Homemade fruit/cereal bars?

[AFWife]

Has anyone ever done this? Kind of like a Nutrigrain bar...

DS can't have pasteurized dairy and the dairy free ones are SO expensive.

[blumooned]

I've made fig bars before.  (Way better than newtons!)  I just did a quick google search & found lots of recipes - you can find one that suits your needs, I'm sure.  You could even add in some other fruits for variety.

[ollyoxenfree]

Not Nutrigrain or Fig Newtons (no yummy filling), but I've made simple bars with grated apple and raisins. They are essentially a quick bread, baked in a square cake pan. Unfortunately, my kids didn't really like them. Yours might though! 

1 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 cup all purpose flour

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup each chopped dried apricots and prunes (or dates or figs etc.)

1/2 cup raisins

1/4 cup what bran

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1 apple grated

3/4 cup plain low-fat yoghurt

1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs

Grease a 9 in. square cake pan. 

Mix flours, sugar, dried fruit, bran baking power and baking soda, spices and apple together. 

In a separate bowl, whisk yoghurt, oil and eggs together. Stir into dry ingredients until just combined. 

Spread in pan and bake at 350F for 35 to 40 min. until tester comes out clean. 

Since you would like dairy-free, I'd replace the yoghurt with applesauce. Perhaps adjust to 1/2 cup oil and 1/2 to 3/4 cup applesauce. Adding more grated apple might help too. 

IIRC, the bars were a little too dense, dry and chewy for my kids and the spices could have been increased. I think grated carrot or zucchini might work too, or some combination. You may have to experiment a little to get something that you like.