Holy plum, I mean yum.
These oat & plum bars happened quite by accident yesterday afternoon. A friend of mine bought a rather large bag of dried plums (we’re talking Costco size), decided he didn’t like them and offered them up to me. I looked at the bag and said, “Dried plums… aren’t those the same things as prunes?”
Yep, they are.
For such a tasty little treat, they sure did get an awful sounding name, didn’t they?
I happily took the 5-pound bag of dried plums home with me even though I had never actually had a prune dried plum before. I was determined to make something delicious from them despite their unappetizing nickname. I’m pretty sure I succeeded.
I promise to never make a joke about prunes again after tasting these.
Additionally, these have completely ruined the Nutri Grain Bar for me. Mine are just as wholesome, soft and delicious but without the preservatives, corn syrup, artificial colors & flavors.
Give them a try. They’re easy, quick, high in fiber and SO delicious. I’ve already packed one as part of my breakfast for the next 2 days.
These are definitely going onto the recipe page. I love the consistency of the oats so much I’m already plotting new flavors for the next batch! Got any recommendations?
oat & plum bars
Makes 9 (2 1/2 to 3-inch) bars
- 2 cups dried plums
- 6-8 tablespoons water
- 2 cups old-fashioned oats
- 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 egg, beaten
Preheat oven to 350F and lightly grease 8″ or 9″ square baking pan.
Process dried plums and water in food processor until smooth. Consistency should be thick & sticky but easily spread with a spatula. Start with 6 tablespoons water and add more as needed.
In separate bowl, combine oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Mix well. Slowly whisk melted butter into beaten egg, making sure the butter isn’t too hot that it cooks the egg. Add wet to dry ingredients and mix well with your hands. Go on, get a little dirty.
Press half of oat mixture into bottom of the baking pan (about 1 3/4 cups). Carefully spread the dried plums evenly on top using a spatula. The plums will stick to the oats so I recommend starting from the middle of the pan and working your way outward towards the edges. Press remaining oats on top of creating a flat, even surface. Bake for 20-22 minutes until golden brown. Cool pan on wire rack before slicing into 2 1/2 – 3″ bars (depending on the size of your pan.) Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
I’m experimenting with freezing them and will let you know how they end up.
What are your thoughts on prunes? Or do you prefer to call them dried plums?
{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }
I’m making these ASAP – I’m a big fan of dried plums (old lady at heart), but I’m struggling with a Costco sized bag myself!
Perfect timing for the recipe. Just bought a huge thing of them @ the grocery store on Monday! Thank you :) Please let me know how they are once put in the fridge.
Those look delicious! I think they could easily be veganized, too.
I must say I’ve never had a prune before because of their bad wrap. I think I’ll have to change that!
This is a really smart way to use up prunes! Which is what I call them.. however, dried plums DOES sound more delicious. Prune is just too similar to “prude” which is likely my aversion to the word.
As far as other flavor combinations, I’m debating on adding some pureed blackberries or raspberries to this.. another good option could be making a key lime version of this, or lemon bar version. Orange cranberry would be amazing!!
Looks delicious! Do you think I could make them with fresh plums? We just got about a pound of them in our weekly produce box and are heading out of town tomorrow, so these would make great snacks for the plane/trip!
I think fresh would work too, I just wouldn’t add any water into the food processor. Great idea!
Prunes get a bad rap! They are so good. I’m glad I stopped thinking they were only for old people! ;)
Ahh! These are so perfect. Great idea for snack or breakfast bars. Can’t wait to make these :)
I don’t care what you call them, I love prunes! They are so delicious! Can’t wait to make these, thanks for sharing :)
First, I love your photography – it looks soooo delicious! I haven’t had dried plums in forever, this has totally triggered my interest in getting some soon. Nice job :) Btw your blog is super cute! xo
Aw, thank you! Do try them – they rock. :)
PS You went to my spam box, sorry for the late reply! Love hearing from new readers!
I made these the other day and yours definitely look nicer than mine. How did you get them to not be so mushy? Mine don’t hold together like bars.
Oh no! Did you use old-fashioned oats? Quick cook oats may lead to mushyness or adding too much water to the dried plums. I’m not sure why yours weren’t staying together – this was the exact recipe I used. Mine are soft but they firm up when refrigerated.