking cookies, breads and holiday treats just for you! From sweet to savory, you’ll be delighted by these all-new recipes that are bursting with flavor and fit for the dairy-free and special diet crowd. Check out the event, vote for the tastiest looking recipes and enter to win prizes.
To enjoy even more recipes and tips from Simply Organic, follow the hastag #OrganicMoments on social media. Simply Organic also posts daily deliciousness on Instagram and Facebook. Not all of their recipes are dairy-free, but they definitely have some gems. As for the recipes in this dairy-free bake-off, Go Dairy Free will be sharing them as they pop up on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter with the hashtag #dfbakeoff.
And without further ado, here is my entry to the Simply Organic Bake-Off—Savory Red Pepper Bird Seed Bars!
Ingredients
- 1 cup + 3 tablespoons quick cooking gluten-free oats
- 3/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
- 3/4 cup sorghum flour
- 1 tablespoon granulated cane sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 3-5 dashes cayenne pepper (or to taste)
- 3 tablespoons amaranth, quinoa, millet or a combination of (see notes)
- 1 red sweet bell pepper, seeded and broken into chunks
- 4 tablespoons avocado oil, or other neutral heat-stable oil
- 2 tablespoons molasses
- 1/2 cup flax meal (this is not a typo, though this is a dry ingredient it goes in with the wet)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300F.
- Line cookie sheet with baking parchment.
- In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the S blade, combine 1 cup oats, sunflower seeds and sorghum flour. Whiz 45 seconds.
- Add remaining dry ingredients and pulse to combine.
- Transfer dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl and set aside.
- Add wet ingredients to the bowl of the food processor and whiz 1 minute, scraping down sides once or twice. Let mixture stand until thickened, 3-5 minutes.
- Add wet mixture to dry mixture and stir until a soft dough forms.
- Form dough into a ball and place onto lined cookie sheet. Place a second piece of parchment over dough and roll out to 1/4" thick or a bit thinner.
- Remove top sheet of parchment and slice rolled dough into 1-1/2 x 3-1/2" bars using a pizza cutter or sharp knife.
- Transfer bars to oven and bake 40 minutes. Turn oven off and leave bars in oven for another 60 minutes.
- Break bars apart and cool completely on cooling rack. Bars will crisp up as they cool. If bars (especially those in the middle) are not completely crisp, simply space bars out on cookie sheet and return to oven and bake on lowest setting (under 200F) 15-20 minutes.
- Store in an airtight container.
Notes
Substitute coconut sugar with granulated cane sugar if desired. A nice quinoa, amaranth, millet blend is Organic Quinoa Blend by Sonoma Valley Farms. Not gluten-free, whole wheat flour would work in place of sorghum flour.
19 comments
These are genius Alexa! I’ve SO been craving some non-sweet snacks lately, too.
Thank you Alisa!
How is the flax meal a wet ingredient? Do you add water as if you were using it as an egg or two?
Good question. The point of adding the flax is to create a binding gel (similar to how an egg binds). The pureed pepper replaces water as the liquid in this “gel egg” concoction 🙂
Perfect! I didn’t even think about the peppers having enough liquid for that. They look tasty!
[…] Red Pepper Bird Seed Savory Snack Bars […]
These look like the perfect after school snack!
What an interesting snack bar!
Love the idea of a savory snack bar even though I haven’t been a huge fan of most of the ones I’ve tried. Love the texture and ingredients in these! I’ll have to give them a try.
[…] Savory Bird Seed Snack Bars (Flo and Grace)  […]
This could almost double as a craft to do with my kids!
This is my kind of perfect salty and savory snack. Love all the spices!
These bars looks super filling!
These look fantastic. I never think about the pesticides in my spices and I should. I ‘m so careful with everything else. I don’t know why it didn’t occur to me.
How fun are these!! They would make a great camping/hiking snack!
I adore savory bars, these look amazing!
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I made these last night and I love them! I would love to make some variations. Do you have any other seeded bar recipes?