Kristi Whitley

Healthy Living

Fruit and Nut Granola Bars

1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 cup whole Medjool dates (about 5), halved and pitted
1 cup whole raw almonds with skins
1/2 cup dried apricots
1/4 cup dried plums (prunes)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 300°. Pour orange juice over dates and let soak 5 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, place almonds, dried apricots, and dried plums in a food processor and pulse a few times until coarsely chopped. Add salt and dates with orange juice and pulse until mixture starts to stick together. Add pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds, pulsing a few times just to incorporate.

3. Using wet hands, scoop mixture onto a work surface and form into a log about 13/4 in. wide and 1/2 in. thick. Use your palms to flatten into a bar, and cut bar into 8 equal pieces.

4. Arrange pieces about 1 in. apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake 8 minutes. Using a heatproof spatula, turn bars over and bake another 8 minutes, or until nuts are toasted (but before fruit begins to burn). Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.