I love the flexibility of this recipe. You can use any nut -- pecans, almonds, walnuts -- and the same goes for the dried fruit. Just about anything goes.
Ingredients
1 cup quick cooking or old fashioned oats
1 cup spoon-size shredded wheat cereal
1 cup walnuts
1½ cups dried fruit (choose one or more of the following: dried plums/prunes, raisins, cherries, apricots, cranberries)
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
¼ cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly oil or coat an 8 x 8-inch baking pan or dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
Place the oats, shredded wheat, walnuts, dried fruit, cinnamon, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the mixture is finely chopped (the fruit should be the size of a dried pea or lentil).
Whisk together the eggs, honey, and vanilla in a large bowl until well combined. Add the oat mixture and chocolate chips and stir to combine.
Spread the mixture evenly in the prepared pan, and flatten gently with the back of a spoon or rubber spatula.
Bake about 18 minutes, or until the edges turn golden brown. Let cool completely in the pan before slicing into twelve 2 x 2½- inch bars.