Fact: If you follow a Grain Free Diet..and also happen to be allergic or intolerant to eggs.. breakfast can be difficult.
This has been my story. For a year I also needed to avoid all starch and sugar. I understood more than ever just how tough breakfast can be. While I do have several fun breakfast recipes on this site that meet this criteria.. I wasn’t exactly able to eat any baked goods..for breakfast at least. The wheels have been turning in my head for a very long time trying to solve this particular riddle.
I figured out a solution. And I am SO excited about this solution that I have started writing an entire ebook of breakfast recipes that will all be grain free AND have egg free options. It will be available within a few months. I will share more details soon!
BUT for now- here’s a fun recipe to get you started. These bars are delicious and will take you no longer than it would to make muffins.Throw together a pan and you’ll have a fun & delicious protein packed breakfast especially handy for those mornings when you are on the go.
Blueberry Lemon Breakfast Bars
- 3 1/2 Packed Cups of Blanched Almond Flour (see substitution notes below)
- 1/2 Cup * Granulated Sugar (see substitution notes below)
- 1 Tablespoon of Baking Powder (I use double acting)
- 1/4 Teaspoon of Salt
- 2 Tablespoons of Milk (dairy or nondairy) or Water.
- 2 Tablespoons of Lemon Juice
- The Zest of one small lemon.
- 1 Cup of Fresh or Frozen Blueberries
- Preheat Oven to 350 degrees. Line a bread pan (aka a loaf pan) with a sheet of parchment paper allowing the edges to come well up the sides. (NOTE: my loaf pan is the largest size they come ( I’ll update the exact dimensions later today when I’m home.) If you don’t have a large loaf pan you might consider using an 8 x 8 square pan instead. My bars ended up being about 1 1/2 inches thick. )
- In a food processor OR in a bowl mix together the Almond Flour, Granulated Sugar, Baking Powder, Salt, Milk, Lemon Juice and Lemon Zest. In the food processor- turn it on briefly until the mixture becomes crumbly (pea sized crumbs are preferable) If mixing by hand- stir the ingredients until they also become crumbly. You can also mix until you feel the dough thickens and then break into crumbs when placing in the pan.
- Into your prepared bread pan sprinkle a layer of crumbs. Add a layer of blueberries. On top of the blueberries add another layer of crumbs. Continue with this layering until you have used up all of your crumbs and berries.
- Using the edges of the parchment lightly press down to form the crumbs into a cohesive bar in the pan. (Note: don’t press down too hard or else your bars may end up very dense- BUT do make sure to press down enough that the bars hold together, otherwise they are going to end up crumbly after they have baked).
- Place the pan into the oven on the middle rack and bake 40-45 minutes until the edges are dark golden brown. Remove from oven- allow to cool and then slice into bars.
Due to the fact that these bars contain fresh fruit they will store best in the fridge in a sealed bag or container.
Substitution Notes
- Instead of blanched almond flour feel free to use another homemade nut or seed flour.
- To make your own Nut or Seed flour: simply run the nut or seed in a high powdered blender or coffee grinder until you have a super fine flour. (If the flour is course- the recipe might not work as well.) If you flour is course, then be aware that your cookies are not going to turn out as good.
- Sunflower Seed flour has the tendency to turn green if baked with too much baking powder. I have not tested it in this recipe to know if it works without turning green.
- Coconut flour or any of the starchy grain based flours will NOT work in this recipe. Only use other Nut/Seed flours.
- For this recipe any Granulated Sugar variety should work. I used the truvia baking blend- which is almost 100% sugar free ( it has less than 1 gram of sugar per serving) . I really love using Truvia, xylitol and erithritol in my bar recipes as in addition to being non glycemic they help hold baked goods together. Coconut Palm Sugar, Sucanat, Organic Cane Sugar etc. should also all work quite well. Make sure to taste your dough and feel free to adjust the amount of sugar to your taste. Each sugar varies slightly in sweetness.
