You can enjoy these fruit and nut chocolate bars without any guilt, as they are packed full of health-boosting ingredients and are so much better for you than their sugary, shop-bought counterparts. Use whatever combination of dried fruits and nuts you fancy. They melt quite easily, due to the coconut oil, so keep them in the fridge until ready to serve. Then just wait for them to melt in the mouth!

Ingredients

You can enjoy these fruit and nut chocolate bars without any guilt, as they are packed full of health-boosting ingredients and are so much better for you than their sugary, shop-bought counterparts. Use whatever combination of dried fruits and nuts you fancy. They melt quite easily, due to the coconut oil, so keep them in the fridge until ready to serve. Then just wait for them to melt in the mouth!

Makes:16

  • 300g peanut, almond or other nut butter
  • 150g coconut oil, softened
  • 100g clear honey
  • 75g shelled pistachios, roughly chopped
  • 75g plain cashew nuts, roughly chopped
  • 75g roasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped
  • 75g dried apricots, roughly chopped
  • 75g raisins
  • 75g goji berries
  • 50g cocoa powder or raw cacao powder
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract

Essential kit:

10 x 32cm fluted, loosebottomed tart tin (2.5cm in height)
 

Method

  1. Place the nut butter, coconut oil and honey in a large bowl and stir together until smooth and well blended. Add all the chopped nuts and the apricots, raisins and goji berries. Add the cocoa or cacao powder and vanilla extract to the bowl, and stir everything together well.
  2. Spread the mixture into the tin, smoothing it level with the back of a spoon. Cover and chill in the fridge for at least 8 hours or overnight, until set firm.
  3. Just before serving, bring to room temperature for 10–20 minutes or until soft enough to remove from the tin easily. Then cut into 8 even-sized finger pieces and cut each one diagonally in half to give 16 triangles. This is easiest done using a long sharp knife, dipped in hot water and wiped dry between each cut.
  4. Serve straight away or store between sheets of baking paper in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three weeks.