These have turned into one of my favorite healthy snacks for those busy on-the-go days. The fruits and nuts are the perfect combination of a sweet treat and protein to keep one satisfied and still moving. Feel free to make up your own combinations and use the items you already have on hand. These are versatile, healthy, quick and delicious.
Note: In essence, I think you can make any sticky dried fruit and nut combination. Also this is written for a small 8×8 pan; feel free to double it for a 9×13 pan.
- 1 1/2 cup of Figs, Dates, Plums, or Raisins
- 1 cup *nuts of Almonds, Walnuts, Pecans, or Cashews
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, optional
*In a food processor, blend your chosen nuts until it resembles coarse crumbles like small pebbles, larger is better if you are concerned as they will get chopped more when you add the fruit. Remove the nuts from the food processor and set aside.
Put your chosen dried fruits in the food processor with the salt and cinnamon (if using). Run on low scraping side occasionally until a smooth paste is formed. The paste may come together in a ball as it is processing. Feel free to break this up a bit to get the mixture mostly smooth. Add the nuts back into this mixture and pulse just to incorporate.
With a slightly wet hand, firmly press the mixture in to a parchment lined 8×8 pan. Chill in the refrigerator or freezer to firm up for easy cutting.
*I think blending the nuts a little first to help break them up is good. When I did this first, the almonds did not blend as well, some were still larger chunks. I think if you are using only softer nuts like walnuts and cashews, they would blend fine and you could skip this step and just do the fruits first and add the nuts second.
