Whether you want an on the go breakfast or something to snack on midday, a homemade fruit and nut bar is a tasty, nutritious treat that will leave you feeling fuller and more energetic. I love fruit bars because they remain firm and taste fresh even after being in my lunch bag or my hiking backpack for several hours. Fruit and nut bars come in all sorts of flavors—banana, apricot, apple, peach, pecan, almonds, peanuts—so you can vary the following recipes a bit to suit your tastes. These fruit bar recipes are easy and fun to make, and you can wrap extra fruit bars in plastic, and store them in your refrigerator for future use.
Banana-Oat Fruit Bars (makes 12-15 bars)
What you’ll need
9 x 13-inch pan
¾ cup butter
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 egg
½ teaspoon salt
1½ cups mashed ripe bananas (4 or 5)
4 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
½ raisins
½ cup chocolate chips
½ cup pecans or walnuts
How to prepare
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Grease pan with butter or shortening (Crisco).
Cream the butter and brown sugar. (To save time, I melt the butter by putting it in a microwave-safe cup and then microwave the butter for 15-30 seconds.)
Add egg, salt, and bananas to butter mixture and mix.
Add raisins, chips, and nuts and mix.
Pour batter into pan.
Bake for 1 hour. Check to see that the fruit bar mixture is thoroughly cooked by inserting a toothpick into the center. If the toothpick comes out clean, the fruit bar mixture is thoroughly cooked.
Cool.
Cut into bars.
Fruit Bars (makes 12-15 bars)
What you’ll need
9 x 13-inch pan
For the batter:
2 cups whole wheat flour
½ cup packed brown sugar
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ cup butter
1 egg
For the fruit filling:
4 cups fruit, thinly-sliced and unpeeled apricots or peaches or peeled apples
¼ cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup honey
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
For the topping:
½ cup packed brown sugar
½ cup whole wheat flour
½ cup butter
½ cup unseasoned bread crumbs
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
How to prepare
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Grease pan with butter or shortening (Crisco).
Mix batter ingredients and pour into pan.
Mix fruit filling ingredients and spread on top of the batter.
Mix topping ingredients and crumble the topping over the fruit filling.
Bake for 50 minutes.
Cool.
Cut into bars.
Honey-Nut Bars (makes 12 bars)
What you’ll need
9 x 13-inch pan
1 egg
½ cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup whole wheat flour
¼ cup instant dry milk
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped almonds or peanuts
¼ cup ground sesame seeds
How to prepare
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Grease pan with butter or shortening (Crisco).
Beat the egg, honey and vanilla in a large bowl until thoroughly mixed.
Add the flour, dry milk, baking powder, coriander, nutmeg, and salt and mix well.
Add the nuts and sesame seeds and mix well.
Spread the mixture into the pan.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.
Let cool.
Cut into 12 bars.
