Al Fresco Bars

Over the last few months, I have been away from home a great deal. Noting the whole ‘Medjool date, nut butter, chocolate bar’ social media craze that was doing the rounds over the summer, I thought I’d put my own spin on the craze. I wanted to create something I could make whilst staying away from home, even without any of my kitchen kit with me. 

I’d always loved the Cadbury’s Picnic Bars when I was younger, so I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to make a low effort raw Picnic dupe.  

This takes a similar concept to the individual Sprint Bar but as a larger shareable sliceable bar.

Cadbury’s Picnic bars are packed with caramel, rice crispies, peanuts and raisins and covered in milk chocolate.

This is a raw (ish) plant-based version with the Medjools providing the chewy caramel experience and almonds, pecans and pumpkin seeds as an alternative to peanuts - but you can use salted peanuts if you prefer.

Toasted buckwheat granola is the substitute for crisped rice (as it’s all I could manage away from home) but you could use rice crispies or puffed quinoa instead . Or for a truly raw bar, try soaked, sprouted and dehydrated buckwheat for a bit of crunch.

This bar can be made nut-free by using seed butter (such as hempseed or pumpkinseed) instead of nut butter and omitting the almonds and pecans, replacing with sunflower seeds, hemp hearts and more pumpkin seeds.     

This is best kept refrigerated but will keep in the freezer wrapped in baking parchment and cling film for 3 months.

Al Fresco Bars. Photography: Deborah Durrant

INGREDIENTS

8 Medjool dates, pitted

4 tablespoons runny almond (or peanut) butter

10 dry almonds

4 dry pecans, broken into pieces

2 tablespoons dry pumpkin seeds

2 tablespoons raisins

1 tablespoon dried cranberries

2 tablespoons good quality toasted buckwheat granola/puffed quinoa/rice crispies or for truly raw version - soaked and dehydrated buckwheat

60g raw chocolate or good quality 70% cacao dark chocolate (or your chocolate of choice), melted

METHOD

1. Begin by preparing a cutting board and laying a sheet of baking parchment, about the size of A4 paper, onto it. (Ensure your board will fit in your fridge or freezer).

2. Cut open the Medjool dates carefully to remove the pits, if they are not already pitted.

3. Butterfly the dates by cutting them halfway through lengthwise, ensuring you do not slice through them entirely. You want them to open like the wings of a butterfly.

4. Place the butterflied dates onto your prepared baking parchment. The outside of the dates should be facing the paper, and the sticky inside part should be facing upwards.

5. Arrange the dates four down and two across. Make sure that each date is slightly overlapping with its neighbour so that the sticky insides stick together. This will form the base of your bars.

6. Now it's time to add your toppings. Drizzle your choice of runny nut butter evenly over the top of the laid-out dates.

7. Scatter the dry almonds, broken pecans, and pumpkin seeds evenly over the nut butter.

8. Do the same with the raisins and cranberries, ensuring a fair distribution across your date base.

9. For added texture, scatter your choice of good quality toasted buckwheat granola, puffed quinoa, rice crispies, or for a truly raw version, use soaked and dehydrated buckwheat.

10. Pour melted chocolate of your choice over the top.

11. Place your prepared base in the freezer or fridge. If using the freezer, allow it to freeze for about one hour or until firm. If using the fridge, allow chilling for two hours or until set.

12. Once firm, cut into bars and wrap each bar in baking parchment. Store in the fridge or freezer.