Growing up, my favorite cookies were Fig Newtons. Which may be a little odd for a kid but I loved them. I’ve bought them recently, but they’re just not the same as they used to be. I’ve tried other fruit bars, but they’re just not very good and are usually filled with added sugar and a ton of unnecessary ingredients. So, I started making these fruit and nut bars which is made purely of honey, figs, raisin, almonds and dates. They’re delicious and so easy to put together, only taking about 20 minutes. I pop them in the freezer and when I’m ready for a bite I just let them defrost about fifteen to twenty minutes before taking a bite. They are perfect for on the go and are a much healthier alternative than any pre-packaged “health bar” you can buy in the store. These fruit and nut bars are an amazingly satisfying quick bite that is extremely convenient – its the perfect snack to always have on hand when you’re feeling peckish or need something to hold you over. This page has affiliate links and if you purchase something from this page I will receive a small commission at no cost to you. I donate 5% of this blog’s revenue to the Environmental Defense Fund, so you help donate to a great cause if you click on any affiliate links or ads that may be on this page!
I love this recipe because I really put them together by feel and toss in whatever I have on hand. You can use any nuts, sometimes I throw in pecans or walnuts. You can add whatever dried fruit you like but this mixture is my favorite. I don’t use precise measurements, I just make sure that the final mixture feels malleable and will hold its shape when you try to form it into squares. I highly recommend using a food processor, that will help ensure you achieve the consistency you need to be able to for the bars. I start by using the food processor to grind up the almonds into a gravely / powdery texture. I like some larger pieces so I stop when its kind of a course, sandy texture.
Once you have the almonds in a sandy consistency, I add my figs and dates to the food processor since they’re larger and harder to break up than the raisins. Note, be sure to cut out and remove any hard stems, you don’t want to bite into these hard pieces later. After melding the figs and dates to the nut mixture, you should start to see a soft mixture. I then add in about a half cup of raisins and two teaspoons of honey and pulse it together in the food processor until smooth. If you are able to press the mixture together and it holds its shape then you’re ready for the next step! If not, either pulse further to ensure the mixture is accurately blended or add more raisins or honey in order to obtain the right consistency.
I then spread out a piece of plastic wrap, approximately 8in by 8in. Then, spoon about a 1/4 cup worth onto the plastic and then form it into a rectangular shape. I use the plastic wrap to help mold it tightly into the rectangular form and keep my hands clean at the same time. I try to use the plastic wrap to form these bars as tightly as possible and then press it down flat so its a flat compact rectangle bar. Once you have the shape you want, wrap it up, and store into a freezer bag to save for later. I continue with this process until I finish making all the bars with the mixture and now you have some tasty fruit bars to save for another day!
No-Bake Fruit and Nut Bar Recipe: Figs, Raisins Almonds and Honey
Ingredients
- 2 T honey
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1/4 cup dates
- 1/4 cup figs
- 1 cup almonds
Directions
- Add your almonds to the food processor. Pulse until you have a fine sand-like texture
- Add your figs and dates into the food processor with the ground almonds until the mixture melds together into a soft, squishy consistency
- Add your raisins to the food processor with the figs, dates and almond mixture and pulse until the mixture is combined
- Add honey to the mixture in the food processor and pulse until the entire mixture is combined
- Continue pulsing until the mixture is able to be molded and hold a shape
- Spoon about three tablespoons of the mixture onto plastic wrap and use the plastic to form compact rectangles.
I freeze the bars in a freezer bag still wrapped in their plastic wrap to ensure they stay well for a few months. These tasty and filling little bars are then ready at any time for a quick snack, after about fifteen to twenty minutes at room temperature to defrost.
Have you made these fruit and nut bars? Did you try any variations of this recipe? Leave a note in the comments I would love to know what you thought!