- The various types of sugar brown at different periods of time in the oven. If using Truvia baking blend (or Xylitol or Erithritol) like me then the full baking time I have called for will be appropriate. If using a different variety of sugar you may find that your bars start to brown at an earlier point. If you notice this happens then do to things. #1 Check to see if your bars are cooked through (Do they feel raw when you poke at them?) . #2 if the bars seem them need more time in the oven, throw some tinfoil on top to prevent further browning.
-Brittany-
{ 73 comments… read them below or add one }
These look divine!
This might be a dumb question but where do you buy your Truvia Baking Blend thats 100% sugar free? The one I am looking at says it is a mix of stevia, sugar and erythritol. These look great and I can't wait to try them, especially if they're sugar free. Also, do you have any experience baking with homemade quinoa flour? Thanks!!
Ah yes- you are correct. I forgot that truvia has a little cane sugar. Though I do know its incredibly low as there is less than 1 gram of sugar per serving.
And yes I have worked with quinoa flour a ton. I wrote a whole chapter on how to use it in my cookbooks:
https://realsustenance.com/books/
I am new to your site and so excited to try some of your recipes. I've noticed you use "blanched" almond flour. How is that different from regular almond flour? I've asked several people at my local health food store and they couldn't help me. Thank you!
Blanched is free of the skins and it typically is ground finer. This allows for it to absorb more moisture.
The skins when in the flour tend to make baked good crumbly, burn quickly and sometimes have a bitter flavor.
Yum! I'm going to try these with blackberies.
I have some in the fridge that are calling to me right this very moment!! I will let you know how it goes cuz I know blackberries tend to be a bit seedier. Can't wait!!
Blackberries taste awesome with lime juice and lime zest if your up for flavor experimentation
sounds great!! I have lime juice and I think some actual limes... hmmmm
thanks so much!
I have a bunch of blackberries in my freezer! I'm going to throw them in this recipe with lime juice, per your suggestion. Mmm...
I think so! Give it a whirl
Brittany - these are delicious. I am going to make them all the time. The texture is great, they're not too sweet, and pack into my lunch bag perfectly. THANKS!
Thank you Brittany! You have made one 11 year old's night... or should I say morning. Having celiac disease, we are obviously gluten free, but have had to reduce grains and starches. And now my daughter cannot tolerate eggs at all. I have tried without success to make her baked goods grain free and egg free, other than the few on your site
But breakfast, so hard... Blueberries and lemon are her favorite, cannot wait to make these tomorrow. And cannot wait for your ebook!
This makes me so happy <3
Unfortunately, Almond flour doesn't sit well with me
Have you tried any of the other nut/seed flours? Any idea which one tastes good? I haven't experimented with any of them. Thanks for your thoughts!
I would recommend using a mild tasting nut like cashews or macadamia nuts instead if you can have either!
They look delicious! And, I love how they aren't just gluten free but dairy free as well...another thing we've cut out of our diets. Thanks for sharing the recipe. I'm anxious to try it.
hi Brittany, great recipe and sounds delish. I have to substitute for almond flour (thanks for the tips on how to do that). I am also allergic to lemon. Any way to avoid it? do you think orange would work? Thanks!
Sure! Orange zest and juice work work- or lime juice and zest.
It's also possible to make these without the citrus. In which case I would recommend a tablespoon of vanilla extract Instead of lemon juice and then I would use 3 tablespoons of milk instead of 2.
Thanks for this! I was just laying in bed thinking.... I don't want eggs and bacon and kale again for breakfast. I'm not an omelet person either and pancakes take a lot on a fast morning.
Quick question- I never have granulated sugar. Can I use honey/maple syrup? Would it be too much liquid? Thanks for all your modifications mentioned above ect. And for your time testing these recipes! Would love to look for your breakfast book when it comes out!
Liquid sugars sadly won't work as they will add far too much moisture to the dough. So they would end up doughy rather than baked through.
