Not only are oats packed with a host of nutritional benefits, they make a great base ingredient for a variety of tasty treats and go-to staples. When we walk into a coffee shop and see the tempting cakes, pastries and biscuits on display, many of us don’t have to think twice about picking one up. However, for anyone following a gluten free diet, it can be a bit of a challenge finding snack options at any time of day.
With that in mind, Nairn’s have put together a list of our favourite quick and easy gluten-free snacks, using our Gluten-Free Scottish Porridge Oats as the star ingredient. Being homemade snack ideas, you’ll know exactly what goes into each recipe and you can customise them with the flavours you enjoy most! They taste so good, you’d never know they were gluten free!
Peanut butter bars
For an energy-packed snack to start the day, it doesn’t get much easier than our peanut butter bars. All you’ll need to make a batch is:
300g Nairn’s Gluten-Free Scottish Porridge Oats
75g peanut butter
75g coconut oil
½ mashed banana
40g cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 eggs. beaten (free range are best)
75g chocolate chips or raisins (optional)
Simply preheat your oven to 180 degrees C and grease a baking tin. Grab a bowl and mix together your peanut butter, coconut oil, banana, honey, eggs, cinnamon and vanilla, then gently fold in the porridge oats. If you’re using chocolate chips or raisins, gently stir them in at the end.
Pour your mixture evenly into the greased tin, then pop it in the oven for around 30 minutes. You’ll know your bars are almost done when the edges of your mix start to turn golden! When ready, let your traybake cool down on a wire rack. If you’re feeling a little bit naughty, you can drizzle over some melted dark chocolate at the end. When completely cool, cut into chunks.
This delicious gluten-free snack is perfect for cuppas and catch-ups, to enjoying on-the-go before work. It’s also handy to keep in your desk draw for mid-afternoon munchies….
Oats & raisin cookies
There’s always room for cookies, especially when they taste as good as our oatmeal and raisin gluten-free cookies! Perfect for a morning coffee, a post-meal snack or a treat for little ones’ lunchboxes, your kitchen cupboards will likely have most of these ingredients already. You can always half the quantities if you’re trying to be good!
450g Nairn’s Gluten-Free Scottish Porridge Oats
225g soft brown sugar
225g gluten-free flour
150g raisins
150g butter at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon gluten free baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
2 eggs, beaten (free range are best)
After heating your oven to 180 degrees C, mix your butter and sugar until you make a smooth and consistent paste. Incorporate the vanilla extract and beaten eggs and continue stirring the mix.
Sift your flour and baking soda into a separate bowl and add to it the cinnamon and salt. Pour this into your egg mix and fold, later adding in your porridge oats and raisins too. Spoon the mixture onto a greased baking sheet and place in the oven for around 10 minutes.
These gluten-free biscuits are guaranteed to look and smell tempting but remember to let them cool down first!
Once you’ve mastered these, you can ring the changes by swapping the raisins for 150g of other dried fruits or a fruit and nut combo….
Overnight oats
You can’t beat a classic recipe; especially if you can pick and choose the flavours to make it your very own. To create a hearty and tasty batch of overnight oats, all you’ll need is:
75g Nairn’s Gluten-Free Scottish Porridge Oats
75g your favourite milk or Greek yoghurt
75g berries (your preference)
2 tablespoons chopped mixed nuts/seeds
1 tablespoon honey
This gluten-free snack idea is so simple, we doubt you’ll need much direction from us! All you need to do is mix your oats, milk/yoghurt and honey together and leave in the fridge overnight. When you’ve perked up the next morning, give your mixture a quick stir through and pour over an extra bit of milk or yoghurt if needed.
Now comes the fun part! Add the berries and nuts, or your choice of yummy extras. Who could blame you for a cheeky sprinkling of chocolate chips or a spoonful of nut butter?
We love this gluten-free breakfast idea for Sunday mornings, when you need a hearty breakfast that takes little prep. For those with even less time, simply substitute our porridge oats with Nairn’s Gluten-Free Muesli, which is already brimming with flavourful dried fruit and nuts.
Overnight oats are a clear breakfast option, but a really handy snack for any time of the day – they’re easily transportable in mixing containers and enjoyable on your commute or at your desk.
Check out one of our staple overnight oats recipes with toppings suggestions (https://www.nairns-oatcakes.com/blog/2016/11/how-make-overnight-oats) and don’t forget to share your creations with us on Facebook.
Banana Oat Pancakes
Our gluten-free banana oat pancakes are real crowd-pleasers, and a great weekend treat to cook with the whole family. Truly a minimal-fuss recipe, the hardest part will be picking who gets the first stack!
100g Nairn’s Gluten-Free Scottish Porridge Oats
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 large eggs
1 large mashed banana
Mix the eggs and mashed banana in a bowl, then add your cinnamon and porridge oats. Many enjoy the natural chewiness that oats add to these pancakes, but if you like a traditional smoother texture, all you need to do is blitz your oats first in a food processor or Nutribullet. Stir together until you’ve got a creamy mixture.
Pour a splash of oil into a frying pan and set it over a medium temperature, then add a dollop of your pancake mix to the pan. Turn after a minute or two and remove your pancake from the heat when both sides are an appetising golden brown.
All that’s left to do is plate up your pancakes and pick your perfect toppings! Berries, fruit compote, syrup, coconut, nut butter or chocolate spread – what will you put on yours?!
Oat Scones
For a twist on the traditional, try our gluten-free scones and watch them disappear during afternoon teas to birthday brunches. For this recipe, all you’ll need is:
75g Nairn’s Gluten-Free Scottish Porridge Oats
375g cups gluten-free self-raising flour
100g margarine or butter
100g caster sugar
150ml milk (your preference)
2 teaspoons gluten free baking powder
2 eggs, beaten (Free range are best)
This recipe is a popular one to get the kids involved with, as you’ll first need to mix your margarine/butter, sugar, oats, flour and baking powder in a large bowl by hand! Add the beaten eggs and milk, and once you’ve created a tough dough, roll out your mixture on a floured surface so it’s at least 3cm thick. Use a cutter to create scone shapes, then place these on a sheet, brush the tops with milk, and bake for 15-20 minutes at 200 degrees C until golden brown.
Scones are best served slightly warm with jam and cream, a large pot of tea, and some good chat!
Whether you need a gluten-free snack idea for breakfast, lunch or dinner, our porridge oats can help you cook up a storm. Don’t forget to check out our gluten-free recipes for even more ideas and share your creations with us on Facebook and Instagram #wholesomeside
