Dried-Fruit Bars

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Make a batch of these easy homemade dried-fruit bars to tuck into your kid's lunchbox all week.

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Cook Time:
40 mins
Additional Time:
2 hrs 5 mins
Total Time:
2 hrs 45 mins
Servings:
18
Yield:
18 bars
Nutrition Profile:

Ingredients

Crust

  • 1 cup chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans, almonds or hazelnuts) or old-fashioned rolled oats, divided

  • 3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour (see Tip)

  • ¾ cup all-purpose flour

  • ½ cup sugar

  • ½ teaspoon salt

  • 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

  • 1 large egg

  • 2 tablespoons canola oil

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • ¼ teaspoon almond extract

Fruit Filling

  • 3 1/4 cups diced mixed soft dried fruit (about 16 ounces), divided

  • 1 ½ cups apple cider

  • ½ cup sugar

  • ¼ cup cornstarch

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

  1. To prepare crust: Combine 3/4 cup nuts (or oats), whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, sugar and salt in a food processor; pulse until the nuts are finely ground. Add butter; pulse until well incorporated.

  2. Whisk egg, oil, 1 teaspoon vanilla and almond extract in a small bowl. With the motor running, add the mixture

  3. to the food processor. Process, then pulse, scraping down the sides, if necessary, until the mixture begins to clump, 30 to 45 seconds (it will look crumbly). Measure out 1/2 cup of the mixture and combine in a bowl with the remaining 1/4 cup chopped nuts (or oats). Set aside for the topping.

  4. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Generously coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

  5. To prepare fruit filling & assemble bars: Combine 2 cups dried fruit, cider, sugar and cornstarch in a large saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is very thick, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1 1/4 cups dried fruit and 1 teaspoon vanilla.

  6. Transfer the dough to the prepared baking dish. Spread evenly and press firmly into the bottom to form a crust. Spread the fruit filling over the crust. Sprinkle the reserved topping over the filling.

  7. Bake the bars for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake until the crust and topping are lightly brown, 25 to 30 minutes more. Let cool completely before cutting into bars, at least 1 1/2 hours.

Tips

Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate the crust and topping (Steps 1-2) for up to 1 day. Cover or individually wrap and refrigerate the cooled bars for up to 5 days.

Tip: Lower in protein than regular whole-wheat flour, whole-wheat pastry flour is milled from soft wheat and has less gluten-forming potential, making it a better choice for tender baked goods. You can find it in the natural-foods section of large supermarkets and natural-foods stores.

Easy cleanup: Dessert pans can be a headache to clean. Skip the soaking and scrubbing by lining your pan with parchment paper before you bake.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

243 Calories
9g Fat
40g Carbs
3g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 18
Serving Size 1 bar
Calories 243
% Daily Value *
Total Carbohydrate 40g 15%
Dietary Fiber 3g 11%
Total Sugars 14g
Added Sugars 11g 22%
Protein 3g 6%
Total Fat 9g 11%
Saturated Fat 2g 11%
Cholesterol 17mg 6%
Vitamin A 711IU 14%
Vitamin C 1mg 1%
Folate 24mcg 6%
Sodium 74mg 3%
Calcium 19mg 1%
Iron 1mg 7%
Magnesium 22mg 5%
Potassium 240mg 5%

Nutrition information is calculated by a registered dietitian using an ingredient database but should be considered an estimate.

* Daily Values (DVs) are the recommended amounts of nutrients to consume each day. Percent Daily Value (%DV) found on nutrition labels tells you how much a serving of a particular food or recipe contributes to each of those total recommended amounts. Per the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the daily value is based on a standard 2,000 calorie diet. Depending on your calorie needs or if you have a health condition, you may need more or less of particular nutrients. (For example, it’s recommended that people following a heart-healthy diet eat less sodium on a daily basis compared to those following a standard diet.)

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a special diet for medical reasons, be sure to consult with your primary care provider or a registered dietitian to better understand your personal nutrition needs.

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