I do know that you can buy granulated honey and granulated maple syrup! Both of those would probably work quite well!
thank you for this recipe! i love how simple it is- breakfast is my most difficult meal, especially to be grain and egg free... i've had such little luck finding recipes that combine both so looking forward to your e-book! i just posted a grain free/egg free cinnamon roll recipe a few weeks ago but need to get started experimenting more as well. thanks again!
Could I use garbanzo bean flour in place of the almond flour? I can't do nuts...
No-it's too starchy.
Refer to the substitution notes to see if another option I mentioned will work.
I couldn't wait for this recipe, and even got up early to make them for breakfast today. My boys both approved, and I asked if I should make them often. My 6 year old said no, and I was confused. Then he said they should be saved for special occasions because they are so yummy.
Thanks for another great recipe!!!
That is SOOO sweet! <3
Thanks for sharing
These look great! Can you use half protein powder and half almond flour to up the protein?
Also, can you use stevia?
How large of a loaf pan? How many bars did you get out of he recipe?
so i can use regular sugar?
First of all, these are totally yummy, THANK YOU! I will totally make them again, but I had a a wee little "first time" challenge that for me might be helpful to others... I found them way too thick in a loaf pan. it was more like a half loaf of quick bread than bars. I would make these next time in an 8 x 8 pan, as they were done on top looooong before they were done in the middle. I had them in for the full 45 minutes and had to cover them with tin foil at about 40 min because they were getting overly dark brown and still completely raw in the center. I left them in for another 15 minutes in the loaf pan, and they were still nowhere near done. So finally I picked up the whole piece of parchment, transferred to an 8x8 pan, kinda spread out the whole thing a bit, and put them in for ANOTHER 30 minutes at 325 before they were finally done. The only change I made to the recipe was I used cashew flour rather than almond flour by grinding cashews in my vitamix and then sifted. I did use frozen blueberries, but they were thoroughly thawed, drained and run over a paper towel to make sure they weren't too wet. Anyway, the taste was so worth it, thanks again!
Perhaps next time I will add a Tbsp or two of coconut flour to absorb moisture... I guess maybe cashew flour just might not be as absorbent as the almond flour!
These look so amazing Brittany. I love the color pops of the blueberries. I have been craving berries in anything and everything lately.
I love your idea of a breakfast e-book! Breakfast without eggs is always challenging.
Thank you for another winner to add to my list of great recipes from your site!
I made these bars this afternoon and they are soooo good! I am not a lemon person but loved the lemon in these! It was such a nice combination. I added one tbsp. more milk than the recipe called for and used coconut sugar but other than that followed the recipe exactly. They were a little crumbly while still warm - probably could have pressed them down just a little more but when I took a little taste later they were staying together much better. They are in the fridge now and I anticipate a really great texture and taste by breakfast time tomorrow morning
So would quinoa flour work in replacement of almond flour, since it is really a seed (pseudo-grain)? I love quinoa, but almonds and most nuts seem to cause problems for me, which makes it hard to follow your recipes. :S
I am following the recipe in my head, and looking at the final product picture on your site.
Just so I do it right the first time, How far up the loaf pan do you suggest going when layering? It's isn't supposed to be like a bread is it? It looks like the bars you made came from a shallow pan .... Thanks!.
The bars should end up about 2 inches thick. If your loaf pan is small then it might make more sense so use a small square pan.
I haven't been home the last day since I posted this- so haven't had a chance to go back and measure my loaf pan.. But I think it may be on the larger side.
Thank you for another great recipe!
I look forward to your breakfast book...no eggs and no grain...such a challenge at breakfast time!
Also...your "Best Ever Pizza Crust" changed our lives...delicious!
I really want to try these. Do u think chestnut flour would work? Almond flour must have goitrogens since almonds do. I can never get an answer to that question. If almond flour was not goitrogenic when baked, I could use it. Really wish I could get answer to that question. Posted it on another of your pages. No answer. I am tested hypothyroid and cannot take medication (causes vertigo) so must stay away from goitrogens. Some goitrogens , when cooked lose their goitrogenic effects. I really wonder about almond flour. Internet also provides no answer that I can find to that question.
