Some mornings you just need an extra little kick to get yourself going. These fruit and oat bars are perfect for when you're rushing out the door but don't want to skip brekkie.

Cranberries are a great winter fruit and add a lovely tart taste to these chewy bars. Have one first thing in the morning or as a healthy treat to go with your 11am cuppa! You can of course substitute cranberries for another dried fruit such as apricot, raisins, blueberries, pineapple or a mix. 

These will keep well for at least a week in a sealed tin or container. They take around an hour to bake so why not whip up a batch at the weekend to do you for the days ahead? 

Cranberry and Oat Breakfast Bars
Makes 16 small bars

Ingredients:

• 400g condensed milk 
• 250g porridge oats (not instant oats)
• 75g shredded coconut
• 100g dried cranberries 
• 125g seeds of your choice eg. a mix of sunflower, flaxseed and pumpkin
• 125g roughly chopped walnuts
• Optional: 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 130C / Gas mark 1.
2. Oil  a 9 x 13 inch baking tin .
3. Gently warm the condensed milk in a saucepan.
4. Mix together all other ingredients in a bowl and add the warmed condensed milk. Fold with a spatula, ensuring the dry ingredients are evenly covered with the milk.
5. Spread the mixture into baking tin and use a spatula or your hands to even out the surface. 
6. Bake for 1 hour. Check the mixture around the 45 minute mark – it should be firm around the edges but still a little soft in the center.
7. Remove from oven and allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before cutting into 16 pieces. 
8. Let the bars cool completely before removing from tin.

Image via Pinterest