These are great for a low-fat breakfast, sweet snack or dessert, and they are adored by non-dairy adults and lactose-free kids alike. Feel free to mix in other dried fruits of your choice; figs, prunes and cranberries are all wonderful options.These are very quick and easy to make but for even quicker assembly, you can mix the dry mix for the dough and keep it in an airtight container in the pantry and store the prepared filling in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 1 day in advance.
Makes about 12 squares
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Ingredients:
- For the Filling:
- 3 cups raisins
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 2 T. honey, maple syrup or agave (if vegan, use agave or maple syrup)
- pinch of salt
- For the dough:
- 2 cups oat flour
- 2 cups quick rolled oats
- ½ cup oat bran
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 t. baking powder
- 1 t. cinnamon
- ½ t. salt
- 1 ½ cups soymilk
Preparation:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a 9x13” baking dish with parchment. Set aside.
2. In a small saucepan mix the raisins, lemon juice, honey and pinch of salt until well combined. Add enough water to cover and turn on the heat to medium. Bring the mixture to a boil, then turn down the heat and let the filling simmer until almost all of the liquid has been absorbed and raisins are very tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. Meanwhile, prepare the crust. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, oats, bran, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt until well mixed. Stir in the soymilk, mixing until just combined.
4. Assemble the bars. Spread half of the dough into the prepared dish. Spread the raisin filling evenly on top of the crust, followed by the remaining dough. Sprinkle with extra sugar if desired, and bake until golden brown, about 25-35 minutes. Remove, cut into bars and serve warm or cold.
