Gluten Free: Breakfast Bars

When it comes to breakfast, I'm pretty rubbish. A cup of tea as I rush out the door is usually the most I manage. This week, I start a new resolution: eat better breakfasts. Problem is, when you're gluten free, there aren't many eat-and-run breakfasts available. We're going to have to make our own.

This recipe is the most adaptable one ever. If you don't tolerate oats, any gluten free porridge will work, or try quinoa or millet flakes (you'll find them in most health food shops). Add any nuts your like, and if you don't like nuts, use some chopped sunflower or pumpkin seeds instead. Don't fancy chocolate first thing in the morning? Leave it out.  My version below is an Elvis-inspired peanut and banana bar with chocolate.

Breakfast Bars (makes about 10 bars)
You'll need:

• 125g butter
• 100g light brown sugar
• 70g golden syrup
• 100g chopped peanuts
• 170g gluten free oats ( or 150g gluten free porridge flakes)
• 75g dried banana chips, bashed up into smallish pieces
• 75g dark chocolate chips

Make it!

1. Preheat your oven to 160°C/320°F/gas mark 3.
2. Gently heat the butter, sugar and syrup in a saucepan until melted together, but not boiling.
3. Remove from the heat and stir in the nuts, oats and banana chips. Quickly, add the chocolate chips and mix them in.
4. Spread the mixture into a 20 cm x 20cm (or similar) baking tin and bake for 30 minutes.
5. Leave to cool in the tin for about 5-10 minutes before slicing, then leave to fully cool before removing from the tin.
6. Store in an airtight container and they'll last up to a week.

If peanuts and banana aren't for you, try walnuts with dried apricot and white chocolate, pistachios and dried cranberries, almonds and dried cherries, or cashew nuts with dried mango and coconut. The possibilities are limited only by what you have in your cupboards!