Enclosed in the latest Eat Better America email was this recipe for No-Bake Apple Bars. We love apples and I'm always looking for healthy ideas for breakfast and snacks, so this was a good fit!
I didn't have any dried apples on hand, so instead of substituting another dried fruit, I peeled, sliced, cored and chopped 3 apples I had and dried them out a bit.{using the barbecue!!} They weren't fully dried out, so my bars were a bit moist, but they were still flavorful and boy did they fill us up! I'm nursing my baby and I feel like I can eat all day long- these really satisfied my hunger for several hours!}
I modified them slightly so they were a little less sweet and I think I'd even hold back on some of the honey next time. Since our apples weren't fully dried out, I'd also leave out some of the peanut butter or apple butter to compensate for the added moisture in the apples. Even so, these were great and I loved that I was able to get rid of some cereal that my kid's don't particularly care for!
No-Bake Apple Bars
- 1 1/2 cups dried apples, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
- 3 cups Whole Grain Total® cereal {or any healthier cereal you have on hand}
- 1/3 cup honey {use a bit less if you don't like breakfast as sweet}
- 1/4 cup golden raisins {I used dried cherries instead. Craisins would be great too!}
- 1/3 cup peanut butter
- 1/4 cup apple butter {I used Pumpkin Apple Butter- yum!}
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup old-fashioned or quick-cooking oats
- 1/4 cup dry-roasted sunflower nuts
Line bottom and sides of 8-inch square pan with foil; spray foil with cooking spray. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the apples over bottom of pan. Place cereal in resealable food-storage plastic bag; seal bag and coarsely crush with rolling pin or meat mallet. Set aside.
In a large sauce pan, heat 1/2 cup of the apples, the honey and raisins to boiling over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium. Cook uncovered about 1 minute, stirring constantly, until hot and bubbly; remove from heat.
Stir peanut butter into cooked mixture until melted. Stir in apple butter and cinnamon. Stir in oats and sunflower nuts until well mixed. Stir in crushed cereal.
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| Spray one side of a plastic baggie with cooking spray and put the baggie over your hand to press mixture into pan. No mess! |
Press mixture very firmly (or bars will crumble) and evenly onto apples in pan. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup apples and the pecans; press lightly into bars. Refrigerate about 2 hours or until set. For bars, cut into 4 rows by 3 rows. Store covered in refrigerator.
