Fruity oat bars recipe

Packed with healthy fruits and oats, these deliciously moist health bars make a nutritious snack or lunchbox addition. These easy to make fruity oat bars are made with jumbo oats and coconut. Each bar is packed with dried fruits including sultanas, apricots and prunes. Each bar works out at only 182 calories per serving. These bars made great snacks for packed lunches for both kids and adults. They're also an ideal snack for parties as you can make them in bulk, ahead of the big day too. Leftovers can be kept in an airtight container for up 2 days.

Ingredients

• 175g (6¼ oz) unsalted butter
• 175g (6¼ oz) light brown soft sugar
• 225g (6¼ oz) self-raising flour, sifted
• 85g (3oz) jumbo oats
• 55g (2oz) unsweetened desiccated coconut
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 55g (2oz) sultanas
• 55g (2oz) ready-to-eat dried apricots, chopped
• 55g (2oz) ready-to-eat pitted prunes, chopped

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F, gas mark 4).
2. Place the butter and sugar in a small saucepan and heat over a low heat until the butter and sugar have melted. Then remove from the heat. Combine the flour, oats, coconut, cinnamon, sultanas, apricots and prunes in a large bowl, then pour over the melted butter and sugar mixture and stir until well mixed and all the flour has been incorporated.
3. Spoon the mixture into a lighlty greased shallow 23cmx23cm (9inx9in) square cake tin. Press the mixture down with the back of a spoon and smooth until level then bake in the preheated oven for 18-20 mins or until golden brown and just firm to the touch.
4. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for approximately 5-10 mins before carefully turning out and leaving to cool completely on a cooling rack.
5. When cool simply cut the bars into approximately 20 diamond shapes.