I love cleaning out my pantry, but only when I uncover ingredients which force me to use them and turn them into something delicious (as opposed to tossing it out because it expired in 2019 – yikes!). These bars were inspired by two cans of condensed milk sitting in my cupboard which were dangerously close to expiring (1 day). I don’t always get this lucky as I don’t have a set pantry cleaning schedule. But in this instance, I was fortunate enough to catch it. I also found some bran (yes, sadly it has become a staple in my diet – ugh), oatmeal (which I use a lot in baking) and granola (which I just love with some yogurt). So I figured I would try these bars and see where I landed. It would be delicious – come on, condensed milk – YUM! These are my Healthy-ish Bars with oatmeal, bran, granola, nuts and fruit oh, and condensed milk!
I cook/bake a lot so I typically have lots of items in my pantry. Some are on a constant replenish schedule – lentils, canned beans, dried beans, pastas, variety of rice etc. others, not so much. They may be leftovers from experiments of “fad” cooking ingredients. These bars gave me the opportunity to use 4 ingredients in my pantry – and actually dispose of the containers of 3 of them, so I’m happy about that. You really can use a combination of anything you have that is similar in nature i.e. cereals etc. It’s a pantry cleaning recipe!
Make these bars, cut them into small squares so when you grab a bite as you walk by the cookie jar or open the fridge, you won’t feel as guilty (I feel absolutely no guilt whatsoever!). Wear a mask or two, wash your hands, socialize according to your regional guidelines and above all stay safe! As always – enjoy!
Ingredients
4 cups of any type of dried cereal – I used granola, oatmeal and bran – in roughly equal proportions
¾ cup sliced almonds
¾ – 1 cup sour cherries, chopped
2 cans condensed milk
¼ cup butter, melted
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350f – grease and line (leaving an overhang on either end) a 9X13” baking pan – set aside
To a large bowl, add the 4 cups of assorted cereal (or just 1 or 2 types, but if doing this add more add-ins i.e. nuts etc)
Add the condensed milk cans and stir until the cereals are fully mixed and coated
Add the butter and stir to mix well
Add the sour cherries and sliced almonds, stir – it will be stiff, but try not to break the almonds
Pour into the prepared pan, flatten with the back of a large spoon or spatula or use your impeccably clean, slightly damp hands
Bake for 30 – 35 minutes until set
Let it cool in the pan, lift out using the parchment overhangs and slice into squares
Store in the fridge – they won’t last though
Suggestions and/or changes!
Use any kind of dried fruit – cranberries, currants, blueberries etc
Use a combination of nuts if no allergies
Try this same recipe using dulce de leche – oh my goodness!!
Add chocolate chips – well why not! Use dark chocolate (that way the kids won’t like it, leaving more for you – awwww!)
You could add extra flavor with some vanilla, almond or citrus extracts
