Homemade Healthy Pressed Fruit Bars Recipe {No-Bake}
Servings: small bars or 8 large bars
Ditch the store-bought snacks and make your own homemade energy bars with this easy pressed fruit bars recipe! They only require 10 minutes of prep time and your kids will absolutely love them (and you will too)!
Ingredients
- 1 cup roasted unsalted cashews
- 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1 1/2 cups whole pitted dates (moist ones work best)
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries or cherries
Instructions
- Line an 8x8 inch square baking pan with parchment paper so that the paper hangs over the edges. Set aside. You can also use a smaller pan if you prefer thicker bars.
- Fit a food processor with a metal blade. Add the cashews and coconut to the processor and pulse until they are uniformly finely chopped (think fresh bread crumb texture.) Pour the nut and coconut mixture into a large mixing bowl and set aside.
- Next, add half of the dates to the food processor and process until a paste forms and clumps together. Add the remaining dates and dried cranberries and repeat.
- Next, add half of the nut mixture to the food processor with the dates and pulse until combined. Add the other half of the nut mixture and process until the mixture is incorporated and sticks together. If you find that the mixture is having trouble breaking down, add one tablespoon of water at a time until the mixture adheres together but isn't too sticky.
- When all of the ingredients have been processed, wet your hands or use a moistened spatula and press the mixture as evenly as possible over the bottom of the prepared pan. Freeze for at least 20 minutes before cutting into bars.
- To slice: Use the excess parchment paper like a sling to transfer the firm bars from the pan to a large cutting board. Slice into 8 large bars or 16 smaller squares.
Notes
- Use moist pitted dates if possible. If you find the dates that you have on hand are too hard, you can soak them in boiling water for about 5-10 minutes to help soften them and make them easier to blend.
- Use roasted cashews. Raw will work too, but roasted brings out a nice flavor in the bars.
- Adjust consistency accordingly. If the fruit bar mixture seems too dry, add a tablespoon or so of water. If it seems too wet, add some additional nuts and coconut.
- When placing the bar mixture in the 8x8 dish, wet your hands to help prevent your hands from sticking to the mixture when pressing into the pan. You can also dampen a spatula and use that to press down on the mixture. To help smooth out the bars even further, fold the excess parchment over the bars to cover them and use something flat and heavy to press down firmly on the mixture until it is smooth.
- To slice: Use the excess parchment paper like a sling to transfer the firm bars from the pan to a large cutting board. Slice into 8 large bars or 16 mini fruit bars.
Nutrition
Calories: 119kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 3mg | Potassium: 156mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 1mg
