Prune, Raisin & Ragi No-Bake Bars

These bars are the answer to every mid-morning energy slump. California prunes and black raisins together create a sticky, deeply sweet base with a complexity that neither alone achieves - prunes bring a molasses depth, raisins bring a lighter floral note. Ragi flour toasted and folded in provides the calcium and fibre that turns a sweet bar into something genuinely sustaining, and extra virgin coconut oil sets them firm in the refrigerator. No baking, no refined sugar, no mystery ingredients. Prunes and raisins provide natural sugar alongside fibre and iron - the combination gives these bars a sustained energy curve that commercial bars with glucose syrup cannot replicate. For the ragi chocolate sauce that turns these bars into a proper dessert with a drizzle, the Ragi Chocolate Fudge Sauce is the perfect pairing.

Ingredients

• ½ cup Earthen Story California Prunes, pitted Shop ↗
• ¼ cup Earthen Story Black Raisins Shop ↗
• 3 tbsp Earthen Story Ragi Flour Shop ↗
• 2 tbsp Earthen Story Extra Virgin Coconut Oil Shop ↗
• ¼ cup rolled oats
• ¼ tsp cardamom powder
• Pinch Himalayan pink salt
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds or desiccated coconut - for coating

Steps

1. Dry-roast ragi flour in a pan on medium-low for 3 - 4 minutes until it smells nutty. Cool completely.
2. Soak prunes in 3 tbsp warm water for 10 minutes to soften. Add raisins and soak together for 5 more minutes.
3. Blend the soaked prunes and raisins (with soaking water) into a thick, sticky paste.
4. Combine the paste with toasted ragi flour, rolled oats, coconut oil, cardamom, and salt. Mix thoroughly into a firm, pliable dough.
5. Line a small tin or container with parchment. Press the mixture in firmly to a 2 cm thickness.
6. Press sesame seeds or desiccated coconut across the top and press in gently.
7. Refrigerate for 2 hours until firm. Lift out and cut into bars with a sharp knife. Store refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.

Key Benefits

• California prunes for digestive regularity and iron California prunes are one of the richest whole-food sources of sorbitol, a natural compound that supports bowel regularity. They also provide significant iron, potassium, and fibre. Iron deficiency affects a disproportionate number of urban Indian women - these bars address it through whole food rather than supplementation.
• Black raisins and ragi for concentrated iron and calcium together Black raisins provide natural iron alongside their sweetness; ragi flour is the most calcium-dense grain available. Commercial energy bars achieve their mineral claims through fortification with synthetic vitamins - these bars achieve them through whole foods in which the minerals are naturally present and more bioavailable.
• Extra virgin coconut oil for cold-set binding and clean fat Cold-pressed virgin coconut oil sets solid when chilled, acting as a natural binder that holds these bars together without any gum, syrup, or chemical binder. The natural sugar in prunes and raisins, combined with the medium-chain fats in coconut oil, produces a sustained energy curve that packaged bars cannot replicate.

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