Fruit and Cereal Snack Bars

Fruit and cereal bars are a tasty and healthy snack, perfect for an energy boost. Here I will present a basic recipe that you can customize with your favorite ingredients.

Ingredients

• 200g of dried fruit of your choice (for example: dates, dried apricots, dried figs)
• 100g of nuts (for example: walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts)
• 100g of whole grains (oat flakes, quinoa flakes, puffed rice)
• 2-3 tablespoons of honey or maple syrup
• 1 pinch of salt
• A bit of cinnamon or vanilla (optional)
• 2 tablespoons of peanut or almond butter (optional)

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C.
2. If the dried fruit is large, chop it coarsely. Do the same with the nuts.
3. In a large bowl, mix the dried fruit, nuts, cereals, salt, and any chosen spices.
4. Heat the honey (or maple syrup) in a saucepan together with the peanut butter until they become liquid and then pour them over the fruit and cereal mixture.
5. Mix well to ensure all the ingredients are evenly coated.
6. Pour the mixture onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper and press down firmly to form a compact layer.
7. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until the bars are golden brown.
8. Allow to cool completely before cutting into bars of your preferred size.

Curiosity

The fruit and cereal bars can be customized in many ways. For example, you could add chia or flax seeds for an extra supply of Omega-3, or dark chocolate chips if you want an additional touch of sweetness.

If you do not consume honey, you could replace it with another sweetener such as apple concentrate to make it suitable for a vegan diet. The dried fruit and cereals provide a good amount of fibers and energy, ideal for a post-workout snack or a mid-morning treat.