Sugar Free Fruit and Nut Slice for Toddlers

This is a lovely and simple fruit and nut slice which has no added sugar, no honey, no sugar substitutes.  It's a good substitute to the sugar and fat laden fruit and nut cereal bars which kind of seem healthier than they actually are.  Lots of healthy fats and fibre in here though.  Still even with no added sugar and very little added fat, the ingredients are reasonably filling so I did cut into small squares.

Fruit and Nut Slice

Ingredients

160g, 5.5oz Grated dessert apples (grated weight) including the skin (a great source of fibre)
3 tbsp apple juice
45g, 1.5oz Dried apricots
60g, 2oz Sultanas (golden raisins)
45g, 1.5oz Ground almonds
30g, 1oz Desiccated coconut
30g, 1oz Porridge oats (use gluten free if wanting to follow a gluten free diet)
1 tbsp Vegetable oil
A few shakes of ground cinnamon

Spray oil for greasing

Method

Preheat the oven to 180oC / 350F.

Heat the grated apple in a saucepan stirring occasionally for a few minutes or until softened.  Add all of the other ingredients and stir well.

Spray a 12cm (5 inch) by 20cm (8 inch) baking dish with spray oil and press the mixture in.  Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until browned on top.  Cut into pieces in the dish and allow to cool.

I didn't make a big batch of these because they don't keep for more than 1 day but most of it was eaten by us three within a couple of hours of making...  Very tasty and feels like somehow it's both full of energy but also doing you some good!

Eat while slightly warm or allow to cool and put into an airtight container and eat within a day.

I've linked this up to the wellness weekend!