Peggy's Fruit N' Nut Bars

An easy and healthy alternative to store bought snack bars. Change up the variety of dried fruits for variety. We like to use a mixture of dried cherries, cranberries, blueberries, apricots, peaches, apples and mango. We like the Porridge Oats from Rogers that has oat bran, wheat bran and flaxseed in it.

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Serves: 1-75

Ingredients

• 1 1⁄2 cups  unsweetened pineapple juice
• 1  teaspoon vanilla
• 1  cup dates
• 2  cups raisins
• 3  cups  mixed dried fruit, pineapple, mango, papaya
• 1  cup dried cranberries
• 6  teaspoons egg substitute, dissolved in 4 Tbsp water or 1 -2  egg
• 1⁄2 cup honey
• 1⁄4 cup flax seed, whole
• 1 3⁄4 cups  mixed nuts, unsalted
• 1  cup whole wheat flour
• 1  cup  whole oats
• 1  teaspoon baking powder
• 1⁄2 teaspoon allspice
• 1⁄2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1  teaspoon cinnamon

Directions

1. Add vanilla to pineapple juice in a large mixing bowl and stir well.
2. Chop larger dried fruit into bite sized pieces and add to juice. Stir well. Let sit for a minimum of one hour, stirring occassionly.
3. Whisk together eggs (or egg replacer) and then stir in honey. Whisk well then stir into fruit mixture.
4. Add flaxseed and nuts to fruit mixture. Stir well.
5. Mix together, flour, oats, baking powder and spices. Stir well then add to fruit mixture in about three batches. Stirring well between additions.
6. Lightly grease 12 x 15 glass baking dish. Add mixture to dish and press down well.
7. Bake at 350 oven for about 40 to 45 minutes. Do not overbake.
8. Remove from oven and allow to cool before removing from pan.
9. Cut into thin bars and store in airtight container.
10. These can be frozen but in our house they don't last that long. Enjoy!