Here’s another bar that’s downright delicious! Not something to eat with fingers, there’s too much soft, gooey filling in them for that. Of course, if wanted, other dried fruit (like dates or figs) would work just as well as prunes and be equally tasty. And like the raspberry bars, refrigerating the baking dish overnight or even for several hours before cutting will help the crust firm up and make removing them from the dish easier.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of a 9×9″ baking dish with parchment paper or spray with a non-stick cooking spray. Blend in a food processor:
1/3 cup pumpkin or sunflower seeds (lightly roasted)*
1/4 cup date or coconut sugar
1 cup gluten-free organic old fashioned oats
1/3 cup millet flour
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
Pulse until the oatmeal mixture resembles ground nuts or cornmeal. Add:
1/2 cup avocado oil or 1/2 cup melted vegan margarine, or melted coconut oil
Pulse until the mixture begins to form clumps. If the mixture is too dry and doesn’t clump add:
up to 1/4 cup water, 1 tablespoon at a time
Remove from the food processor and add:
1/2 cup gluten-free organic old fashioned oats
1/4 cup hemp hulls (or if nuts are possible, ground nuts)
Stir to combine. Pour half the mix into the bottom of the prepared baking dish and press down to make a firm bottom. Reserve the other half for the top of the bars. In the food processor bowl blend:
1 16 ounce drained can of beans (whatever kind you like, I used chickpeas but any bean will work)
2 cups prune puree**
Blend until the beans are creamy so the softer the bean used, the less time and creamier this mixture will be. Add:
1/4 cup carob powder
1/3 cup date or coconut sugar (if using dates, this added sugar isn’t necessary)
1/8 sea salt
2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
1 tablespoon lemon juice and zest from 1/2 lemon (optional)
Pulse until the mixture is combined. Scoop out and spread on the crust in the baking dish. Cover with the remaining oat mixture and bake 35-40 minutes until the top is browned. Remove and cool on a cooling rack until no heat is felt on the bottom of the baking dish. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight before slicing.
*To roast seeds or nuts, heat oven to 350 degree, place seeds on a dry baking sheet and roast until you smell them, usually not more than a few minutes.
**To make prune puree (or puree with any dried fruit), place the fruit in a saucepan large enough to hold the fruit and enough water to cover it. Bring to a boil over medium heat and then reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 15-30 minutes depending on how much fruit used. When the fruit begins to dissolve into the water when stirred, it’s sufficiently cooked. Turn up the heat and boil, uncovered, several minutes to reduce the liquid until, when stirred, very little liquid is visible. If a smooth puree is needed, use an immersion blender. For this recipe, that’s not needed since the mixture will be going into the food processor.
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