Description
These Homemade Strawberry Nutrigrain Bars are a delightful and wholesome snack, featuring a tender whole wheat and all-purpose flour crust filled with a naturally sweet, spiced blend of fresh strawberries, dates, and honey. Perfectly baked to golden perfection, these bars deliver a chewy, fruity center wrapped in a buttery crust, ideal for breakfast on-the-go or an afternoon treat.
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients for Dough
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup whole wheat flour
- ⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Dough Mix-Ins
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, very cold and cubed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 2 eggs, whisked
Filling Ingredients
- 6 ounces fresh strawberries
- 4 ounces pitted Medjool dates
- ½ tablespoon honey
- Zest and juice from half of a lemon
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Prepare the Dough Base: Add both flours, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt to a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the cold cubed butter and pulse until the mixture resembles pea-sized pieces evenly incorporated.
- Incorporate Wet Ingredients: Add vanilla bean paste and about ¾ of the whisked eggs to the food processor. Pulse until the dough comes together but is not sticky; add more egg in small increments if needed to reach the right consistency.
- Chill the Dough: Shape dough into a rectangle, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours to firm up.
- Preheat Oven: Set oven to 350˚F (175˚C) to prepare for baking.
- Cook Filling: Combine strawberries, dates, honey, lemon zest and juice, cinnamon, cloves, and pinch of salt in a small saucepan. Simmer until thickened for about 15 minutes, stirring regularly, until the mixture forms a thick paste with no bubbling liquid.
- Blend Filling: Remove from heat, cool slightly, then puree the filling in a food processor or blender until mostly smooth. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a round tip.
- Roll and Shape Dough: On a lightly floured surface, divide dough into four equal parts. Roll each into a 3-4 inch long cylinder, then flatten into a 9″ x 4″ rectangle, using a bench scraper to square the edges.
- Pipe Filling: Pipe two parallel strips of the filling down the middle lengthwise of each dough rectangle, leaving margins on both ends to prevent filling leakage while baking.
- Seal the Logs: Fold each side of dough over the filling, pinch the seams and ends closed securely, flip the log seam side down, and gently roll with a rolling pin to flatten and seal the seams.
- Bake: Transfer logs seam side down onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake at 350˚F for 18-22 minutes until the bottoms turn lightly browned.
- Cool and Slice: Let the logs cool completely before slicing each into 4 bars, yielding a total of 16 bars.
Notes
- Use very cold butter to ensure a flaky, tender crust texture.
- Do not overfill the bars with the filling to prevent oozing during baking.
- Allow bars to cool completely to maintain shape when slicing.
- Bars can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerated for a week.
- For a vegan option, substitute eggs with a flax egg and use maple syrup instead of honey.