I also use quinoa flour but doubt if that will be any good in this recipe. I am using your pancake recipe with coconut flour and they are wonderful. My only safe treat. But maybe these will work with chestnut flour.
First of all, thanks Brittany for another wonderful recipe that is totally allergen-free - there is no other place on the web like this. I think people too often forget to thank you, do not read the comments before asking questions... anyways, I don't comment often, but it is time to say thanks.
Secondly, I used chestnut flour instead of almond flour. I had to use 3-4 times more rice milk to achieve the desired crumbly condition. It turned out to be great, the only thing I would consider for next time is using at least partly another flour, because this one ended up being a bit too dense.
You probably need less flour and would benefit to add some butter! I would try adding a few tbs and cut it in like biscuits ( or again use a food processor). Almond flour has more natural fat than chestnut.
Thks for this recipe. I'm also looking forward to your new breakfast cookbook.
Bc of my toddlers allergies, I used chestnut flour (bobs). I also used organic cane sugar & vanilla coconut milk. It was delicious but i bet your butter suggestion would work perfect. It turned out a bit crumbly like Kitt said. I really think it will setup as it cools (we couldn't wait to eat it). I'm trying to research a better grade of chestnut flour that is blanched, preferably.
Brittany - These are super tasty! Mine were crumbly, though - but still super tasty. I wonder if that's because I didn't pack it down enough? Would you suggest more milk/lemon juice or something else? (I used frozen blueberries - which were still frozen. Should I have defrosted?) Thanks for a great recipe!!
Next time just pack the bars down a little and that will remedy the issue!
Ok, great. Thanks!
This is my favorite new recipe of 2013. I have made the bars twice. The first time I used regular granulated sugar for myself, and the second time I used Whey Low D which is made for diabetics for my husband. The taste was very similar. My husband traded in his almond flour chocolate cake with icing to have the bars for his dessert. That is as high a compliment as he could ever give to a recipe. Thank you, Brittany.
These look incredible; I love a lil' sweetness from lemon and these bars look great, Britt!
You are amazing and I love you!! Sending you huge hugs from NYC.
xoxo
<3 <3 <3
I made these the minute the recipe went up - and they were gone even faster! I made them after dinner, and I never got to try them as breakfast
- so will make again soon. I loved how they are so quick to make and bake and it always delights me when I see my family's faces light up when they taste the food I make - thanks for sharing your recipes!
Can you find blanched almond flour easily? I have several places where I buy almond flour but have noticed blanched almond flour.
I typically order it online! Usually cheaper that way
Thank you so much for your website and recipes. I made these with strawberries, vanilla almond milk, water to replace the lemon juice and no zest and they came out delicious! My 16 month old daughter is allergic to dairy, soy, rice, wheat, oats and barley. Most of the gluten free baked goods are made with rice flour which she can't have. I'm so grateful to have found your site and your recipes. Now hopefully we can put some meat on her bones!
Question, you suggest keeping them in the fridge. Do you think they will freeze well too?
Looks yummy! has anyone tried the recipe using honey?
Thanks! Clara
I don't recommend honey as the bars will end up too moist!
Thank you, Brittany! I've read your blog for awhile and I've learned a lot - thanks for that. (I laugh too -but feel for you - as you answer the same questions time and again.) I just made this recipe this morning because I have a toddler with an intolerance to dairy, eggs, gluten, corn and soy. It's easy enough to bake/eat paleo to accommodate these intolerances but it is the egg-less part that is so challenging. It's hard to find tasty, reliable grain free/egg free recipes. Waffles/pancakes have not been fun! So To this recipe i made a few minor recipe changes just for variety - replace 1/2 cup of almond flour with cashew flour and a 1/4 cup with flaxseed meal. I also did just two layers - almond flour layer, blueberries then almond flour mixture. In the blueberry layer I also dotted it with diced dates. I haven't tasted (it is cooling) it yet but I think it's a winner!
