Fruit and Nut Bars

Ingredients

1 cup whole grain flour (I used spelt but you could use whole wheat)
1 cup old fashioned oats
½ cup pitted prunes (around 11 prunes)
½ cup raisins
½ cup dried apricots
1 cup walnuts, finely chopped
2 T cacao nibs (optional)
⅓ cup water + approx. 1-2 T

Directions

Preheat oven to 325ºF. Cover an 8-inch x 8-inch pan with parchment paper.

1. Place prunes, raisins and apricots in a mini-chopper or food processor and pulse until well chopped.
2. Combine flour, oats, chopped fruit mixture, nuts, cacao nibs and 1/3 cup water in a large bowl and knead with your hands until a ball of dough forms. (Add more water if the mixture is too dry.)
3. Press dough firmly and evenly into the prepared pan. Cut into squares with a sharp knife before placing in the oven.
4. Bake for 25 minutes, until baked through but still soft (don’t overbake them or the bars will be dry and tough).
5. Store leftover bars in the refrigerator.

print recipe