Fruit and nut refined sugar free chocolate oat bars

I know, I know, this is SO boring. I want to eat syrupy, sugar laden treats all day long just like the next person, but I can’t. My skin gets angry and spotty and my bottom seems to miraculously increase in size. It’s all just deeply unfair but then that’s how life is. You can’t eat cake for every meal. Believe me, I’ve tried.

So I have developed a sugar free (well, refined sugar free, come on, we need a bit of sweetness in our lives) oat bar, yes refined sugar free chocolate oat bars because dark chocolate is terribly good for you. The good news is that they DO feel like a treat and the even better news is that after a few days of eating these instead of say, ooh, huge blocks of Dairy Milk, your taste buds start to find milk chocolate a bit too sweet. I’m all for training myself to be healthier. I think I’ve changed.

May I suggest you cut these into small bars and individually wrap half of them in foil, pop in a freezer bag and stow away in the freezer for another day? That way you have refined sugar free chocolate oat bars for breakfast whenever you happen to remember the night before. Just grab one, leave on the side and let it defrost overnight. What a way to start the day.

Now if you are allergic to nuts, just leave them out. If you don’t like very dark chocolate substitute it with something else. If you hate coconut, just don’t put it in. They’re your oat bars, you only have yourself to answer to.

Lots of great recipes like this in my books, Recipes from a Normal Mum, (available on Amazon, at The Works, Waterstones, WHSmith, The Book Depository and many smaller outlets) and The Power of Frozen (available through Amazon)

Last year: Creamy coconut chicken curry and Bramley apple cake with custard icing and White chocolate cupcakes

Two years ago: Strawberry & vanilla cupcakes and Lamb koftas, crunchy coleslaw and hummus and Chicken, potato and aubergine curry and Crunchy pork meatballs and Cinnamon and apricot granola and Refined sugar free apple flapjack

Three years ago: Carrot, courgette & cheese mini savoury pancakes, Broccoli, cauliflower and pasta cheese, Easy rough puff pastry sausage rolls and Cheesy breadsticks

Four years ago: Simple chocolate ganache tart, Meringue roses and Flat vanilla cupcakes

Five years ago: Razzamatazz ribs, Banana and custard cupcakes and After Eight cupcakes

Six years ago: Banana and custard melts

Fruit and nut refined sugar free chocolate oat bars

Makes about 18, but depends how large you cut them

Ingredients:

• 2 ripe bananas
• 300g dates
• 50g desiccated coconut
• 140mls boiling water
• 85g sultanas
• 100g cashew nuts
• 100g brazil nuts
• 100g almonds
• 320g oats
• 100g very dark chocolate (I used 80% cocoa solids), cut into 1cm chunks

Preheat the oven to 160C/gas mark 2 and pop the kettle on. Grease and line a 30cm x 30cm tin.

Peel the bananas and break into pieces. Place in a jug with the dates, coconut and boiling water. Leave for 5 minutes. Use a stick blender to blitz the banana mixture to a fine purée, being careful not to spray yourself with boiling water.

Combine the puree, sultanas, nuts and oats in a bowl until well mixed, gently stir through the chocolate, then press into the prepared tin. Bake for 30 minutes until the edges are starting to brown and the top feel firm. Remove from the tin and cool on a wire rack then cut with a very sharp knife once cool. Store in a tin for up to 5 days. Freeze, well wrapped for up to a month. Defrost at room temperature before serving.

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