Brittany,
Do you by any chance know the nutrition breakdown for these bars - I am diabetic and needing to eat low carb ~ and would just like to know what the carb count would be per bar here.
Thanks much!
Thank you for this! My son is allergic to eggs and we have such a hard time finding new ideas for breakfast stuffs. These look GREAT GREAT GREAT!
These look wonderful! Can you use Stevia instead of other sugars?
These look great! I bought some almond flour and have been looking for a good recipe. Do you have the nutritional stats for this recipe? Calorie, carb count?
Brittany these were great! I made them this AM for my husband and I. Feeling a little sad for myself with the Memorial Day holiday upon us and all the deserts and hamburger/hotdog buns i will be missing out on. So I got on your blog and looked for something to bake this AM to help cheer me up. It worked! Thank you so much. Being GF/DF and EF has been the hardest transition I have ever had to make (its been a year now). I still have not mastered baking with Almond Flour and it not being crumbly. These came out very crumbly and so did the strawberry monkey bread I made last weekend. I even pressed it down but I was careful because you said not to press it down too hard it would be dense. So...I will press it harder next time. Thanks for all you do and can't wait for your e-book.
Ive made these twice now. I LOVE them! I took some to the office and those that were lucky enough to sample loved them. My husband adores them. Thanks for such a great recipe!
Instead of nut flour can I use gf bisquick..my brother doesn't like nuts..
Truvia is a bit sweeter then granulated sugar isn't it? Do you still use 1/2 cup truvia or do you adjust it?
Truvia is sweeter! That's true- so if you want you could add maybe an extra 1/4 cup if using another sugar.
I'll use "homemade" truvia
So I made these and they were powdery cooked and uncooked it was like eating blueberries with powder and I found that the sweetness was insufficient. Just wondering if I did anything wrong! Thanks!
What brand of almond flour did you use?
You may not have mixed the dough long enough- it's dry at first and gains moisture and you continue to mix it.
This looks delicious!
Reynolds Wrap makes a great pan lining paper, one side parchment that comes in a roll! Like Aluminum foil. 24 ft. x 15"
Can these bars be frozen? If so, for how long? I am looking to make these and freeze them for when school starts in 4 weeks..they will be great packed in lunches or for a quick breakfast on the run!
These are incredible! I made the original recipe, froze them and they are good right out of the freezer (awesome bonus for someone who's bad about planning). I have blackberry/lime/nectarine ones in the oven right now! So excited!
WOW... These are fab.. Thank you so so much.. Today I have made your Cherry Almond pancakes, these ... and now the Best Ever Crispy and Flaky Pizza crust is in the oven.. Thanks again and cant wait to try more and more. Xxxx. Suzi
BTW... I used frozen raspberries and they worked perfectly.. Also I only had unblanched almond meal and it was fine... Added some coconut too ... Thanks again x
Awesome!!! Thank you for sharing
Could this be done with apples??
Sure!
I made this recipe this morning on a whim. The recipe was sitting on my counter and I thought, why not? I had everything but the zest in my possession. I also used a frozen berry blend that included blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and and one lonely strawberry which I happy sliced up to include in the mix. I used my stoneware loaf pan from Pampered Chef. I found the pan to be a tad bit too small to make these bars thinner but I left it alone-what the heck it's Friday! I tried not to press down too hard but now I wish I would have compressed it more. I baked for 40 minutes and it had a lovely brown color on top and edges. I let it cool while I got ready for work and took a slice with me. It's definitely an eat-with-a-utensil kind of bar. The taste was delicious and besides the crumbliness (is that a word?) the flavor was wonderful. I will use a few suggestions I read in the comments above for the next time I make these. BTW I cannot keep the waffles (from your recipes) in the house longer than a few hours...my son LOVES them! Eats em plain...with his fingers...and he's 17! lol
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