Apricot Raisin Bars
Apricot Raisin Bars
Spoiler Alert! Your family is going to gobble these up . . . I’ve warned you! These tasty little squares are sweet, chewy and cinnamon-spicy, just the way I love them. And they make a jelly-roll pan full so you can share with friends, bring to your next party, feed the football team or spoil the hungry neighbor kids with a tasty after-school treat.
I enjoy using dried apricots and raisins, but feel free to substitute any other dried fruit you might have on hand. The apples add more sweet/crunch and along with the oats, brown sugar and cinnamon you might call this apple crisp in a bar. And to keep them fairly healthy I added oat bran and whole wheat pastry flour for added fiber.
- Apricot Raisin Bars
- 2 medium apples, peeled and finely chopped (Granny Smith, Honey Crisp, Pink Lady work well)
- 3/4 cup dried apricots, diced
- 1/3 cup raisins
- 3/4 cup reduced-sugar apricot preserves (I used Smucker's Simply Fruit)
- 3 cups rolled oats (I prefer the Old Fashioned form)
- 1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 cup brown sugar or 1/2 cup brown sugar-Splenda
- 3/4 cup oat bran
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 cup butter, melted
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Coat an 11 x 15-inch jelly roll pan with cooking spray.
- Combine apples, dried apricots, raisins and apricot preserves in a medium bowl, stirring well to combine.
- Combine oats, flour, brown sugar, oat bran, baking soda and cinnamon in a large bowl, stirring to combine. Add melted butter; stir until crumbly.
- Press slightly more than half of oat mixture in bottom of prepared pan, pressing to the edges. Spread filling over top. Sprinkle remaining crust over top of filling.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown near edges. Serve with vanilla bean ice cream, whipped topping or half and half.
Notes
Each square is 160 calories, 3g protein, 5g fat, 28g carbohydrate
Here’s another fruit crisp recipe you might like: Apple, Pear and Berry Crisp
