Apricot, oat & buckwheat snack bars (dairy & gluten free)

These apricot, oat and buckwheat bars are one of our favourites for taking out and about, and perfect for lunchboxes. Dried apricots are a good source of calcium and iron, so I like to use them in baking when I can, and the oats give a good dose of energy (I eat these as a mid-morning pick me up!). It’s easy to make a big batch and they keep for a week in the fridge, so a little bit of effort goes a long way.

For babies:  The bars are quite soft and easily grabbed so can definitely be used for baby led weaning. Make sure to use maple syrup rather than honey for babies under one – and the amount of maple syrup can be reduced for younger babies, if you prefer.

Ingredients and method:

• 100g almonds
• 120g soft dried apricots
• 30g dairy and soy free butter alternative (I use Pure Olive spread)
• 130g rolled oats (substitute for gluten free oats if necessary)
• 25g puffed buckwheat (or puffed rice/puffed quinoa)
• 120ml of maple syrup (you can use honey for over ones)
• 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 160ºc/ 150ºc fan. Place the almonds into a food processor and blend until they are ground. Then add the apricots, and pulse the food processor a few times until they are chopped up a bit. Pour the almond and apricot mix into a large mixing bowl.

Melt your butter alternative in a small saucepan or in the microwave then pour into your mixing bowl, along with all remaining ingredients. Stir until well combined.

Use baking paper to line a shallow, medium sized baking tin (around 20cm square) and use a little of your butter alternative to grease the sides of the tin. Pour the mixture in and press it down well, so the top is flat and to help the mixture hold together.  

Bake for around 25 minutes, until the top starts to go golden. Allow it to cool in the tin before cutting into bar shapes. Keep these in an airtight container in the fridge and they are fine for up to a week.

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