Great for entertaining, these photogenic fruit-and-farro squares don’t need added sugar to satiate a sweet tooth. They’re also wholesome and nourishing enough to eat as breakfast bars. Cranberries, cherries, and apples meld together in the lip-smacking sauce. Date Paste, used in both the base and sauce, adds natural sweetness and moisture. Make your own Date Paste using our simple recipe, or pick some up at the store.
Ingredients
SQUARES
- 1 cup dry farro, rinsed
- 1 cup date paste
- ¼ cup oat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ cup walnuts, crushed
SAUCE
- 1¼ cups dried, fresh, or frozen cranberries (6 ounces)
- 1 cup dried, fresh, or frozen pitted cherries (6 ounces)
- 1 medium apple, cored and finely chopped (1 cup)
- ½ cup <a href="https://www.forksoverknives.com/recipes/date-paste/">date paste</a>
- 1 tablespoon arrowroot powder
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened, unflavored plant milk
Instructions
- Cook farro according to package directions. Remove the pan from heat and let cool, then fluff the farro with a fork.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a bowl, combine farro, date paste, oat flour, baking powder, flaxseed, vanilla, and walnuts. Mix well. The texture will be sticky and lumpy. Transfer the mixture to the baking sheet and pat it into an 8-inch square that is between ¼ inch and ½ inch thick.
- Bake 20 minutes on the top rack.
- Meanwhile, in a small sauce pot, combine cranberries, cherries, apple, date paste, arrowroot, and milk. Bring to a boil and simmer 5 to 10 minutes, until the fruits soften and the mixture has thickened.
- Let the fruit topping cool 10 minutes. Remove baked farro square from oven. Spread the topping on the baked farro, and chill in the fridge for least an hour.
- When ready to serve, cut into pieces.
Nutritional Information:
Per serving (1/16 of recipe), 127 calories, 27 g carbohydrates, 3.3 g protein, 1.8 g total fat, 0.2 g saturated fat, 32 mg sodium, 3.9 g fiber, 13 g sugar
Note: Nutritional information is provided as an estimate only.
Has anyone tried quinoa as a replacement for farro to make it gluten free?
Has anyone tried these after freezing them?
The recipe does not specify what type of farro. I used whole farro, and the base was very chewy- bordering on under cooked. Perhaps pearled farro should be the farro of choice, or else specify a longer cooking time. Otherwise the squares were OK, but a little on the bland side. Perhaps a little cinnamon would help.
Hi David,
Chef Darshana says you can use pearled or semi pearled farro and follow the directions on the package. Or you can cook the whole grain farro for 20 -30 minutes or until it’s cooked well but the grains are still intact. Another option is to cook it in the instant pot under the rice setting. Thanks for reaching out and I hope that clarifies things.
Hi David,
The recipe uses whole farro. Did you cook it beforehand, as per step 1?
Do you have nutrition values? How much sugar, protein, carbs, etc
We are currently working on adding nutritional information to all our recipes. We anticipate this feature will be live on the website in the coming months. Please stay tuned for updates!
I was looking for something to do with cranberries. This fit the ticket just right!
Sure wish size pan was given.
The recipe says to use a baking sheet, also known as a cookie sheet. Most of mine are about 10 in by 15 in. Looking forward to trying this one cranberries are in season!