Lee often has Frusli bars for lunch but I only tend to buy them when they’re on offer as they’re getting more expensive with ‘shrinkflation’ (I swear they’re nearly half the size they used to be!)
Recently they haven’t been on offer so I decided to make my own version.
As I’m also on a mission to clean up our diets by cutting out ultra-processed foods (UPFs) this recipe also ticks that box as it’s made from whole ingredients. Also, depending on what you add (e.g. dried fruit, nuts and seeds) it can add up to 10 plant foods for your weekly ‘eat more than 30 plants per week’ target. You can read more about that here!
I asked ChatGPT for recipe ideas and after a bit of back and forth, refining what I wanted, we came up with this one. I made them and they’re absolutely lush, and really easy to make. They’re also a fraction of the price of the real thing!
You can easily add different dried fruits, seeds and nuts, or swap out the peanut butter for another nut butter or more honey (if you don’t want to include any nuts).
Ingredients
- 200g porridge oats
- 100g dried fruit (I used cranberries + raisins)
- 60g smooth peanut butter (or almond)
- 60g honey or maple syrup (I used honey)
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla (optional)
- Pinch of salt
Method
- Preheat the oven to 170°C (fan)
- Gently heat peanut butter + honey until smooth (20-30 secs in microwave)
- Add oats, fruit, egg, vanilla, salt and mix really well(it should feel thick and sticky, not runny)
- Line a small baking tin (mine was around 8″ square) and press mixture down very firmly (use the back of a spoon or glass)
- Bake for 15–18 mins until the edges are lightly golden. The centre will still be slightly soft but it firms up as it cools
- Cool completely before cutting – this is crucial for that clean, firm bar texture
- Slice into 10-12 bars
