Chocolate Prune Crumb Bar

February is Heart Health Month. I’ve collaborated with California Prune Board to come up with a recipe that is not only good for your heart, but also helps with both digestive and bone health. 
 
Dietary fibre has been shown to lower blood cholesterol, which can lower the risk for heart disease. As mentioned, and with it being February, I wanted to highlight some ingredients that can help. There are a few ingredients in this recipe that will help increase the amount of dietary fibre that you get. Always a bonus in my books. 
 
Having strong, healthy bones is important for every stage of life. Some key nutrients for bone health include Vitamin K, potassium and boron. All of which are found in prunes. 
 
Prunes by themselves are delicious, but I wanted to feature prunes in a bit of a decadent dessert pairing them with ingredients that will help with digestive, bone and heart health. 
 
So, what do you get in this dessert?
 
Oats- full of fibre. Good for digestion, heart and bone health.
Almond flour- protein. Good for heart health.
Prunes- fibre. Good for digestion, heart and bone health. 
 
Why prunes? These are a nutritious, often underused food that are great by themselves as a snack or added into other foods for a boost of nutrition. A serving of California Prunes (about 5-6 prunes) contains manganese and is high in Vitamin K- both of which contributes to the maintenance of normal bones. They are also a source of fibre, which helps you feel more full between your meals. They are rich in antioxidants and contain potassium, magnesium, boron and Vitamin B2.
 
This dessert is also gluten free and vegan. 
 
I hope your whole family enjoys this dessert with the goodness of California Prunes.
 



Chocolate Prune Crumb Bar
 
 
Prune Layer
 
1     Cup    Hot water
1 ¼ Cup    California Prunes
½    tsp.     Vanilla
 
 

1. Soak prunes and hot water in a food processor for 5 min.
2. Blend prunes and water until a paste forms. Add in vanilla and process again.
3. Let sit while you prepare everything else.

 
Crust
 
1     Cup   Almond Flour
1 ½ Cup   Oats*
2/3 Cup   Brown Sugar
¼     tsp.   Baking soda
¼     tsp.   Salt
1 tsp.        Cinnamon
½     Cup  Coconut oil, melted
 

1. Mix almond flour, oats, brown sugar, baking soda, salt and cinnamon together.
2. Add melted coconut oil into flour mixture and combine.

 
 
Chocolate Layer
 
1/2   Cup   Chocolate Chips
1.       Tbsp  Coconut oil 

1. Place coconut oil and chocolate chips in a small pan over medium heat. 
2. Stirring constantly heat until 2/3 of the chips have melted. Remove from heat and continue to stir until all the chips have melted. 

 
 
*Gluten free if necessary
 
 

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8 x 8 inch pan with parchment paper.
2. Prepare the prune filling first. While it sits prepare the rest of the bar.
3. Make the crust layer next. Once made, take out 1 cup of the crust mixture and put aside (this will be the topping). Press the rest of the crust into the parchment lined pan. You may need to press this down hard – that’s okay. 
4. Spread the prune mixture on top of the crust layer.
5. Make the chocolate layer and pour it on top of the prune layer. 
6. Sprinkle the 1 cup of crust mixture that you put aside on the chocolate layer. 
7. Put in the oven and bake for 30- 35 minutes or until the top is light golden brown.
8. When its done, let it cool in the pan for about 1 hour. Then remove from the pan and let it cool completely. Cut into squares and store leftovers bars in the fridge.

References:
 
https://www.californiaprunes.ca/healthy-living/wonders-of-california-prunes/
 

 
Looking for more recipes that include prunes? Contact Jill, Nurture The Future's Registered Dietitian at nf.nutrition@gmail.com 

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