“I’ve officially polished off my ‘postpartum’ Glo Bar stash.” This is what I wrote on Snapchat early in September to accompany a photo of me gobbling up my last lonely bar from the freezer. I had overestimated my self-control at 9 months pregnant just a tad, thinking I could stock the freezer a month early with Glo Bars so I would have them handy to bring to the hospital and to enjoy once home. Fool! Here is my not-so-spoiler alert: I have zero self-control when there’s a food I love in the house. Obviously. So I made another couple batches (oh darn), only this time I waited until I was ready to pop (a.k.a.…right now).
I’m really excited to share this Glo Bar recipe today because not only is it crazy delicious and a cinch to throw together, but these bars contain ingredients that are thought to help boost milk supply in breastfeeding mamas (such as oats, flax, sesame, and coconut). Don’t worry, though, anyone can enjoy these bars. In fact, Eric assures me that his cup size hasn’t increased one bit since becoming a fan himself.
Another thing I love about these Glo Bars is that they are nut-free; when I was nursing Adriana in the early days, I suspected that when I ate nuts it caused her to be fussy. This can also be true for chocolate, so I purposely left that out of this recipe, as well (just in case). If nuts and chocolate aren’t an issue for you, though, feel free to tweak the mix-ins to your heart’s content. Another bonus of using seeds over nuts is that seeds tend to be a bit more wallet-friendly. This year, I’ve really gotten into using sunflower seeds for this very reason.
New Mama Glo Bars
Yield
12 bars
Prep time
Cook time
0 minutes
Chill time
10 minutes
Total time
I created these Glo Bars with new mamas in mind, but rest assured that they can be enjoyed by all! These nut-free Glo Bars contain oats, ground flax, sesame seeds, and coconut oil, all of which are thought to help boost milk supply in breastfeeding women. They are a great no-bake bar to store in the freezer before baby arrives, too; I love to keep a stash in my freezer so I always have some on hand. I purposely made these bars nut- and chocolate-free because, in some cases, these foods can contribute to fussy breastfed babies (of course, every baby is different—tweak as you see fit!). But it also makes them a great nut-free option for after-school snacks, too!
Ingredients
For the dry ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups (150 g) gluten-free rolled oats
- 3/4 cup (25 g) gluten-free rice crisp cereal
- 1/4 cup (40 g) white sesame seeds*
- 1/4 cup (40 g) pepita seeds*
- 1/4 cup (30 g) ground flaxseed
- 1/3 cup (45 g) dried cranberries or dried cherries**
- 2 tablespoons (12 g) unsweetened dried shredded coconut
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt or fine sea salt
For the wet ingredients:
- 1/2 cup (125 mL) brown rice syrup***
- 1 tablespoon (15 mL) pure maple syrup
- 1/4 cup (63 g) unsweetened sunflower seed butter****
- 1/2 tablespoon (7.5 mL) coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon (5 mL) pure vanilla extract
Directions
- Line a 9-inch square pan with a piece of parchment paper. I like to leave some overhang so the bars are easy to lift out after freezing.
- In a large bowl, stir together the dry ingredients (oats, cereal, sesame seeds, pepita seeds, ground flaxseed, dried fruit, coconut, cinnamon, and salt).
- Add the brown rice syrup into a small pot over low heat. Stir in the maple syrup, sunflower seed butter, and coconut oil until combined. When the mixture is warm and runny remove from heat. Stir in the vanilla.
- Immediately pour the brown rice syrup mixture over the dry ingredients (I use a spatula to scoop every last drop!) and with a large metal spoon, stir until the oats are fully coated in the syrup mixture. This can take some elbow grease, but we don’t want any dry patches, so mix well.
- Scoop the mixture into the prepared pan and spread out evenly. I like to lightly wet my hands and use them to spread the mixture out. Grab a small pastry roller if you have one, and roll the mixture until even and smooth. Or, simply press down firmly with your hands—the more you pack down the mixture the better the bars hold together. Using your fingertips, press the mixture downward along the edges to create straight edges.
- Place the pan in the freezer, uncovered, for about 10 to 15 minutes until the bars firm up enough to slice. Remove the slab and place on a cutting board. With a pizza slicer, slice the bars into 12 equal bars.
- Wrap each bar separately in plastic wrap. Store in the fridge for up to 1 week, or freeze the wrapped bars in a freezer-safe zip bag for 4 to 6 weeks. The bars will firm up when chilled. You can let them sit at room temperature for 5–10 minutes before enjoying, if desired.
Tip:
- * These bars are great with toasted sesame and pepita seeds, as well as raw.
- ** To make the bars look extra colourful, like in the photo, I like to scatter the dried cranberries on top (along with a handful of pepitas) before pressing the mixture into the pan.
- *** There are no substitutes for brown rice syrup unfortunately. I've tested all different liquid sweeteners and nothing else binds the bars enough.
- **** Organic Sunbutter (smooth) is my go-to store-bought brand. Make sure it's silky smooth and not dry and hard.
Nutrition Information
(click to expand)By the way, a batch or two of these bars would make a great gift for a mama-to-be!
Last but not least, I’d like to share another roundup of #osgeveryday blog tour posts. A huge thanks to these talented bloggers for all their support! Be sure to check out the links below for recipe sneak peeks, giveaways, and fun Q+As.
Edible Perspective (Ash dishes on the behind the scenes of shooting the book!)
These look really really good. I’m ma guy and I’d eat them. The pumpkin seeds are good for men’s health as well.
http://vegansrising.com
These look so delicious and this is such a cute idea for new mommas!
