Gluten-free Pineapple, Ginger & Honey Oat Bars

The Inspiration

I confess to loving a slice of cake or a cheeky biscuit with my afternoon cup of tea. The problem is that it’s really hard to find something that is (a) gluten-free and (b) not too unhealthy. So I came up with these pineapple, ginger and honey oat bars, which I’m really pleased with. The main ingredient is oats, which are a great energy-boosting food – perfect for that mid-afternoon slump. And I’ve swapped out the sugar for honey, which feels like a healthier option!

The pineapple brings an extra boost of sweetness and has the added benefit of being high in fibre, as well as a good source of vitamin C. I used the tinned variety for ease – just be sure to pick the version that comes in the natural juice rather than syrup.

Sunflower seeds bring another energy boost and are a good source of fibre, protein and Vitamin E. They also add a bit of texture to the otherwise soft bars. And ginger adds a zingy boost of flavour and goes really well with the pineapple.

Oat Bars Recipe

The oat bars are very quick and easy to make and the ingredients are easy to get hold off. The recipe below results in a lovely moist oat bar but if you prefer a firmer result, reduce the amount of honey and cook for a little longer. I also used a less coarse variety of oats, rather than the whole oats, which meant the bars held together better.

You could also make these vegan-friendly by swapping out butter for a vegan alternative – the recipe is quite forgiving!

Print Recipe

Pineapple, Ginger & Honey Oat Bars

A mood-boosting and healthy alternative to flapjack, with the added bonus of being gluten-free.

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time25 minutes mins

Course: Snack

Cuisine: British

Servings: 8 bars

Equipment

• 20cm x 12 cm baking dish

Ingredients

• 100 g unsalted butter
• 100 ml honey
• 200 g oats (check they are the gluten-free variety)
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 50 g sunflower seeds
• 100 g tinned pineapple (chopped into small pieces) (in natural juice)

Instructions 

• Melt the butter and honey over a low heat.
  
• In a separate bowl, mix together the oats, sunflower seeds and ginger.
  
• Once melted, pour the melted butter and honey into the bowl with the oats and stir well.
  
• Stir in the chopped pineapple.
  
• Pre-heat the over to 180°C (fan) / 190°C.
• Line a baking dish with greaseproof paper.
• Tip the mixture into the lined baking dish and level out with a spoon.
• Cook for 20-25 minutes until starting to turn golden brown around the edges.
  
• Allow to cool in the dish before lifting out and cutting into squares.