Fruity Tahini Snack Bars

Welcome to the new RansomCakes.com! I feel great about the name change, as Ransom Cakes has been the name of my little baking obsession for years. When I first starting my blog, I had no idea what it would turn into. As it happens, over a year later, it has become my space to share my recipes more than anything else. For more on this, see my About section. Thanks to everyone who reads my blog, likes my facebook page, follows me on twitter, and pins my recipes on pinterest. It is seriously so cool of you all.

On to today’s recipe: Fruity Tahini Snack Bars. I set out to make a gluten-free, healthy-ish, breakfast bar and these fit the bill. They are soft little snack cakes that are just begging to be wrapped in paper, twine and taken along on a picnic. Containing no white sugars, full of healthy dried fruits, gluten-free grains and nuts, protein packed tahini. Also made with fig butter, another fantastic and highly recommended find from Trader Joe’s. If you don’t have fig butter, use fig paste, apple butter or pumpkin butter (yum).

Fruity Tahini Snack Bars
yield 12 servings / 1 –  9×9″ cake/loaf

1/2 cup fig butter  (or fig paste, or apple butter)
1/3 cup extra virgin coconut oil
1/3 cup organic raw agave nectar
1/4 cup tahini
1/4 cup flax milk (or almond, or coconut milk)
2 tablespoons flax seed meal
1 teaspoon alcohol-free pure vanilla extract
1 cup gluten-free oat flour
1/2 cup millet flour
1/4 cup almond flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cup dried fruit (I used a combination of cranberries, currants and blueberries)
3 tablespoons sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Farenheit. Line a 9 by 9 inch square pan with enough parchment paper that all sides are lined as well as the bottom.

In a large bowl, using a strong whisk or an electric beater, combine the fig butter (or other fruit butter), coconut oil, agave, tahini, flax milk (or almond/coconut milk), ground flax seed and vanilla. Mix very well, until smooth and creamy. In a separate bowl, sift together the flours: oat, millet and almond. Add the baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt and sift thoroughly. Create a well in the center of the dry mixture and slowly add the wet mixture, using a rubber spatula to gently fold together the ingredients. When batter begins to come together, add the dried fruit and gently combine.

Pour the batter in the prepared pan, sprinkle the top of the batter with sliced almonds, and bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven, turn off oven, and let rest for about 10 minutes in the pan. Carefully lift the cake from the pan by grabbing the sides of the parchment paper, and place parchment on top of a large flat cookie sheet. Let cool for 15 minutes. Slice into 12 equal bars and carefully space the bars apart so they are no longer touching. The easiest way to do this is by taking the flat side of a large knife and sliding them over and away from each other. Turn the oven back on to 300 degrees Farenheit. Bake for another 15 minutes, until sides are slightly golden. Remove from oven and let cool before wrapping up for lunches or serving with tea.

Make these bars to bring on camping trips, nature hikes or to stuff in your kids lunch box. Honestly though, we had them for breakfast, which was just as fine.