Thanks, Sarah! :)
Hi Angela! I love your Oh She Glows book and have cooked extensively out of it and recommended to many people. I recently purchased your app and was very disappointed when I discovered that I can’t print your recipes out from it. Last night I made your Buddha Bowl recipe with the vinaigrette and loved it and I wanted to print it out to add it to my folder of favorite recipes and nowhere on the app will it let me print!
The only thing I can do is screen shot the ingredients and directions separately and then print. Is there anyway to add a print function to your app? I would love that!
Thanks for your help and I do love all your recipes!
Lori
Hi Lori, thanks so much for your kind words and thoughtful feedback on the app! Unfortunately, it’s not possible at this time, but I will definitely keep your feedback in mind for the future! Also, I’m happy to say that you can print the Buddha Bowl (plus many other app recipes!) directly from this blog! Hope this helps and thanks again for your support!
I love your Glo Bars in your 1st cookbook and I want to try this recipe. However I’ve stopped making them because the last 4 times I’ve attempted to the mixture just won’t stick together. I have not changed the weight of the ingredients, tried different peanut butter brands, tested making them in warm/cold weather and yes I mix with muscle! Can anyone help troubleshoot?
Hi there, So weird that the bars suddenly aren’t cooperating with you! The main thing is to be sure to use brown rice syrup as I’ve found no other liquid sweeteners will bind properly. But, it sounds like you’re following the recipe to a tee… My other troubleshooting suggestions are to avoid using the firm/dry nut butter at the bottom of a jar as it’s difficult to fully mix into the wet ingredients, and to make sure that you really pack the mixture into the pan. I press it very firmly into the pan, and then I use a wooden pastry roller (just from the dollar store!) to roll the mixture and compact it even more. The last thing I do after rolling is use my fingers to press in all the edges so they are nice and even. It’s also important to chill the bars in the freezer for 10 to 20 minutes (depending on how cold your freezer is) before attempting to slice them. I always slice the bars with a pizza slicer as it results in a very precise cut! Please let me know if these suggestions help! If you’re already doing them, I’ll put my thinking cap back on. :)
I’ve been using a metal meat tenderizer(heavy kitchen too) to pound the mixture flat! For the vegans out there a kitchen-mallet perhaps? Anyway, I’ve made this recipe now 5x and I love it! I’ve made it as a snack pack gift for a friend too. She loves them. Anyway, just pressing into the pan wasn’t cutting it for me. I left them in the freezer and just took them out prior to wanting to eat to hold their shape more. Adding some pounding with that metal mallet has made the bars way more compact!
Left my phone at work yesterday and thus missed your snap with shoes on! Sooooo excited for you & family!!! And awesome that you got to sleep in a familiar place.
Wow I wouldn’t have thought that nuts or chocolate would have that reaction but I guess every parent/child is different. These would make a great on the go snack too or something to put in lunch boxes.
John Munro
Hello! I love your blog. I love this new site as well, that all vegans should check out!
It’s called “thehippiechild.weebly.com”, and it is wonderful.
Although it’s not quite as wholesome as brown rice syrup sweetened condensed milk is excellent for making granola bars really stick together well, the stuff is like glue! Of course then these aren’t vegan but it’s a common ingredient that works as a substitute
Angela,
These bars are beautiful!! I made a batch this afternoon for my husband and I to take to work as a quick, healthy, energizing snack. They are soooo good! I didn’t have any sunflower seed butter and was too lazy to make some, so I used raw almond butter and they turned out great. I was inspired to do some experimenting and created a version for my girls using organic peanut butter, raw walnuts and dark chocolate chips. Their schools are not “nut-free” entirely, so they can bring these in their lunch boxes, too! As I have been checking here often for updates, I’m gonna assume your newest little one has arrived. I hope your birth went smoothly (and was mercifully short!) and am excited to learn the gender…my guess is boy?? Anyway, congrats if baby has arrived and God love you if you are past 40 weeks and hanging in there!
These look amazing! Don’t think I can still claim to be a new mum but will certainly give these a go!
whatizzydidnext.blogspot.co.uk
These are so delicious! Thank you! I subbed raisins and added some chocolate chips!
Yum! So glad you enjoyed them, Mary.
Hi, I have tried lots of your recipes. All of them worked and were delicious!
I have very recently made your Glo Bars even though I’m not a mother. And… I have also made your Veggie Burgers and I made them for dinner, my entire family loved them and I did too.
xx
I’m so happy to hear you and your family have been enjoying my recipes, Nicole!! I hope you love whatever you decide to try next, too.
Angela these look so good! I’m super excited to try and make these.
btw – don’t know if its just me, I’m using chrome on a Mac thats running El Captain, but your “print” and “email” icons keep turning into “pin-it” when I try and click on them which makes them un-usable right now.
What a great idea and a handy go to snack! Thanks for posting :)
Our son has an allergy to flaxseeds, can ground chia seeds be a substitute? I also noticed you lentil loaf also has ground flaxseeds and wondered if the substitution would work there.
omg amazing! thank you for sharing!
Lo
http://loelizabeth.com
Where did you purchase the white lace sleeved blouse shown in your new cookbook. Luv both your books. Thanks
Hi Ka, I think it was bought from Zara 2-3 years ago! They have really cute blouses. Thank you so much for your kind words about the books. :)
Oh yum! These looks fantastic, thanks for sharing!
Lennae xxx
www.lennaesworld.com
Fabulous recipe. I didn’t have brown rice syrup so I used honey. Bring the honey and maple syrup to a full boil for 1 minute. Then make as directed. Worked great!
These bars turned out great. I’m a flight attendant and always on the go. I love having these on hand for a super early wake up or just as a filling snack. Thank you.
I’m so glad you’re enjoying the recipe, Annette!! :)