Product Highlight: Gluten-Free Granola Bars
Posted October 26th, 2011
By Geanna Marek, Working Owner
Being hungry while out and about is not a winning combination for a gluten-free vegan. When I’m running errands and I hear my stomach start to growl, I get upset, because it means I have to go all the way back home just to prepare a snack. Of course, if I think ahead and bring a piece of fruit or crackers with me, I’m happy and able to continue on my mission.
Enter: Bakery on Main Gluten-free Granola Bars. Alberta Co-op has two flavors, Chocolate Almond (ingredients: certified gluten-free oats, brown rice syrup, evaporated cane juice, chocolate chips, expeller-pressed canola oil, almonds, flax seeds, quinoa, chia seed, amaranth, sea salt, and natural flavors) and Peanut Butter and Jelly (ingredients: certified gluten-free oats, brown rice syrup, evaporated cane juice, peanut butter, dried strawberry, crisp brown rice, expeller-pressed canola oil, natural flavors, flax seed, quinoa, chia seed, amaranth, and sea salt). The bars are reminiscent of the Quaker Oat Granola bars I enjoyed when I was young. They are chewy, filling, and flavorful. They are also the perfect size for a small snack. I ate one of each as breakfast and was as satisfied as I would have been with my regular bowl of oatmeal.
Bakery on Main started as a small bakery in a natural foods market on Main Street in Glastonbury, Connecticut. Founder Michael Smulders decided to do something about the lack of delicious options for his gluten-intolerant customers and, within three years, had developed and started selling gluten-free granola. In-house gluten testing is done on every batch, and the granola is baked in small quantities to maintain high quality standards. Bakery on Main produces granola, granola bars, and fiber-enriched granola.
Bakery on Main gluten-free granola bars can be found across from the refrigerated milks, and a 5-pack box is available for $4.99.
staff members, the overwhelming favorite seems to be the olive oil bar. The olive oil taste is really subdued, but the difference is noticed in the creamy texture of the dark chocolate bar. It makes the chocolate almost buttery. And it’s vegan, so we know there aren’t any dairy-based creamy ingredients added to enhance the flavor or texture.
The plain dark chocolate bar was well-received also. It doesn’t have any wild or unexpected flavor combinations, but it is a solidly good dark chocolate bar. It is 56% cacao, so it’s not bitter like some dark bars can be, but it has a strong, creamy chocolate taste. And it’s also vegan!
the pepper flavors are pretty subtle, though not so much so that you don’t notice them. Two thoughts I heard at the same time were, “I like the lemon flavors because they cover up the pepper flavor,” and, “I like the pepper flavor because it covers up the lemon”. So there’s that. I think with a bar like this that combines unlikely flavor combinations everyone is going to have a different initial reaction. And you won’t know what yours is until you try it!
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